Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1872-11-21
PLAIN TALK.

On the result of the election and the
causes Of it the Missouri Republican,
leading Democratic organ in the West,
says that w~va rrf
President Grant is reelected, Horace
Greeley is beaten, and the alliance that
was expected to overthrow the ,Republi-
can party, and which, but for one fatal
and recognized mistake, would assuredly
have accomplished that work, has, for
the moment, signally failed. President
Grant remains IN the White House for a
second term; the Liberal revolt against
his person has been decisively crushed,
and its distinguished leaders made out
laws; and the Administration party
seems stronger than ever. The victory
belongs to the President more signif-
clntly and exclusively than any similar
victory ever belonged to President be-
fore, and there is little doubt that he
will accept it as such. We believe that
great and grievous wrong has been
done the country, not by the reelection
of President Grant, but by the immoral
agencies by which his reelection was
assured and there is little doubt that
thoughtful Republicans who, now that
their victory is achieved, fear that it has
cost more than il is worth. 1t is not
victory to rejoice at; it has been achieved
ut the cost of frightful degradation of
the moral sentiment of the country, and
even the victors will probably forbear to
make any demonstrative exultatiou over
triumph which they must wish could
have been secured by fairer means.
We have said that the result would
have been different but for one fatal mis-
take. That fatal mistake was the re-
nomination of Mr.. Greeley at Baltimore.
That denomination should never have
been made. We argued against it at the
time, because we foresaw its evil effect.
1t did not bring Mr.. Greeley thousand
Democratic votes that he would not have
received without it, and it repelled half a
million Republican votes which he would
certainly have received but tor it. That
Democratic denomination not only made
him a Democrat, but it made him using
the partisan language OF the canyass-a
traitor From the Republican partisan
point of view, he had not only suddenly
become traitor, but he had done so to
That was the price of his treason, and
telling the Republican masses this was
the ignoble and sole task that the Adj
ministration leaders had to do II was
this ill-advised Endorsement that extin.
guished the Liberal movement before it
had become revolt-that made it an in
surrection of leaders without followers
that left Schurz, Sumner, TrumbulI,
Greeley, Fenton, Mcclure, Palmer, and
Julian, as notable cluster of chiefs as
ever raised standard, unsupported and
unencouraged, to fall under the attacks
of such interiors as Cameron, Morton,
Butler and Conkling. Before the Bal
timore event, wide and formidable re-
volt in the Republican party seemed in
evitable; after Baltimore, it became i'm
possible. Before Baltimore, it was an
independent rebellion supported by the
Democratic masses; after Baltimore, it
seemed to be pre-arranged desertion to
the Democracy, and for that reason it
was permitted to dwindle to the insig-
nificant proportions which it exhibited
in the canvass. The Baltimore conven-
ton did not intend to kill the movement;
but it did effectually kill it.
Referring in the same article to the
passive policy" the Republican con-
tinues:
1t should have been adopted before the
Cincinnati Convention. Had it been 80
adopted and strictly adhered to, the
Liberal opposition to President Grant
would have burst into the proportions of
apowerful popular movement, and its
nominee, whoever he might have been,
would have been elected over Grant as
certainly and decisively as Brown was
elected Governor of Missouri over Nc
Clurg, in 1870. The movement would
have escaped that Democratic protecto-
rate, which, though kindly extended, was
disastrous to its development; Liberal
Ism, instead of Democracy, would have
been recognized as the antagonist of an
obnoxious Administration party; the
dissatisfied Republicans in every State
And there are scores of thousands of
such, to this day-vould have espoused
the revoltwithout losing their Republican
character, and without exposing them
selves to liability to q charge of treason,
and to-day Schurz, Trumbull, Sumner,
Palmer, Greeley, Brown. Mcclure, Cur
TIN ann Julian would be the victorious
chiefs on the field, instead of Grant and
his Pennsylvania and Indiana heuten-
ants. The Democracy would have lost
nothing of what it aimed at, by the sac
rltice. All that it sought to accomp-
llsh would have been secured, and the
Democratic masses would have been
duly credited with the success.