Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1872-07-05
The Coalition.

beneficial revolution begun at Cihcfn-
natl Is now apparent The movement Is
the most unprincipled coalition in our
political history. Nobody is deceived by
calling 1t great moral and political rev.
olution, because everybody knows that
names, The 1nquisitlun was no less In
famous because 1t was called the Holy
Office and the Cincinnati coalition is no
less disgraceful because it is called by
many good names, Mr.. Schurz, Mr..
Wells, General Cox, Mr.. Atkinson, and
their friends may have had high purposes
in the Convention at Cincinnati. Mr..
Schurz may even desperately decide, if
Mr.. Greeley is nominated at Baltimore,
to take the chance of Greeley rather than
the certainty of Grant. He may paint in
repulsive colors what he believes to be the
misdeeds of this Administration, and de-
clare that we ought to overthrow it. and
secure pure and noble Administration,
in which only honest men, with unselfsh
motives, will take part. Bit Mr.. Schurz
cannot deny that the Cincinnati move
ment has not founded new party with
great principles, but must end either in
ridiculous failure or in mere coalition.
After the recent Democratic cofiven-
tlons the coalition is probable. And will
honorable and patriotic men who may be
alicnated from the present Administration,
and have hoped for a kind of political mil
lennlurh FROM Cincinnati Uotisidet Just
what that coalition is? 1t is a combina-
tion of every element of discomfort, of
disloyalty, and disorder in the country;
of the great mass of those who are known
as unrepentant rebels, of negro -haters
and repudlators; of the actual and theo-
retical enemies of the Union; of ancient
and malignant Copperheads; of Republi-
cans with personal grievances; Of noto-
rious and "played ouP Republican politi
clans; of the Tammany and Brooklyn
Rings, and of the worst classes in local
politics; of the Ku-Klux and its abettors
and apologists; and of some well.meaning
men, utterly bewildered by the company
which hustles and heavCs them along. 1t
is a coalition which Mr.. Schurz is not yet
willing to support, and in which the sole
Republican name of national Importance
if Mr.. Greeley be eXcepted-is Mr..
Trumbull. 1t is a combination whose
cry is, Anything to beat Grant" and
whose overpowering element is the mot
ley mass known as the Democratic party;
and yet combination which can hope to
hold only the worst part of that party.
The Cincinnati movement, as such, has
no general organization, and is merely
contemplate in numbers and force. If,
however, the coalition be made by the
regular Democratic nomination of Mr..
Greeley, the campaign of the coalition
will be conducted by the Democratic or
ganization, and will be the campaign of
the Democratic party. 1t will pe the last
desperate struggle of that partyt to recover
power Anything to beat Grant" is its
pr ha nf
regularly made because, although it will
convulse the party, it will still leave the
organization. Anything to beat Grant
means merely anything to save the Demo
cratic party. But if the real question of
the election be one of principle, does any
intelligent and patriotic citizen prefer the
principles which the Democratic party
has supported, now supports, or processes
It's willingness hereafter - 5uppprt to
those which are the glory OF the Ro-
publican party? Is it absolute equality
before the law? Is it the national suprem-
acy? Is it maintenance of the national
faith? Is it the efficient protection of all
citizensS Is ii wise generosity in deal
ing with the results of the war And
upon any of these does such citizen
believe the Democratic ascendency to be
more desirable2 If, on the other hand,
the question of the election be one of
administration solely, does the same citi-
zen expect greater honesty, efficiency,
and economy sfrom the coalition, COM
posed as we all know it to be, than from
the Republican party9
In politics we deal with men and with
imperfection. If any Administration
should be judged by individual failures
instead of general results, none could
stand. But in every great election we are
to decide upon probabilities. 1t is al
ways an alternative. The Administra-
tion of General Grant has been slandered
with unprecedented ferocity. But look
ing at it as it stands to-day, the object of
immeasurable falsehood, what sensible,
patriotic, honest man would not prefer
the stability and security, the justice and
harmony and order, which it promises, to
the wild chaos of Democratic restora-
tion with Horace Greeley at its head9
We are told of reform. From whom
and from what is it to proceedH Civil
service reform, for instance, is loudly de-
manded and bountifully promised. The
principle of a reform of the civil service
is that the subordinate offices shall not be
party rewards, nor bestowed to further
individual interests. Is it the Democratic
party that promises it? The doctrine of
"the spoils" is Democratic doctrine. 1t
has been the most vital and sacredlY rev.
erenced of all Democratic traditions.
VIII anybody point to any proof that the
Democratic party has renounced its faith
and its practice upon this point? Or are
we told that the Democratic party will be
controlled in this reform by the Cincinnati
managersH Who were they? They were
most conspicuously not the civil service
reformers who went to the Convention.
They were the most notorious political
brokers in the country. Are they in ALI
ance with the Democratic party to give
us civil service reform? Or is it to pro-
ceed from the bewildered band of honest
men who are hurried along by the Gin
cinnati "crOwd," as Mr.. Adams called itP
Hardly; for they are only the fly upon
the wheel. Civil service reform in the
mouth of the coalition means plundeT.
For the coalition is only the Democratic
device to obtain control of the patronage.
The Liberal Republican" enthusiasm,
it will be observed, is almost exclusively
Democratic. Those who declare for the
Cincinnati candidates are not Republi-
cans, except some individual or neWspa-
per here and there, and in such cases
some personal reason is often only too
evident 1t is the Democratic conven-
llOub anu buo DcInOCIdtlC OTdlOIS WuO
| furnish the cries and the constituency
for the Cincinnati movement But, as
we said, the coalition is the resort of
desperation, The Democratic managers,
in nominating Mr.. Greeley, must, OF
course, paralyze and lose very large
Democratic vote. The World undoubtedly
tells the truth in saying that "there are
hundreds of thousands of true and tried
| Democrats who will stifflv refuse 10 vote
for Mr.. Greeley, whether he is iLdorsed
at Baltimore or not" This is a reason
able view. If the Philadelphia National
Republican Convention had nominated
Horatio Seymour, is there any optimist
who supposes that the Republican party
would not have gone to pieces9
But the Democratic managers hope IC
make up the loss from the Republicans
and here they are doomed to disappoint
ment. The American people know very
well what they have to expect from thu
Democratic party, and they are not in thu
least perplexed in their choice betweel