Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-07-24

people struck back, and they Will strike bach
again.
Mr.. Conkling, after stating that the oppo
sition had blundered in arraigning the Presi.
dent for ignorance, dishonesty, and vice,
spoke of the self constituted crowd at Gin
cinnati, that medley group made up of few
respectable men who have since repudiated
1t, and of The most piebald disreputable col.
lection to be scraped from the cutters and
sewers OF politics, these politicians, these
lszaroni, pretending to represent States, laid
down the platform on which Greeley thinks
he is running.
Quotations were here made from the Gin
cinnati platform, and John Cochorane's ad-
dress arraigning the President for personal
crimes.
Mr.. Conkling then characterized the tariff
resolutions at Cincinnati as a mere tumble,
and shallow evasion, the amnesty resolutions
AS spent, because the general amnesty bill
passed weeks ago, and the civil ser vice re
form as not in issue, for the President recon-
mended and inaugrated II, land the Philadelphia
Convention specially declared for it. The
coalition presents nothing of substance on
which parties or individuals are divided in
principle, but only assaults upon the Prcsi-
dent. The issue is narrowed down to the
single inquiry, which is the safest, fttest man
tor the presidency The platform and nomi-
nation of our opponents blot out and re-
nounce the time honored creed of the demo-
cratic party. The democracy cones.es its
errors, also. As if to abjure the last vestige
Of democracy and wipe out its very memory,
these vauting managers have selected as
their figure head a protested ultra republi-
can, formerly an ultra wig, and they ask
honest democrats to vote for him against
man born and bred democrat, who never
acted with the republican party until after the
war had raised new issues which the demo-
Gratis divided. The Anti Grant manag
ers are daring, II not silly, they attempt To
crowd down the threats Of democrats who
fought the Maine law the man who drowned
all other voices in his out-cries for penal
statutes and summary laws to stop by force the
drinking Of lager beer. Ii democrat Wa.
running, or il democratic principles were III
the field, democrats might be elected to vot,
the ii, ket, but when the choice is between
republicans and no democractic principles i.
at stake, democracts will be apt to pick and
choose for themselves which republican the,
viii vote for, If they vote at all.
Mr.. Conkling proceeded to demonstrate
that Grant Is not as some Greeley orators say
-illiterate, quoting letters written to his
mother and father when at West Point, and
acted part in the Mexican war His career
IN the ebellion 10 a thrice told lie. While
Senators VINO now hawk at him were lolling
for the fourth term on cushions, eviscerating
encyclopedia books Of quotations and classical
dictionaries, the Tanner of Galena swept
the rebellion from the valley of the Mississip-
pi, and the father of waters went unvexed to
the sea. He was called to the department OF
the Potomac, that Golgatha, where army after
army had melted away, where he measured
no backward step until he set his foot upon
the shattered fragments of the greatest mill
tary power an invading army ever ov, rthrew.
He solved the problem which had baffled 9th.
ers, and preserved a nationality after the
world thought it had gone down. The DEM
Gratis sought his consent to nominate him for
the Presidency without platform or pledge,
but he declined He did not become unfit for
President until three years experience had
enlarged his owledge; he did not become
unit while the patronage held out and while
unclean fingers were allowed to tumble it.
Mr.. Conkling next alluded to gift taking.
saying that it was not wrong for Grant as a
General to accept munificent offerings from
the atfluent, whose fortunes he had saved, In
giving which they had but followed the Gus
toms of ancient and modern times. yelling
ton, Cromwell, Fairfax, Golden, Bright, Nc
Clellan, Sherman, Sheridan and Farragut
were similar Recipients. The charge that it
was wrong is an insult to the nation, who
witnessed and applauded the proceeding. The
charge that Grant accepted any gilt after he
became President or after he was nominated
Is wholly false He has accepted nothing of
value after his first nomination, not even a
carriage and horses. Only three or at most
four contributors to the funds raised for Gen.
(sr0Dr have ver bpnn pffpr.l mir
and it would seem tar fetched to explain the
selection of three for a reason applying to
more than three hundred who were never Sc
lected at all. No man who knows President
Grant unless he be knave or fool, for a
moment believes that the President ever
dreamed Of prostitutng his office to paying a
debt OF his own, or to bride or reward or re-
pay the givers of money to him. The liberal
Idea of decency and manly war forces me TO
speak of another thing which viii crate upon
yours. The political scavengers pretend That
the President has grown RICH as President,
by Illicit gain, and they parade his property
by millions. We have fallen on sorry times
when the Chief Magistrate of the country
with fame so great and pure, must give an
account Of his private property in answer to
eleclioneering talsehoods. The President
would disdain to do it, and have no author
ity to do it. l do not assume to do it on his
behalf, but on behalf of the party and cause
he represents. venture to state the facts
At Gslena where he tanned hides he owned
horse, aud during the war he invested the
savings OF his pay in some lots in Chicago,
and in some shares Of street railway stock
Mrs. Grant inherited her share in her fathers
farm in Missouri, and they bought out the
other heirs with II portion of the 10000
presented by the citizens of New York. This
one hundred thousand dollars also paid for a
house in W Washington which was subsequent
ly sold to Gen. Sherman, and a cottage and
grounds were bought at Long Branch, after
the Washington homestead was sold. The
people OF Philadelphia presented him a house
which rented tor about two thousand dollars a
year. This completes the property Of the
President with one exception. Some time
ago he purchased ten thousand dollars worth
in nominal value of stock OF the Seneca
Stone Company. To this day it has paid
nothing.
Here. then, the sum total of the Presidents
possessions, and they embrace no cigars. in
despatch bag, no costly works of art or rare
wines bestowed by foreigners, no testno
mails sent from other lands in gratitude for
efforts to tarnish the fair fame of his country,
every dollar he owns came from sources open