, 1873-08-08

THE OHIO BoURBONs.
Tho straightrout Dcmoc1a.s Of Ohio hnye con-
Bunmntcd their traditional stupidity by tho
nomination Of State tickot, which will novor
bo beard Of agajn aflor tho 14th OF October noxs
It is Rafo to sny that 1t will bo buried out OF
hight by majority 80 largo TINT Tho candidates
will novor reaii2e they ran for my Offices. It ts
oqual}y safo to say that no respectable porson
viii regret TINT fact. From tho fact that tho
party itself is doomed to cortnn dofeat, but little
faterest attachoa to tho lotaiB Of tho Convention,
further thun they etnphaaizo ita folly. It's nomi-
nations are Of no consequence, aB thoy aro merely
knowledge That tho oporntion will prove m
auxiliary to Republican success. Tho platform,
iowoyor, Possesses some interest ae matter Of
curiosity, bocauao it has not an originat Domo-
cratic plank III its construction T. Bota out
franky with this admission q Tho Democratic
party Hceks to royiyo no dead issues." Az all tho
Democratic issuos ere dead and pershed 30 long
ago tiat resurrection Of them would ontail MI
aurient aud fsll-liko Bmcll" no ONO could cl,-
duro, We nre not surprised that thoy decline tho
diBngroeablo job. Having no iesueB Of their
own, thoy hayo flched QUO or two Of tho Re-
publican isgueB, several from tho various
revolutions of tho Farrnors' Grangcs, aud nearly
all tic issues which the party Of tho people
1nndo against the pnrty in power at tho rccout
Columbus Convention. Leaving cut tho protoats
againat legislation for clasB intoreass, discrim.
inntonB against labor, and the squaudoring Of
public lands (Which were borrowed from tho
far1ncrs' platforms), aud tho donunciations Of
Credit Mobilier swindiings, salary -grabbings,
aud oiher forms Of public corruption (which
were borrowed from thaLiberal party platforms,
Notwithstanding tho fact that tho Democratic
party ia as doep in the miro aB tho
Ropubiican), thore Ia nothing loft in this
patchwork pronuuciamanto hut tho single fact
that tho Democratic party Books to reviyo
no dond Issue. 1t is tho last pitiablo
effort Of disorganizcd mob to 80 into fight
agninst powerful md wcll~lisciplinol enemy,
without leaders, without ono Of itH old war~cries
which used to inRpiro and rally tho masses under
ita standards. The platform ia good ono, but
1t Is not 4 Democratic platform. It DOCS not
call up G singlo issue upon which tho party has
heretofore achieved d victory. 70 tho romnant
of Its following 1t will be as uniutelgiblo Us tho
jargon ut tho Tower Of Babel. Admitting, for
tho sake of argument, that it is Democratic
platform, because it hos ouaanatod from Don1-
ocratio Convention, Of what use is it, What
security can this moribund faction giyo to Induce
pooplo to vote for it?
The speech Of Senator Thurman WAS fitting
close to tho proceedings. Says Thurman /:
Measures may die, but principles aro eternal.
We may have advocated measures and thoy may
have been dofoated We may have opposed
measures and they may hayo boon adopted. We
| may have been defeated on Issues aud measures,
! but On principles wo have never boon defeated
| and mover will be-" This Ia o distinction with
out q difference. Aa long as moauurcs aro hut
the applications Of principles it will DO difficult
| for any ono but Benntor Thurman to understand
| why tho principles arc not defoatol whon tho
| meaaures are+ As long Us tho measures grow
out Of tho principles, aud arc intended to iilus-
trate and enforce tham is there any other Logical
consequence to the dofoat Of these measures than
the fact that the majority Of tho people have do
cidod that theso principles arc unaound and I'LL
safe, ind in defeating tho ono Lave defeated tho
other also2 But tho record OF our political his
tory oxpoHeB the absurdity OF Senator Ihurman'a
logic moro coucluslyo]y than any argumout on
x,onra x,hrhnl iiEfy,,tfopu In Inc
yoass, up to the your 1879, tho Democratic party
has had but one principlo-sympathy with
slavery. From tho first Anti~Nobraska agitation,
in 1854, to tho cloAo Of the War, nyory
isauo and measure OF tho party grow out
Of TINT principle. From 1864 to 1861,
it struggled desperately to shield the domoatlo
institutions OF tla South, and whom the South
arrayea itaolf in arms ayalnst tho denoral Gov
ornmout to malntain slavery, tho Democratic
party placed ltsolf on record In syn.pathy with
tho South, aud gavo 1t what aid uud comfort 1t
safely could. During Ill theao yoara 1t had DO
othor principle. It fought every battle on this
Issue. 1t wa the secret or nxowol burden Of
oYery party uttoguuoo. Fidelity to 1t WAS lnado
tho ono condition Of purity reward. Unfnishful-
nosu ueyor failua to result III oatracBn. Slavery
perished with tho cloao Of lilo War and with it
perlahcd tic ono principle which furnished tho
Democracy with its ontira stock In trade. From
that time to this. 1t laa had no principles
ut all, but gouoral opposition to tho party
III power no issues to maho, and no mcAY-
uros to alyocato, aud OF eourso las
boon routed every tine it has mato stand, apl
without any extraordinary effort on tho part Of
tho vlctoFs.
From thin Standpoint, tla only other utter
apcp Of Senator Thurman which tA ut all portf-
nonl ia oyon more absurd than Ills attempted
distuction hotwoen principles and moaauras
Il, ,aya; "Thq moAt remarkable faot now o.