The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1872-10-16
Advantages Of Greeley's Election.

1t has long been too late to cOmpar
Mr.. Greeley with any other candidat
than his actual competition. Unles
Mr.. Greeley is the next President, Gen
eral Grant will be reelected. Nothin
could be more futile than to shed tear
over "what might have been." Wheth
er the Democratic party might no
have selected a filter standard beare
than Horace Greeley, is question
which could no longer be DISGUISE,
Except for distraction and mischief
after the almost unanimous action 9
the Baltimore Convention. When th'
nuptials between Cincinnati and Bal
timore, without any effective voice t,
forbid the banns, had been duly cele
brated, we had taken Mr. Greeley go
better and for worse" and nothing re-
manned but for all faithful Democrats
to strengthen their party instead 0
trying to divide it. 1t thenceforwart
became contest between the Repub.
lican organization led by Grant, and
the Democratic organization commit.
ted to the support of Greeley with sucl
reinforcements as Mr.. Greeley could
bring from the other side. 1t was af.
forwards idle to discuss anything but
the comparative merits of the two rival
candidates, of whom neither could he
withdrawn, and against whom no third
candidate had the faintcst shadow of d
chance.
From the moment when we were
shut up to this choice between these
two competing Republicans, there was
no ground for hesitation as to which of
them it is most desirable to have elect
ed. True, they are both Republicans;
and i'll that view the choice might not
be worth the toss Of copper. But
one of them is Republican in friendly
alliance with the Democratic party;
the other Republican in deadly hos
tility to it. True, they are both Pro-
tectionists; but Grant is an active, and
Greeley has become a passive Protec.
zionist; which is the difference between
a serpent in it's summer venom and an ]
other in its winter torpor. Aswe must
needs take one them into our bosom,
tits more prudent to take the one that
is undergoing the alternating sleep
which renders it harmless. True,
Greeley and Grant have alike favored
the Ku-Klux laws; but Greeley thinks
there will be no further occasion for
their enforcement, whereas Grant is
for maintaining them in all their rigor.
Greeley advocates amnesty; Grant ia
vors military domination. Between
two Republicans so widely separated,
and holding such conflicting views, all
true Democrats (sincc they must needs
have one) will prefer the Republican
ally to the Republican enemy.
In party view, we have much to
gain by the election of Mr. Greeley. sIf
Grant is reelected every Federal Off
Ger will be a Republican; if Greeley is
elected a majority of the Federal Off
GERS will be Democrats. In Grants
Cabinet Democrats cannot even get
hearing; in Greeley's, they will have a
majority of the votes, and will largely
influence, if not virtually control, the
policy of his administration. If Gree
ley is elected, we shall elect with him
a majority of the House OF Representa-
tiyes, majority of the State Govern
ors and Legislatures, and the local and
municipal officers in the States that
give him their electoral votes. With |
such balance Of advantages, a Demo-
crat must be idiotic or insane to be in
different between the election of Grant
and Greeley.
If we rise from party to public
grounds, we shall find still stronger
for the election Of Mr.. Greeley.
The worst evil of our times is corrup-
ton in Office. 1t results from the fact
that the political discussions of the last !
twelve years have been of so exciting
a character that party shibboleths are
accepted as substitute for personal
honesty; the preponderance of the Re-
publican party having been so great
that personal fitness could not turn the
scale. When Republican President
dominates strong partisan. a Repnb-
ican Senate seldom fails to confirm
lin; partyLfdelity to the President pre-
venting the Senate from making any
strict inquiry into the personal integri-
y OF the appointee. Tie consequence
s, that our civil service reeks with
corruption.
If Mr.. Greeley is elected, this scan
lalous evil will be remedied. After
lis Inauguration, he will be brought
ace to face with a hostile Senate,
which will be too glad to humiliate
lin by rejecting his nominations if
hey can discover any plausible
,round. A sense of this hostility will I
make him prudent and wary. He will
lot venture to send in nominations
which cannot stand the most searching
scrutiny. disappointment will be con-
r,,, "a ~, orn1~, IN v0oo,o &xa Drn,;,lo.,k |