Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-05-28
Who are the Disafected.

inis question:, rs 10 tiIe character anu
sources oil disaffection, is answered by
the Boston Journal in the following ar
ticle:
II is an evident. and mosl significant
peculiarly Of The Cincinnati movement
that just in proportion as you 60 from
politicians TO the people, you find The
strength oil the movement diminishing
and disappearing. We know it is often
said that politicians are only indicators
ot the popular current; they are 50 70 a
certain degree, but as the pivot on which
they turn consists Of their o%n notion oi
public sentiment. shaped by an excep-
tioual pressure of personal bases. griefs
and rcsentments, they arc apt 10 be like
vane with twist In it, or compass
lying in contact with an assortment o.
magnets. Hence some OF the most un
popular parties have had the Creates
proportion Of politicians, and hence The
clear distinction between the politician,
and the people. In fact, in enumeratine
the sources OF political influence anC
strength in tkis country, it might answer
most purposes TO keep in mind three
fold distinction, namely, politicians. th,
press and the people. How does TIL
Cincinnati movement stand with regarC
te these severally-we mean. Of course
on the Republican sido of the country
Perhaps The state of New York will
afford us fair instance. Several well
known Republican politicians-thougI
but few of them are OF respectable stand
ing in their line-bave indorsed the Gin
cinnai project. Yet of the TWO Eundre'
republican newspapers in the State, no
more Than half dozen havo taken tn
same direction, while The leading indie
pendent journal and decided majOrit.
N the religious and neutral papers O
the State concede and favor the re cleo
ton OF President Grant. Among tn
| Republican masses The evidences OF dis
affection are still fewer aud leebler. II
| Iowa, where a Liberal Convention me
| on Tuesday, aud--iD the true spirit a
"cen,raiization"--appointed formidable
list oil l30 delegates to Cincinnati, Their
Is not single Republican paper out L
the 23j in the State, which oppose
Grants reelection The voice Of tn
Republican people is apparent from tn
TACT that in The recent State ConvenLio
there were in attendance only five ant
| Grant men, and the inst, uctions TO tn
delegates TO Philadelphia TO vote an
work Tor Grant were not opposed by
single vote OF The Republican paper
| in Hin ois. only two have thus lar de
clared their purpose TO oppose the Phil
adelphia nomination.
The same peculiarity crops out every
where. In localities whore politician
are numerous, as IN ST. Louis. Chicago
| Philadelphia and New York city. Cincin
natl demonstration are tolerably impOs
ing; where the people directly manifes
| themselves, in absence of all otice-seeS
ing midde.men, as in Maine, Vermont
and throughout New England generally
The movement has no existence As a polil
ical force. This is particularly true G
moral elements Of our community, as
is in New York, where, the Albany Jour
nal says: "There are several thousan
clergymen in the State, and not one, 4
our knowledge, has taken ground in favo
OF the Cincinnati movement; and our nd
vices are that all OF them who are Re
publicans stand in solid array, OIL nearl
so, for Grants re. election
1t is obvious, therefore, that the Gin
cinnati project begins at the wrong en-
of the political scale. What strength l
has is chiefly among the politicians,i il be
comes weaker with the press. and disap
pears among the people. It is unneces
sary to say that every true reform. ever.
great successful movement, has come VI
by an entirely different route. 'Neve
sncer at tca.table reforms" said an oil
British statesman; all the reforms in m.
day have had that origin" In thi
country the heart Of the people invaria
bly, presages all great movements; tn
press, standing close TO the people. an
their best interpreter, next reflects In
Using influences; and then finally, tn
politicians, who have much quicker ey
for office than for new truths, come in
calculating that the last service shall b
the first in reward. When, however, tn
process is reversed, and the politician
head new movement, it is plain tha
office. seeking is all there is to it, AM
plain that the people and principle ar
the hosts left out of the count. That
the trouble with the Cincinnati move
ment- it starts wrongly, with the wrong
men, and i, the wrong place.
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