The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1872-07-27
From Harper's Weekly, July 9th.
The Democratic Party and Candidate,

The Democratic Party and Candidate.
The comedy Of the campaign 10 now com.
plete. Horace Greeley is the regular Demo-
cratic candidate for President. The party
which he has himself said would be far stron-
ger if there were not newspaper or common
school in the country to which he declares
that every body who chooses to live by pu-
gilism, or gambling, or harlotry, with nearly
every keeper of . tippling house, belongs;
Of which be said last year that its brain and
soul were what he called the rebel element at
the South that it would come into power
with the hate and modification Of ten bitter
years TO guide its steps, and whose success
would be . disgrace and humiliation and
chastisement which no hoped our national
sins had not dsserved--has nominated him
for President, and be will probably have ac-
cepted the nomination BY the time this paper
is published. He will undoubtedly accept,
although he has said within the year, in reply
to Democratic proposition Of the nomina-
ton. Il am not the man you need. Il have
no doubt that might be nominated and elec-
ted by your help; bdt it would place US all in
false and tangled positions.'
We nay the comedy is complete. But we
do not ssy that il may not turn into tragedy.
We believe that Mr.. Greeley told the truth
when he described the Democratic party as
naturally attracting the most dangerous ele-
ments of tho population. There are good
men, Of course, who are Democrats; bu: a
party is to be judged, upon the whole, by its
principles, its conduct, its general compost
ton and that the Democratic party, such a.
this country by fearful experience knows it
| to be, should elect President and return to
power, is disaster which no good citizen can
like to contemplate. But, for ourselves, we
have never underrated nor ridiculed the pow
er or the Graf, of that party. Those whose
political interest and activity cover period
of more than . dozen years are not likely Il
belittle its senacity or its resources. Il wa.
the power behind slavery; it was the powe'
behind rebellion and as slavery has beer
abolished and rebellion crushed, il remains tt
destroy the political organization that mad,
both possible.
We know very well the arguments whicl
are urged by the Republicans who propose I,
help this party into power. They begin b,
denying that it is the Democratic party whicl
they aid, and they declare that the Democrat
have joined the Liberal Republicans for pur
poses Of reform. Such an assertion onl
dsepens the comedy. The Republican reform
ers at Cincinnati were baffled, and the Cincin
natl nominations do not represent them @
their purposes. We do not mean the strie
fres-traders only, but we mean such reform
srs a. Mr.. Bowles, Nr.Horace White, and Nj
Murat Halstead. They may have acquie.
ced in the result, but they do not pretend th,
II represents the movement. These nomin,
tons, therefore. are those OF certain discoz
tented Republicans who, notoriously, are I
more desirous Of reform than the Democrat
Some reformers there are among them;but il
ridiculous to insist, to persons who know q
facts and the Managers Of the Cincinnati r
suit, upon calling il in any sincere sense
movement for reform. Even Mr.. Schurz do
not claim II. He says that the success
those nominations will, perhaps, open I
way 10 reform. Ne claims nothing more.