Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1872-09-25

fE elections are important. 1t is a gre
matter, when the people of a natio
like ours, forty millions strong, ris
up in their majesty to declare VIII
shall rule over them for a periou
years. All honest men desire to al
1 rive at the greatest good. To tn
majority, the question as to VIII
shall bold office, is of little import
ance, only so that the government i
, wisely administered. This should b
the object of all elections and the ain
Of all parties. Before speaking of tn
Republican nominees or platform,
wish to spend while in examinin,
the claims of the parties which havt
nominated Greeley and Brown.
> THE CINCINNATI CONVENTION.
On the first of May last, there wa:
held in Cincinnati, Convention OF
: o-called Liberal Republicans. They
were men who had heretofore acted
with the Republican party, but were
dissatisfied with the administration
of Grant. The Convention was re-
spectable in numbers and ability.
There were men in it who were
? doubtless aetuated by sincere and
honest motives, and a desire to pro-
mote the public good, and who were
opposed to all trades and bargains.
There were others, and 1 suspect the
greater share, who went into the
movement for the purpose of defeat
ing Grant. They had attempted to
control the Administration and had
failed, or had sought office either for
themselves or others and had failed
in that. They had become indig-
naht, desperate and revengeful, and
sought for an opportunity to crafty
their vengeance, There We're others
NOT a few-who are naturally po-
litical adventures, wandering like
restless fortune seekers. from one par
ty to another, and trading one set of
! principles for another almost as often
as the changes of the moon.
This Convention, called proiessedly
in the interest of free trade and reform,
was literally sold out by political
chaTlatans, and closed its sessions by
making one of the most shameful
and corrupt bargains ever known.
will not refer at length to its plat
form. It talks about abuses and in
favor of reform but does not in a
single instance indicate in what man
of the nation. Its purposes was to |
combine all the elements of opposi-
ton to Grant, however diverse or
contradictory these elements might
be upon all vital national questions.
To lay down any line of policy was
impossible; because it was impossible
to agree upon any. The could resolve
to beat GTant-but in what manner
the Government should be admins
tered was an open question. The
action of the Convention in regard TO
the subject of tariff is a notable illus
tration, If they resolved in favor of
free trade the Convention would
split. So they lodged the question
and declared that this
whole subject did not belong to ma
tional politics, but should be remitted /!
to Congressional districts. A more
shallow, cowardly performance was
never heard of. Now it stands that
this party has no views, no policy
upon this subject. If Liberal Re !
publican or Democrat were to start
on a campaigning tour, beginning in
and ending in Illinois,
he would, in Pennsylvania, advocate
1 high duty on iron and high pro-
.ective tariff. In Illinois he would :
ienounce high protective tariff and
oppose a duty on iron, or he could 7
)mit this troublesome question alto
yether, and if asked to express his
views, would say that the party he I
had no policy, but would :
10 Just to suit the people in every =
district and locality. What humIl-
ating position for party to be placed {
n! Who can tell what Greeley will
10, or his Cabinet will do, in regard {
o collecting the duties upon imports u
nd enforcing the laws of the United II
states upon this subject. He must d
'e all things to all men. 1t is what II
denOminate a self-adjusting plat o
Orm, warranted to suit all localities Y
nd shades of opinion, however con- "
radictoFy or diverse they may be. o
d
On one end of this self-adjusting u
latform they put Horace Greeley, u
be great advocate of protection, and 81
n the other end they place Gratz e
irown, free trade political advent n
rer. The country was surprised at q
ne result. Adams, Trumbull, Davis ca
nd that class of men, had been al
lrown overheard. Those who had n
one into the Convention from sim 10
ere desire to promote the public good, cy
ere disguised and chagrined at the 10
suit, and are abandoning the move lie,
tent. 1t is now established beyond IN
/ doubt that the proceedings at Gin ga
nnati were simply the preliminary og
ep in a corrupt political bargain, ao
ade months before by Horace Gree IN
Y and his friends on one side, and u
le leading Democratic politicians of n,
ew York on the other. The work WI
Cincinnati was the first chapter III
lie proceedings at Baltimore the sec IN
Id. ~
1t was a vital part of the pro- Se
anime that the nominees and plat n n
rm of the Cincinnati Convention -.
ould be adopted and indOrsed by gu
e Democratic Convention at Balti- ~,
ore which met on the 9th of July. n, sn
t first thought this would seem like Ne Ne
great undertaking. Greeley was in ~ ~
vOr of tariff. The Democrats gen. -
ally in favor of free trade. Greeley ~ ~
ID for thirty years abused and Will oF 20
d the Democracy. He hcd called ~ ~.
EN- thieves, liars, assassins and MUIR -
rers. If he honestly believed these nn r1,
arges, he would be unwilling to be- ~ ~
me their candidate and join their ,iN ,S
nks and the Democracy would be e.o
willing to support the man who Vi "a
ID slsndered and tTaduced them. 81 90
he made such charges without be- So w
wing the m, then he ought not to ,1S,
eeive anybOdY's support or eounte- -; III
nee. I believe that then and now LII
of the solid thinking, hon. 20
! men among the Democracy were VI
d are in their hearts opposed to Hor- w.. W.
2 Greeley. If the matter had been ;Io ;n'
{ to popular vote, he would not III III.
We received the support of ole-tenth w W.
the members of THAT party. The po- ~ NJ
ical jugglers who had the matter in iats iue
arge, however, did not intend ~ ~
ere should be any expression of the i;o iio
pular will. Conventions in every ~: ~
ate were packed" to secure the VI WI
ction of Greeley delegates. As vi
iult of this engineering the Balti- lui
IRE Convention re-nominated Gree W
and Brown and adopted the Gin Pai
matt platform without the chang Wo
: of a word. Now being the rega- anC
nominees of the National Demo- tIe'
tic Convention. they are thrust Iwt M
on the Democracy with the argu- ahe in
mt that the action of the party is ure
ding, and that. it is political sin for wa va
Democrat to bolt the regular nomina- Gu cur
u. The rank and file who had no Gon
ce in the proceeding are expected lAl
fall into line and do the bidding of 1
.ir masters lev