New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-05-31
THE FREE TR1DE DEMONSTRA TON.


name bears political weight is champion OF
Gen. Grants reelection. Mr.. Jackson s.
Schultz, late the President of the Union
League Club, and leading Free Trader,
is enthusiastically for him. Mr.. Isaac II. Bailey,
q Free Trader even more vehement, Is as en-
thusiastic for Gen. Grant as is Thos. Murphy.
The leading Free Trade merchants all lent
their names to the organization of the Cooper
Institute Grant Rally. Under such circum-
stances the Free Trade doctrinaires IN the
Liberal Republican ranks propose to subordi-
nate the common grounds for opposing Gen,
Grant,-his debauching the Civil Service, his
rule of the South by the bayonet, his admins
tration of the Government as if it were his
private estate, his policy Of discord at
home and disgrace abroad ;-and elevate in
stead, as the main reason for turning him out,
their demand for reduction or abolition OF
the Tariff. Having many reasons in common
with Gen. Grants other opponents for resisting
his reelection, they prefer instead to rally
around the one principle which they hold in
common with his most earnest supporters. And
so they met last night to set the sagaciOus plan on
foot. The ablest and most practical of them,
Mr.. David A. Wells, did indeed seem troubled
he took care to announce that he pre-
ferred to reserve his judgment as to what
it were best to do about the Cincinnati
ticket but before he reached an end he made
up his mind that Mr. Greeley ought not to be
supported if it could be avoided, that the
Free Traders should preserve their independ-
ence and strike somewhere or somehow as an
independent and united body. Mr.. Atkinson
more bitterly though less cOgently urged the
same policy.
An independent and united body did try to
strike together, not long ago, at Cincinnati.
1t grew impatient over the delay of the doc
trinaires in Committee over question its
members considered of secondary Importance
in this campaign, the question of the
Tariff ThereupOn came rushing in, in
hot haste, two members, Messrs David a.
Wells and Edward Atkinson The Con-
veution, they vociferated with vehement
gesticulation, must not take so rash
step. The Committee had agreed. 1t had
made a platform which everybody would
approve, a platform which had been almost
unanimously adopted, platform which
would inspire harmony and insure
victory. But a little while before,
a Western Revenue Reformer, Judge Stanley
Matthews, had deliberately declared in writing
that the Tariff question must not be made
controlling issue, and that he would willingly
support Horace Greeley. Now come these ex-
cellent gentlemen,--the former repudiating
the platform they made and eulogized
the latter tho candidate he pledged
himself to support ask practical, common
sense people to unite again with them in
another effort at national organization to
defeat Gen. Grant and elect President AS
well might Ishmael, the son of Hagar, call for
a general muster under his cOnfdence-inspir-
ing banners.
We do not wish to underrate the discomfort
for which last nights meeting was the ex
ponent. 1t is not great; but it is considerable,
and it is among men whose sincerity of pur-
pose, ability and political purity make them as
desirable allies, as their political ifnpractcabil-
ity makes them impossible leaders. On the
other hand, we do not wish to 0verrate the
Importance of the movement they are attempt
ing to set on foot. They do not speak for
the Revenue Reform party, and they include
but one of its organizing minds. Gen. Carl
Schurz, as we know, attaches far less import
ance to their pet theories than they insist
On giving them, and declines fight
of that sort. Col. Grosvenor takes occasion, in
advance of their meeting, to come out en-
phatically for the Cincinnati ticket. Horace
White declares that he means to show or to
know no variableness or shadow Of tun-
ing in the support he gives the platform and
the ticket. Samuel Bowles has been from
the outset as Jealous as he is able, and he
has been admirably supported in Hartford by
Isaac H. Bromley. Henry Watterson speaks
for the South West in no uncertain tones,
and Murat Halstead can be led into no
visionary support of fresh effort at
platform and ticket, by men who
have just repudiatod those they helped to