The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-31

Hall-Frco Traders ON tho Warpath.
The meeting at Steinway Hall last night, Q
report of which will be found in the HERAII
to-day, is remarkable for nothing except the
additional evidence it furnishes of the general
breaking up Of old party lines and of the dis
position among the people to cast loose from all
former political ties and to take an Independent
course Of their own choosing in the pending
Presidential contest. The principal parties in
the movement the meeting was intended to
inaugurate represent sort Of double extract
OF soreheadism, and represent little else.
They were dissatisfied with Grants admins
tration, or professed to be SO short time
ago. and joined the Liberal Conventionists at
Cincinnati with the alleged object of making
a general reform in the governmental
reform in the civil service, in the revenue
system, in foreign relations, in amnesty, civil
rights, and Heaven knows what besides. When
they got to Cincinnati, however, their reform
dwindled down to single idea; they desired
q free-trade platform, with free-trade candidates
upon it, and were willing to abandon all the
rest. As they could not obtain this
their soreheadedness became aggravated
and they bolted from the boilers, resolved
to make the best bargain they could
elsewhere. Immediately upon Greeley's nomi-
nation they repudiated the action of the Con-
venion, in which they had taken an active
part, and they now profess their intention to
put new candidates into the field, representing
their own single pet principle-entire free
trade. They went to Cincinnati satisfied to
abide by the action of the Convention, pro-
vided the Convention acted as they desired.
Beaten there, they turn their faces towards
Baltimore, and as they will fare no better
among the democrats they will settle down
like sensible men at last and vote for General
Grant, who is o free trader at heart and
sound, sensible Chief Magistrate.
Mr.. Simon Sterne and his associates will find
it difficult to persuade the people Of the United
States to elect Presidential candidate upon
their one idea although that unsuccessful re-
former assures us that free trade was first agi-
tated by the Almighty when He laid down the
platform ''Thou shalt not steal" There are
other issues at stake just now besides the
tariff and, moreover, the country is not pre-
pared to accept the doctrine that the
Executive is to use his power and in
fuence to control the action of Congress
on that or any other purely Legislative
question. Executive interference with matters
not coming within the Presidents legitimate
province has formed one Of the most persistent
charges brought by the soreheads against Gen.
eral Grant, and yet these consistent free
traders, who declaim against Grant, insist that
their Presidential candidate shall stand pledged
to use oil the force Of the federal administra-
ton to secure the triumph of their favorite
principle, the failure or success of which
depends wholly on the Legislative branch of the
government. We imagine, however, that
their first difficulty would be to induce any
person to accept place on the ticket they de-
sire to put into the field. Their candidate
would stand about an equal chance of sue
cess with the straight-out copperhead nominee
promised us by Daniel Webster Voorhees,.
The truth u.s. there will only be two live
headed by General Grant and Farmer
Greeley. The democracy may do what they
please, and SO may the Steinway Hall free
traders the people will array themselves
under the banners of the two real candidates,
and no outside nominations would command
a hundred thousand votes in the whole Union.
The men who are opposed to Greeley will
vote for Grant, and the most manly and
courageous thing Voorhees, and the
free traders can do is to declare
at once boldly in favor of the soldier candidate.
This is what they mean, and this is what they
should say. The Baltimore Convention may,
and probably WILL endorse Greeley, but it can
not bind the democracy to vote for him. The
masses will act for themselves, and will bolt
Baltimore as the liberals have bolted Phila-
delphia. Of the democratic rank and
file, under the lead of the New York
organ in this city and Voorhees, in
the West, two-thirds will vote for President
Grants reelection, and the rest will give their
ballots to Farmer Greeley. To talk of any
other nominations is absurd If the free
traders are to have o candidate Of their
own we may as well have as many in the
field as there are issues to be met-a distinct
representative for each. If they must nomi-
nate ticket they had better unite with the
Woodruff party, who ore practically in
favor Of free trade, and thus make at
least respectable display at the polls.
It is time oil these side shows should close and
allow the circus to commence. Let us have no
more talk of separate candidates, but let oil
such democrats and disaffected republicans as
prefer Grant to Greeley declare their senti-
ments boldly and take their place in the ranks
led by the Hero of the Wilderness. They
will find the solid commercial and financial
strength of the country with them, and will
have the satisfaction of fighting on the winning
side.