New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-05-30
DiSaHecliOn.

1t will be seen by the following call for a
meeting by the Free Trade League in New
York, that powerful opposition to the Gree
ley movement is about to be developed in
the very camp of the office hungry boilers.
This move is likely to tend to the calling of
another mass convention followed by the
nomination of Charles Francis Adams, or
some other gentleman more acceptable to the
Democratic party than Horace Greeley, with
the strongest probability that that party will
endorse and accept him as their party candi-
date. Poor Greeley will then be left to
wrggle out of his Notifying position the best
he can, and will be amply qualified to give
to the world peculiarly interesting work On
what he knows about vain ambition:
We, the undersigned, in behalf of the
American Free Trade League, and friends of
Revenue Tariff who have associated or CO.
operated with it, deem it our duty to protest
in the most emphatic manner against the be-
trayal of the cause of Reform by the recent
Convention at Cincinnati. That body, al
though none were invited to it except those
who desired a reduction Of the tariff to reye-
nue. basis, proved to be composed in consider
able part OF men who were either indifferent
or openly inimical to this reform, and through
their influence the Convention was induced
to accept an evasion of the issue by referring
it to the several Congress Districts. This
determination is wholly in favor of the Pro-
tectionists, since in doubtful districts they
can, under the banner of Liberal Republican
ism, run candidates as thoroughly Protection
list as Mr.. Greeley himself, who will find
nothing in the Cincinnati platform at variance
with their Protectionist principles and by
the nomination of Horace Greeley on this
platform they made the abandonment of prin-
ciple too conspicuous to be mistaken. In thus
acting, the Convention has failed to represent
our convictions of duty, and, by departing
from the conditions of its existence, has set
free those Free Traders who attended, ac-
cepting in good faith the invitation embraced
in the terms of the CALL from any obligation
to support its nominees. If any other ticket
shall be presented in their judgment accord
ing better with their convictions of duty, we
hold that they are as free to support it as if
the Cincinnati Convention, to which friends
of Tariff Reform were invited, but by which
they were not represented, had never been
held.
But while the friends of Free Trade were
thus betrayed and placed at a disadvantage,
they ought not to overlook the opportunity
now offered by the breaking of party ties to
secure important gains in the election of Sena-
tors and Members of Congress. This is no
time for dependency or inaction. On the
contrary, reform of the Tariff, the chief OBJ
ject which led thousands to look with hope
to the endeavor to form a new party, is still
within reach. Remembering what slender
prospect there was one year ago of pushing
genuine reform through the then compact
lines of opposing parties, we now see great
bodies of voters declaring their independence
of former ties, and avowing their determine
ton to act in the elections solely with re-
gard to the living questions of the present.
OF all those questions, that Of Tariff Reform
can be and ought to be made the chief. and
we therefore call upon the friends of that re-
form throughout the country, without regard
to past party ties or to present Presidential
preferences, to unite their forces in the cleo
ton of Senators and Representatives in Con-
gress. Organization and cooperation on this
basis may yet secure majority in both
branches OF Congress from the 4th of March
next, ana insure the passage of Reform bill
which no President will venture to veto.
we call upon the friends of Tariff Reform
IN all the districts and States to perfect Or
ganization, so that they may act together in
diligently in the coming election. Let leagues
or clubs be formed in every county, with
branches in every town, and communicating
through an executive committee in each dis
trict. The district committees will be placed
in communication at once with central organ
ization. Let the men who mean Reform show,
by prompt and earnest action, that their cause,
however disregarded in conventions, cannot
be disregarded in the elections. Let them
teach politicians who seek to avoid it, that
no question can ever be settled until it is
settled Alright.
In order to give public and general express
sion to these views, meeting will be held at
Hall, on Thursday, the Both inst,
at O'Clock, at which William Cullen Bryant
will preside, and which we are authorized to