, 1872-10-15
THE CHICAGO TIMES AND THE CINCINNATI
MOVEMENT.

IN au political movements Steady, though
not large, allowance is to be made for an element
which the American people have euphomized by
tho term pure cussedness." It signifies the
aimless obstinacy with which certain men pursue
mul1eh policies, which they know to be stupid
and believe to be disastrous, merely be-
cause in 80 doing they attract atten-
ton, whereas, if they acted with the aver
age sense, their inferior qualities would be lost
in the crowd Of nobler minds with whom they
would be drawn into company. We observe that
our Mephistophelian contemporary, the Chicago
Times, has been chiefly inspired during
this campaign by this benign spirit OF
''pure cussedness.' As carly as 1868, i'm
mediately after the Presidential election, the
Chicago Times astonRhed it's readers by recon-
mending that Democrats should sanction uni
versal suffrage, gulping down abolition, negro
suffrage, and all the Republican doctrines at
once. Regarding all these questions as settled,
it would strike out anew on the policies Of Ma
tional Amnesty and Reconciliation, Civil Ser
vice Reform, and Revenue Reform. 1t treated
its readers for several days to this dish OF
boiled crow" attracting soms notice in
the form Of plaudits from Radical Journals and
some discontinuancos from Democratic sub
scribers, though probably not great.
With occasional repentances, tho Times, along
with Vsllandigham, Pendleton, and other Demo-
cratic politicians, advocated the new departure.
It soon became evident that, it the Democracy
would rid themselves Of their old alliance with
slavery, and plant themselves On progressive
platform founded on the existing demands Of the
country for Peace and Reform, they would be
joined by an influential body of Republican
leaders, and by voters exceeding the Republican
majoritios in most Of the States. RaviBhed by
the prospect, the Times became an enthusiastic
Liberal, denounced all Democrats who held back
as Bourbons, aud claimed to be the simon-pure
exponent, and real, genuine original Jacobs
Of the Cincinnati movement. Had its candi-
date, Judge David Davis, Of Bloomington, Z Re-
publican, been nominated, the Times would, Of
course, be supporting him to-day. Whether his
nomination had been ratified ct Baltimore or not,
the Times would be calling on all Democrats to
vote for him. without the least intimation or hint
that in 80 doing the party was being sold out to
its enemies, or that the principles Of Democracy
were being betrayed
As it became apparent that the Democratic
pressure in a1l parts Of the country would COM
pelthe ratification of Greeley nomination at Bal
timore, the Chicago Times, at first the champion
OF Liberalism and then of strict foalty to Balti-
more, changed its tune, and prepared to bolt
from the Democratic party if it's Convention
nominated Greeley. It did so. Then for time
it turned to the Fifth Avenue Conference in New
York. This conference included 100 persons, Of
whom about one hundred we're for Greeley The
twenty seeded, aud nominated Groesbeck and
O1msted. Jus: ns tie Times was mailing these
names at itz masthead, both nominees resigned.
Disappointed. in Groesbeck and Olmsted, the
Times nsxs grasped al the Louisville straw
and went down with it. Nominauy. it ia q sup
porter Of O'Conor aud Adams. Virtually, it aup-
ports Grant, and is the organ Of Grantism in
Chicago. Within six months it has drifted
from Liberalism to Grantisrn, from anything to
beat Grant to anything to elect Grant. Liber-
alism, Revenue Reform, Bourbonism, have been
the successive planks on which it las 1oundered
from Democracy over to Grantism. It is now in
congenial waters. AS the organ and apologist
Of disorders and despotisms in every form for
sixteen years past, its true sphere will be
found in serving Grant. It will come in with
O'Brien and Murphy, an appropriate ally.
All this ia not because it hates Grant any less
than it did five months ago, but because it there
by seizes upon the first opportunity it has ever
enjoyed to manifest toward its former Demo-
cratic co-workers that element Of ''pure cuased-
ness " which has always been it's most striking
characteristic.