The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-08-16
QolititaI Mattrrs.
SPEECH OF HON. C. FOSTER.
Delivered at Clyde, July 81, 1872.

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION
You have seen proper to make me
your standard bearer in the congress
sional race for the Tenth district. l
recognize in the gentlemen compos-
ing this convention to a large extent
the representative Republicans of
this district, many of whom are nv
personal friends, and many others
to whom l am a comparative stran.
ger. l apprehend that you have
made this nomination, not simply
because of the successful leadership
l assumed in the year 1870, when
we routed the Democracy so hand
somely, nor because of any special
claim I may have for distinguished
service as a member of Congress
nor because of superior fitness of
mine to fill the honorable position
now hold, and confidently expect tc
hold for another term. But I assume
that you have carefully examined
all the different aspects of the con
test, and that you believe with your
humble servant as your candidate
you will succeed. Gentlemen 1 &C.
cept your nomination, and am thank
ful for this manifestation of you re
gard and esteem.
If I have during my term of ser
vice, made mistakes, land it is pos
sible) in the dispensation of patron
age, 1 sincerely regret it, not so much
for its effects upon me personally,
but for the effect it may have upon
the party on whom we believe the
welfare of the country depends.
THE PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST.
The presidential contest this year
is q peculiar one. The Democratic
party, which claims existence from
the year 1900, and which down to
1860 with short intervals of Whig
ascendency governed and ruled the
country, gradually divested itself Of
its great and leading idea viz: the
right of all men to be free; unit
long before its downfall in 1860, il
became the firm and certain advo-
cate of slavery, and finally threw the
southern portion of the Republic in
to rebellion, for the avowed purpose
of sustaining human bondage
Through all the terrible years Of car
mage and blood, it maintained its
organization, and was enabled,
through its admirable and wonder
full discipline to throw a large per
centage of the votes of the country
in opposition to what we believe tt
have been its vital interests. Ger
tain it is that time has fully demon
strated the wisdom of all the grea
measures of the Republican party
and to-day we find the Democratic
party endorsing, affirming and pledg
ing itself to sustain all these great
measures saving and accepting a
faint objection to its centralizinG
tendencies, and that, too, under th'
leadership of the most distastefu
enemy to be found in the country
all of which is brought about by tht
leaders against the wishes of tbs
great mass of the party. The best
and most potent reason for thi;
great fraud is avowed to be "any
thing to beat Grant"
They admit that Democratic doc
trines and candidates connot stanC
before the country. They confess
their defeat, and their error on thC
great issues of the past: equality OF
race, emancipation, the ballot fol
all, exemption of bonds from tax
alton, payment of the debt in coin
Upon these and other measures the
Democratic party confesses itselt
not only beaten but wrong. Not
only old grounds of difference are
given up, but no new grounds ot
difference are found.
The Republican party has been
in power for eleven years, respon-
sible for all legislation in the great
est and most trying era of the ma
tion, and now its life long enemy al
last gives up the fight, not daring
to join issue upon but single polit.
ical questionable Ku Klux laws,
and for these their candidate was a
strong advocate, and has never yet
disapproved of them.
For the purpose, 1 suppose, ofwip-
ing out the last vestige of Democracy
they have selected as their candi-
date a professed ultra Republican
formerly an ultra Wing and Know
and for him they ask the
votes of honest Democrats. If a
Democrat were running, Democrats
could with consistency vote for him.
or if Democratic principles were to
be voted for they could with consis-
tency sustain them.
The solution of this paradox then
is the cry Anybody but Grant" :"
the whole thing is based purely and
entirely on personal grounds, and
by a few respectable Re-
publican sore heads; and the whole
herd of Republican plandererS, who
are unable to find favor with Grant,
with that part ofthe Demo
cracy totally without principles,
backed up by Tammany, with all its
and stencil. The Liberal
who sustain this move
ment in nine cases out Of ten do so
because their wishes for themselves
or friends as to Office and patronage
have not been gratifed. They 60
upon the theory that "what is good
for them is good for the country"
and Vice Uersa.
You may go over the whole list
Of these malcontents, name any one
Of them, and l am quite sure can
tell you what "ails him."
Then the contest resolves into a
personal controversy, and Grant is
put on trial. We accept the chal-
-enge, and l confidently predict that
when 1876 comes round this "any-
thing to beat Grant" party, will not
only adopt our principles but will
also adopt our candidates.
GRANT AS A CIVILIAN.
"Grant is not statesman-he may
be a good general, but he is Ignorant
Of what school boys had ought to
know" say these Dolly Vardens."
He cannot be illiterate. Whoever
read his military dispatches, his
military rules and regulations for
Tho o-o,-o,.,,,on+ Of tho diffnrant To-