Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-03-26
The Liberal Movement and the Democrats.

ian that some of our Southern contemporaries
commit great mistake in favoring or advocat-
ing an abandonment of our own party organlza-
ton and fusion or coalition of the Democrats
and Conservatives with the Liberal Repub-
licans. IF we enter into any such relations with
that organization, it will manifestly keep off
many Republicans who are disguised with the
corruptions of Grants administration, while it
will disorganize our own party. Our true policy
is to preserve intact our own organization every
where, and be in readiness to act according to
the developments of the future. If the social
ed Liberal Republicans shall adopt such ticket
and platform as will afford any well-grounded
reforming the abuses in the administration OF
the government, and dealing more justly and
literally with the States and people of the
South, then it viii be time enough for US to
determine whether it will not be the part OF
wisdom for the Democratic party to forego the
nomination of ticket Of its own, and give its
support to that of the Liberal Republicans,
without committing itself to an endorsement Of
the opinions and doctrines of the men placed
on that ticket This would not make us re-
sponsible for any wrongs that might be commit
ted by those controlling the new organization
but would be the mere choice of evils, in the
emergency in which we find ourselves. Such
policy as this would leave us free to select oul
own course if the action of the Liberal Repub-
licans should be such that we could not con-
scientiously support their ticket, while com
initial to fusion in advance of the action Of the
Cincinnati Convention can only result In dam
age to the movement and disorganization in GU,
own ranks In this connection, we commend
to our readers the following weIl-considered
views which we find in an editorial in the Louis
vile Coaria-Journal, without intending to be
understood as endorsing the ticket named by ii
as an acceptable one. After deprecating a
coalition with the Liberal Republicans, in ad-
vance, the article continues:
s'All that we can do-all that we may do
all that we ought to dds to let them go for
ward with their good work of reform, and il
they organize it successfully, to give it our sup
port as the choice between Grantism and Lib
eraiism, but without compromising ourselves
or mourning embarrassing responsibilities grow
ing out Of past controversies Ia which we have
been engaged.
''Let US, to make the matter palmer, take a
simple illustration. Suppose the Cincinnati
Convention should nominate Trumbull and
Greeley-a straight-out and strong Liberal
Republican ticket--the Democratic party might
say, We'll, as between the Radical prospectus,
and the Liberal prospectus, we choose the lat
ter. We are not responsible for either. We
did not put that which we prefer in the field
We support it because we can get neither falI
election nor fair count of the votes for our
own nominee. Preserving our organization in
the States, we decline to nominate Presiden-
tial ticket for the reason that it is most impor-
tant to change our national rulers, and this can
be best accomplished by assisting the Liberal
Republicans to break up the nest of Radicals
built about the White House and presided over
by that solemn, but dangerous, owl, the Presi.
dent. We say this may happen without cost
ing the Democracy compromise of its prin-
ciples or an abandonment Of its organization. -
The democracy will have thus to defend
no mans record whose whole political life has
been opposed to it, because it will not be re-
sponsible for the movement which it takes
| through peculiar state of affairs
1.-The political kangaroos who want spotted
ticket-a ticket with red head and tail paint
ed sky-blue-m mistake the nature of the case.
That sort of Mosaic work does not deceive ths
people, and should not. At all the events, tbs
Democrats have nothing TO gain by pgging with
the Liberal Republicans. On certain Other
points we are not agreed. The question fol-
Democrats to solve, then, is this-and it mus
be delayed until we see what the Liberal Re
publicahs are going to do and how they do it
shall we, considering all the circumstances tha
surround us, ignore antecedents and sink oul
| disagreements for the sake Of the issue O.
American liberty which is at stake, and, not be
ing able to get fair election for ourselves, bu
keeping up our organization in all the States
shall we let the retormers try their hand upor
the Radical oligarchy, bidding them God spee(
and affording them what help We can?
This is the question which Democrats vii
have to consider, and it can not be decided, ",
repeat, until alter the Cincinnati Convention.