The Portland daily press., 1872-08-06
A Serious Inquiry


1t is not solely for the purpose of "nag-
ging'' the Democratic candidate and his sup
porters that the friends of the Administration
repeat the opinion which the candidate has
formerly and constantly expressed of the
party. The object is very plain. If Mr.
Greeley believed what he said, the little lapse
of time since can not have converted him. If
he did not believe it, why did he say it; and
how much of what he says now does he not
beleve? Moreover, much of what he has
said has no relation whatever to the princi-
pies and policy of the Democratic party, but
to the general character of those who COM
pose it; and it is useful and timely when his
supporters are busiy laughing at the friends
of the Administration as refomers to repeat
what he thinks of the character of his own
advocates.
When we read that in 1868 Mr.. Greeley said,
'1Every one who chooses to live by pugilism
or gambling or harlOtry, with nearly every
keeper of tippling-house, is politically a
Democrat" we do not suppose that the repe-
tition of the words will prevent any such
person from voting for their author, because
any such persons are neither intelligent nor
sensitive. They would undoubtedly do what
the chairman OF Mr.. Greeley's Executive
| Committee, General John Cochrane, said
| some years ago that he would do, ''vote for
| the devil if he were the regular candidate"
! But it is certainly very proper and legiti-
mate inquiry, why it is that such persons
should always be politically Democrats. We
naturally ask what it is in the Democratic
| party that so attracts the worst elements Of
society that, upon another occasion, Mr..
| Greeley was constrained to inquire of his
excellent friend the World, now supporting
! him for the Presidency-but very much, We
allow, a. a man supports an aching head
''Yhether the pugilists, blacklegs, thieves,
BURGLARS, keepers OF dens ofprostitution, ETC.,
ETC., were not almost unanimously Demo-
crats."
Indeed, Mr.. Greeley is before us in asking
the secret of the attraction. ''Take," says
the candidate of the Democratic party-'take
all the haunts of debauchery in the land, and
you will find nine-tenths of their master
spirits active partisans of that same Democ-
racy. What is the instinct, the sympathetic
chord, which attaches them so uniformly to
this party? Will you consider?" Precisely.
What is it ? IT'S the very point that we are
considering. Mr.. Greeley vouches for the
fact. Now how to explain it? Why is it
that, in the words of Mr.. Greeley "a purely
selfish interest attaches the lewd, rufianly,
criminal, and dangerous classes to the Demo-
cratic party" Doesshe suggest the reason
when he remarks that ''if there were not
newspaper nor common school in the coun-
try, the Democratic party would be far strong
er than it is ?' And did he mean to reflect
upon the chairman of his Executive Commit
tee when he asserted that ''the less one
learns and knows, the more certain he is to
vote the regular ticket from A to lizard p"
(Does the personal organ really think that
there is no fun in this campaign?)
If Mr.. Greeley believed these things when
he wrote them-and he undoubtedly did So
his opinion can not have changed. They
were all said within a very few years, and the
changes in general character and disposition
can not in that time have been very consider
able We should like, therefore, respectfully
to inquire at the Glenham Hotel whether the
candidate is still of opinion that the pugilists,
blacklegs, thieves, burglars, keepers of dens
of prostitution, ETC., etc., with nearly every
keeper of a tippling- house, and nine-tenths of
the master spirits of all the hauats of de-
bauchery in the land, are active partisans of
the Democracy. And if he is not of that
opinion, what reason he has had to change
his views. We should like further to ask all
honest and patriotic people whether they are
of opinion that party to which the lewd,
ruffianly criminal and dangerous classes are
instinctively attached is a party which
whatever the purity of its candidates.
likely to elevate and reform the administra-
ton of the government.-Harper's Weekly.