Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-03-20
DENLALS-T THEIR SIGNIF1cANcY


j and preside over its deliberations. Mr.
4 Dawes and Mr.. Garfield also deny that
they are going to Cincinnati, or that any
one is authorised to report them as favor
ing the convention. All these gentlemen
have felt obliged to ''rise and explain"
Mr.. Sumner denies that he has promised
to attend the sore-head convention as
President, but will not deny that his SYM
pathcs are with it or that he may not be
member and preside. The explanation OF
Mr.. Dawes places him squarely against
the convention, though his being marked
and reported publicly among the disor
ganizers indicates that they had hopes of
holding him. Mr.. Garfield's denial is very
much like that of Mr. Sumner. 1t shows
that there are good reasons to count him
with the disaffected. He knows very well
that he cannot enter into the Cincinnati
convention as member without breaking
his allegiance to the republican party.
Moseby might as well claim to have been
| good Union soldier in the war. as Gar
field or any other man to be a republican
while plotting and acting outside of the
regular body to defeat its purposes and
acts.
Now the signifcancy of these denials is
that the Cincinnati scheme had encourage
ment from republicans, perhaps more than
they intended to give or supposed they
were giving it by occupying sort of neu-
trail ground. but that they now see the
necessity of repudiating the concern and
placing themselves decidedly against it
and in favor of regular action. There is
danger in coquetting with such scheme.
He who does it incurs peril. Honor de-
mands that he deal frankly with his con-
!, stituents If he has decided to leave the
n republican party. let him say so and leave
IS it honorably, as any man has right to do
= but to claim to be a republican while plot
IS ting with its enemies for its overthrow is
lie gross treaehcry and baseness.
p These denials will have good effect
e. Summers postion-for that concerns him
'e more than any one else-but because they
a will tend to enlighten members of Con-
e. gress and the mass Of the party upon the
II gard to the Cincinnati convention. Let
those who are for it avow it, and those
Il who are against it say so in unmistake-
l. able language. BY this course their posi-
ton will not be misunderstood They will
not be compelled to send abroad denials
and explanations to let their friends know
where they stand 1t is no time now tc
speak with forked tongue. The Gin.
cinnati convention is the last hope of the
democrats. They have the greatest in
terest in its deliberations and acts. Who
:. ever is for it is for them
But we notice there is an effort within a
few days to take away the offensive char
l. acter of the Cincinnati move and reconcile
!. it with allegiance to the republican party
1t is said now that the convention will BIT
simply a body for consultation not to or
- candidates nominated and no platform
II adopted. 1t will simply be gathering Of
: / soreheads to talk over their grievances
i threaten what they will do if Grant is
=, nominated, and go home TO divide as theil
- incllnations lead them, some into the DEM
re ocratic party, but the most of them to re-
main in the republican party.
- This is whiting down the Importance
-, of the projected convention to small
). thing. Probably the managers having
. found that they could brighten nobody
- have thought it best to moderate their pre-
tensions, and have an eye to the situation
9 in which they will be placed after Grant is
). nominated at Philadelphia. Much as they
y are dissatisfied with the republican party
n because they cannot control the nomina.
W ton for President they have no desire to
y leave it just yet and join the democrats
They show their wisdom in thus looking
) out for a retreat, but they would have
: shown more to have made their fight with.
in the lines and preserved their record I'M
furnished