The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1872-05-24
Blast for Greeley,


ed by n surprise that has set half the
world thinking, aud brought the Dem.
ocratic party To n focus in an earnest
study of the situation. We were ready
to take Adams, now we are intent upon
making up our minds about Greeley.
There probably never sods time when
80 many people had set themselves
down to a serious aud thoughtful con-
temptation of the attitude of political
parties; and the peculiar feature of all
this speculation Is, that the current of
popular favor, Is setting every day
more and more strongly in one direction
Public opinion given up to a candid con-
sideration of the subject, grows deeper
aud stronger in the conviction that
what seemed to many over confident
Republicans a very excellent "Joke,"
Is, after all, very serious fact that 1T
VIII not be easy for dny party to get
over!
We must not forget that there is
very large body of our fellow citizens
who do not train at all times in the same
company, who are not openly Identified
with either of the existing parties. This
tiuctuating constituency, which is
usually found upon the winning side in
political contests, Is generally. over
borne by the desire to laugh with the
man who wins, and very shrewdly di-
vines, by an instinct peculiar to itself,
who the winning man will be, before
the day of election Is at hand. Aside
| from this, there is large measure of
purely disinterested opinion mingled
with our politics, which gives certain
hue to the logic of events and purer
color to the turbid current of partizan
zealotry and prejudice. All this indis.
fal, Ia. Co...
these political free lances, have found
in Horace Greeley a man after their
own hearts, and, other things being
equal, they will undoubtedly be drawn
to his standard in tho approaching CAM
paign.
am free to admit that, being afflicted
with the mild form of chronic partizan
distcmper, / was not favorably dis
posed to Greeley when that Celtic-Amer-
lean "sunbuf5t' broke upon q wonder
ing world as the candidate Of Cincin-
natl. ycarned for Adams, and my
soul painted for that conhguration in his
person, which should stand out in dis
tinct and credtable contrast to the
present incumbent. II has taken some
little time to recover from the double
effect of disappointment and desire
but calmer conclusions have reconciled
me, as they have reconciled thousands
of Others, to Horace Greeley as the
Coming Man Perhaps you think this
rank heresy in Democrat; but let Us
see.
l can conceive of but ono solution to
the political problem as it stands, and
that is to refer it, in good faith, to the
platform adopted at Cincinnati and to
the origin of the uprising which brought
that assembly together The Cincinnati
Convention was brought forth from a
sincere purpose to correct the abuses
which have crept into the administra'
, tion of the government under Grant.
: No man can deny, with the proofs now
at hand, that the Cincinnati Conven-
tion honestly meant Reform the plat
form adopted by it very plainly shows
how reform may be accomplished, and
very distinctly charges upon the admin.
istration of (the late GeneraD Grant the
abuse of power which Democrats have
been loud in denouncing for a long
time. Briefly generalized, the leading
ideas, of the Cincinnati platform are
general amnesty: reform and puri6ca-
tion of the Civil Service; the abolition
of subsidies; lessening of taxation con-
sistent with the maintenance of the
public credit; 'local self-government'
and the supremacy of the civil over
the military power (another name for
the cherished Democratic doctrine of
States rights;) the maintenance OF
Constitutional government; the adop-
ton of the one term principle; refer
ence of the tariff question to the Con-
gressional DISTRICTS and last not least,
a repudiation of Grant and ali his
works. To these is added something
about emancipation and negro suffrage,
matters, which, being no longer issues
but fixed facts, have (peace to their
ashes y passed into history beyond the
reach of human hands.
naecun,, the political compass by which
his feet are to be guided. What is there
in it with which Democrats can find
fault? Could Democratic Convention
have done better? Will the Baltimore
Convention do more than repeat, in
substance, this programme of living
issues? venture to say no assembly
which could have been brought together
for such purposes as that at Cincinnati,
could have done its work in better
terms, more amply, more honestly and
more acceptably to the vast majority of
the people. The avowed and real pur-
pose of the whole movement found fit
expression and was distinctly and un.
equivocally embodied in the profession
Saronts there a assembIed The nart;nent
;sSnos of tho dow hewe Loon fiat;notI,,
mt and the lines drawn batwaen what
E and what shonld he hetween nn,;ticaj
nlnnder and GOOD aovernment between
The snoils ~ office and Constitnt;onai !
iibertv: between corruntion and "a.
form: tbe ahmse of mower. the nrnst;t,,.
tion of nubIic natronaee to the will
interest or enmitv of nersonaJ ayarica
and ambition on the one hand and tho
estabIjshment Of the machinarv Of nf COW eMo
ernment On a fixed and inJsnen5Sont oS Sn
footing on the other. These are not idIe
issues: thew are vital nractica, ureent
subjects for reform and ali the on6on'
ents of Grant. without distinctippp nt
Marty nrofess tn desire in resnact m then,
the same thinS so that ali thinSs Cor con =
sidered there Tema,ns but one mnsettIad
suhiect for dissoreomant botyuao,, tho
Cincinnati Reformars and tha nonn' yo
cratic Marty and that subiect ia Greeiav
BEFORE discussino Mr. Grealav;s rajs
tions mast or nrasent to tho Dan11 ocrotio roa