The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-06-06
From the Cincinnati Gazette,
WAY The DEMOCRATS SHOULD NON
MATE GREELEY.

AlAAH NAai4a-AafaAs 4 o
: Some lea,ling Democrats have tried
to resist the Greeley Democratic drift
by setting up the condition that the
I Democrats should await the demon.
stTatiOn Of Mr.. Greeley's Republican
strength before committing them
selves to him, and in fine, if Mr.
I Greeley does not exhibit this Repub-
/ lican following before the Baltimore
I convention assemblies, it should not
nominate him. 1t is supposed that il
was in view Of this condition that the
convention was deferred to so late q
/ time.
This may appear fair as bargain
] but little reflection, aided by gen.
( tie touch Of the logical analysis which
we shall give it, will show that this
condition is wholly Irrational and i'm
practicable, besides being grossly un-
fair.
Firstly, it would be natural for Re
publieans to want to know, before
taking the consequences and risks OF
receding from their own party by pro-
nouneing for Mr.. Greeley, whether
the Democratic party is gOingtO nOm-
mate him. Mr.. Greeley himself de-
clared, Just before the Cincinnati con-
vention, that if the Democrats made
another nomination he should sup
port tSlat Republican ticket which
Should be most likely to succeed. 1t
cannotbe expected that Republicans
will sacrifice their party by declaring
1 for Greeley before they know wheth-
er the Democrats will nominate him,
or whether he will remain in the field.
I Therefore this plausible Democratic
stipulation makes prerequisite that
which, in the nature of things, must
be subsequent and consequent
| Secondly, there are many Repub-
licans who would support Greeley as
an Independent Republican candidate
who would hesitate to commit them
selves for him in view of the talk OF
his becoming the candidate for the
Democratic party, and giving all his
Republican influence to bring that
party into power in Congress. These
would wait to see if this change of
character is made. Thus in no aspect
of the case is it possible that Greeley
can make a showing of Republican
supporters before the Baltimore con-
ventiOn has nominated MIN. And
we have to remark that to require
Republicans to sacrifice their stand
ing in their own party by prOnOunc-
ing for Greeley, or the Democratic
candidate, when the Democratic con-
ventiOn may nominate somebody
else, is about the most braZen speci-
men of confidence operation we have
ever heard of.
But we shall prove by inheXible log
ic that the nomination of Greeley Is
the only policy for the Democratic
party, without regard to signs OF a
Republican following. Firstly, the
proposal of the Democrats to NOM
mate him ON conditions is predicated
upOI the belief that they can make
the whole Democratic party vote for
him. The elements of their caicula-
ton are, first, entire Democratic vote;
second, enough Republican votes to
change the balance. If they can thus
carry the entire Democratic vote for
Greeley they will lose nothing by
nominating him, even if he did not
draw q single Republican vote but
his own. And they have the chance
that after they have shown their sim
cerity by nominating him, there will
be "A Republican uprising for him.
Thus the Democrats have nothing to
lose and everything to gain by nom-
mating Greeley.
But the plan has much more than
this negative merit. The Democrat
ic expression since the Cincinnti self
generated-delegate convention nom
mated Greeley, proves that he is the
most popular candidate for the Dem
ocratic party that could be nomina-
ted. There is really great uprising
of the Democratic masses for Greeley.
We know of no Democrat whose
nomination would create so much
Democratic enthusiasm as has been
made by the mere proposal to NOM
mate Horace Greeley. There is Iea-
son for this. Greeley has not been
involved in any of the iealOusies and
throat-eutting emulatiOns of rival
Democratic aspirants for the presi-
dencys Therefore he is equally pop
lar with all the factions. This 10 the
same policy that has been found wise
for nations when default in the roy
al line makes it necessary to elect a
king. They choose a foreigner in
stead of q member Ofone of their own
great families. The same reason gov
erns the marriages of reigning prin-
ces.
Their is another good reason for
Greeley's popularity as the Democrat
ic candidate. The whole party is con-
sciOus of q mistaken course and a
misspent life; of unlaithfulness to
country; of an attempt to destroy
the republic; of q long course of un-
patriotism and of a succession Of
blunders i'm party management. These
have made its character hateful to
itself, even while it is bound tOgeth-
er by the old party ties. The Demo-
cratic masses find in Greeley an Of
fering of a Democratic candidate
without the Odium of the Democratic
character. They hail him as a relief
from their self-cOndemnatiOn. They
instinctively perceive that hereini is
a promise of a new departure by
which they may escape from their
bad fame. Thus there is at the bot
tom of this Democratic uprising for
Greeley a genuine conviction and
contritiOn, and hopeful redemption
from InelE OWL Sdu elalGs
So far we have considered 1t only
as a question of Democratic policy.
But there are considerations Of good
faith which even the Democracy can
not afford to wholly disregard. Both
the courts and the comfy of society
recognize implied contracts, though
they be not expressed in words. The
courts give exemplary damages in
cases where y party has been led on
by expressions and manners signify
ing an intention to contract which
then has been broken off. Such are the
conditions here, as we shall show be-
yond dispute. The Cincinnati con-
yention was called to set oil foot a
policy which Mr.. Greeley has all his
life opposed. He has made the sup
port of the system which this con-
Vention was called to oppose para
mount to all other political cOnsidera-
tions. Therefore he pronounced
against it. 1t was called only as an
informal meeting of Republicans for
conference. and with an idea of COM
bining an influence within he Re
publican party to have voice in its
policy.
But it began to be given out by
leading Democratic journals that they
were willing to adopt passive policy
for their party, and to accept the can
didate of the Cincinnati convention,
in order to add the Republican tariff
reform vote to that of the Democrats,
and so elect a candidate against the
regular Republican nomination. This
began to give the Cincinnati move
ment more force. Democratic jOurn-
ais said, if wisely conducted, it might
nominate the next President. This
fired Greeley's presidential aspira-
tions. 1t placed before him the temp
tation of the Presidency il he would
only bow down and worship the
Democratic party. The solid Demo
cratic vote seemed to be offered to any
man who could procure the semb-
lance of nomination by this irregu-
lar body. He Immediately went 70
work for it, by exhorting all Republi-
cans opposed to Grant to attend, re-
gardless of its anti-pr0tection terms,
by mastering band of promoters for
action, and bp trimming his paper to
catch the Democratic favor.
The protection issue was first to be
\ got out of the way. y change OftOne
was seen in the Tribune. Whereas il
before had denounced as free traders
bought with British gold all who adj
vocated a mitigation ofextreme pros
eriptive duties and frauds, it now de-
| cIared that any man who was for dis