Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-11-04

The presidential campaign of 1872 is near its
close. Tomorrow, the voting of the people in
all the states will determine the result. For the
last three or foar weeks, there has seemed to be
no doubt of the election of Grant and Wilson.
The attempt to destroy the republican party, by
nominating Mr.. Grceley, has not been success
full; and it is astonishing that anybody believed
it could be; nevertheless, ii was confident ex-
pectation of success which led the democrats to
nominate Greeley and Brown, at Baltimore.
They vastly over-rated the personal influence of
Mr.. Greeley in the republican party, and really
believed his departure from it would leave it a
wreck. Experience, like the stern lights of a
ship, shines only on the path behind us" They
have learned something from experience, but the
lesson comes too late None of us can 90 back
to July 9th, of this year; and, if we could, if
the democrats could 90 back and begin the can
vass anew, no nomination they could make
would be much more successful.
On the democratic side, the policy of the
canvass, from the beginning, has been to keep
out OF sight the questions involved in the issue
between the two parties, and confne attention
to furious assaults on Gen. Grant and leading
AtPAcAiSdhos luz puiPOeS WAS ~ Ildk6 II
wholly fierce contest between Mr. Greeley with
his liberals" and the republican party, in
which the democrats could operate as Mr.. Gree
ley's helpers, without being required to discuss
their own views. This has given the canvass
character which has no parallel in the history
of our elections. The chief method ofour oppo-
nents has been wild crusade against private as
well as public character; their chief instrument
unwarranted calumny. They began with a
storm of calumny against the president v hich
was meant to be overwhelming. This was con.
tinued against Gen. Grant and some of his lead
ing supporters with astonishing vigor and fer
tiity of invention, until it began to appear even
to the blindest Of the calumniators that they
were injuring nobody but themselves and their
own candidates. They should have been wise
enough to see at the beginning that the love of
justice and fair play is not dead among the
American people and cannot be killed by such
methods.
Lately, the Greeley organs have dealt less in
calumny, which is an admission that they have
not found it useful, but they have shown no dis
position to bring forward and discuss the issues
involved in the contest. The policy of conceal.
ment and assimilation has been carefully main
tanned. Even that positive and usually very
bold democrat, W. W. Eaton, in Connecticut,
can not be induced to depart from it. He can
assail the administration, and talk in the
current opposition style against the republican
party; but he cannot be persuaded to engage in
public discussion of his own well known
views. He Islands by his record" but will not
now discuss that record. Herein he is true to
the policy by which his party has been regulated
since the Baltimore convention; the policy
which, it was believed, would give his party con.
troll Of the government.
Well, this remarkable canvass is near its
close, and it will have results which our op-
ponents did not anticipate. We cannot believe
il will leave them willing to undertake another
like it. In some Of the states they have done
considerable work, since the October elections;
and their organs are now Boosting, that, if they
do not elect Greeley and Brown, they will give
this ticket much larger electoral vote than the
republicans are willing to believe possible. Per-
haps this BOASTS more sincere than it seems; per-
haps they will carry some state which most
people believe them unable TO carry. They can
not reasonably be expected 10 cease making
such claims, at present; and it is not worth
while to criticise their attempts to be cheerful.
Tomorrow we shall vote, and very soon after
wards we shall all know the result. IL is by
'7'ing, and not by Boosting, that the result will
termined