Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-08-15
Hon. Stanley Matthews.

HON. STANLEY MATTHEWS, who was
. the temporary President of the Cincin-
natl Convention, delivered an address in
that city a few evenings ago, and his
speech possesses especial significance,
coming as it does from one of the leading
spirits of the Liberal movement. Mr.
Matthews is an able lawyer, profound
thinker and a man of unimpeachable in
tegrity. He went into the Liberal move
ment, doubtless, from the purest motives,
hoping for the Inauguration of a party
destined to work reforms in every depart
ment of the Government He now retires
from it because he has become convinced
that the movement has fallen into the
hands of unscrupulous politicians, from
whom the country has nothing to hope
and much to fear.
His explanation of the reasons which
induced him to the conclusion that he
was relieved from all obligation to sup
port the ticket he had aided to put in
nomination is not only conclusive, but
amounts to an arraignment of the Gin
cinnati Convention as a body of corrupt,
trading politicians, bent on spoils, rather
than the accomplishment of reform, for
which it osfensibly assembled He saws j:
"The Convention fell below the mark of
Its own necessa standard. 1t was filled with
politicians of the ordinary stamp-men who
wanted offices for themselves and their
friends-and who, consequently determined
no one should be nominated to dispense
Office, in case of his election, who would not
acknowledge and remember the obligations
to reward party services.
ut found such men who, personally, and
by agents, were soliciting the situation; men
who, personally or by their spokesmen, were
willing to negotiate for it. A bargain was
struck, and the nominations were made"
fr,Nr no
President, who overlooked with careful
discrimination all it's proceedings, dis
posed to approve if possible, we have the
most emphatic condemnation of the Gin
cinnati Convention, as congregation of
bargainers deliberately selling their prin-
ciples to the highest bidder
His speech is an exhaustive review of
the history of the Liberal party, of it's
IS Convention, and of the Baltimore indorse-
ment of its candidates and platform 1t
discusses the record of President Grants
Administration dispassionately, occasion
ally condemning but generally approving,
summing up by the declaration that ''the
general conduct of his Administration, so
far as his executive duties have been in
volved, in my estimation, has been per-
sonally pure, and characterized in the
main by regard for the Constitution and
the law, by wisdom. prudence, and con-
scientious desire to promote the public in
terest." On the other hand, he shows
that all Mr.. Greele, s training has been in
the school of bitter partisan politics; that
he has always approved the Jack
sonian doctrine, ''to the victors be-
long the spoils " and hence that no
hope of civil service reform lies in his
elevation to the Presidency; and, con-
sidering the fact that, if elected. he must
necessarily represent the worst wing of
the Democratic party, there is room for
the gravest apprehensions that that branch
OF the public service under his Admins
tration would be liable to a greater de-
gree OF corruption than any which has
gone before il. The speech throughout
maintains the high tone and dispassionate
character of a judicial decision, and is a
convincing argument equally in favor of
the support of the reelection of Presi
dent Grant and of the imperative neces-
sity, to the continued well being and
prosperity of the country, of the main
tenance of the ascendency of the Repub
ican party.