The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-05-25
The Chicago Times.

Convention, is certainly such as to give color
to the charge. For months before the con-
vention the Times labored necessarily to dis
courage the democracy from making any at
tempt to oppose the reelection of Gen. Grant
slngle-handed, proclaimed the hopelessness of
the undertaking, and maintained that the only
chance of success against Grant lay IN a union
with the disatfected or liberal republicans, and
to render this union practicable and effective,
urged the adoption, by the democracy, of the
strictly posssice policy.
But the Cincinnati convention having been
held, and having nominated a ticket which,
taking all parts ofthe country INTO the account
- east, west, north and south-was believed
to be the strongest that could be presented,
the Times Immediately bout faces, says the
Cincinnati convention, with its $4,000 dele
gates, was failure, that the passive policy Is
delusion, that the liberal republican party
is contemplate for paucity Of NUMBERS and
that the only course for the democracy is to
die game with their face to the foe, and all
that sort of stuff.
The main point Of the Times, however, and
upon which it lays all its stress, is that the
liberal republican movement is playing out
that there is not one anti Grant republican
now where there were dozen before the Gin
cinnati convention-that of the $50 delegates
from Chicago to the Cincinnati convention,
"Not more than two or three can now be re-
lied upon to sign a call for Greeley ratitica.
ton meeting" and so on.
This looks specious and plausible, but it is
pure sophstry. 1t is true, as the Times says,
that there is not one open and avowed Greeley
man to-day among the republicans where
there were dozen OF anti.Grant republicans
before the nomination of Greeley But are
these anti.Grant republicans, therefore, op-
posed to Greeley under all circumstances 1t
is just here where the Times sophisticates.
Before the Cincinnati convention, the common
belief was that Judge Davis would be the
nominee Of that body, and that the democratic
party would at once cordially endorse and
support him. We could then easily count
fifty republicans in Ottawa who stood ready
to join the democracy heart and hand in the
support of Judge Davis. But the nomination
of Davis failed, and the course of the demo-
crazy with reference to Greeley being doubt
full, the situation of our fifty liberal republi-
cans is also very materially changed What
if the democracy reject Greeley and give us "a
Frank Blair or Gov. Hoffman for a candidate
"Of course" say they, 1--WE cannot support
either of them; nor can we help the election
of such candidate by cllnging to Greeley as
third candidate. Rather than do that we
| will support Grant So our liberal republi-
cans stand where the democrats stood a month
ago-passiee, awaiting the action at Baltimore.
as the democrats awaited the action at Cincin-
natl But let the Philadelphia convention 90
on and nominate Grant with defiant flourish.
and then let the Baltimore convention endorse
Greeley and Brown, and pledge them the cor
dial support OF the democracy, then where
will stand our fifty liberal republicans IN
Ottawa, or the $50 liberal republicans who
representative liberal republicans who attend.
ed that demonstration, or the half million
anti-Grant republicans scattered all over the
country! We can speak with confidence for
our fifty. They say, We are not such tools
as to set up hurrah for Greeley now, ard the
next VIC know you democrats have nominated
Hoffman or Frank Blair, and left US out IN the
cold to crawl on our bellies back INTO tc re.
publican party; but endorse Greeley and give
bim your hearty support, and give us chance
to @in, and we are with you to \ man" Anu
this, We venture to say, is the position at
10 2Oths of the antiGrant republicans all over
the country
Our position, therefore, on this question. As
stated two weeks ago. remains UNCHANGED.
While. as matters now stand, We think the
course of wisdom decidedly would he tor the
democracy to support Greeley and Brown as
the hest II not only chance of defeating Grant.
ism with all its centralzlng tendencies and
massive corruption, Yet the action Of the
PhiI'i"'phiA convention may so change the
p,"yIt' -. that the democrats can a.. even
''"'n, til" support Greeley, and that. There
i"' 3 ihe m"ntc. the exercise of pa,icnr.
, a".,, l'raiicc would seen most advisable.
T" " power c"m rany j. .y,nc,ng cou.
s;i'' tide 'jvity in tie completion OF their
WORKS ." Mo"'" ~ morning las, 'l~,a,ion.