The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1873-09-05
VOL I9.
Opening of The Campaign
speech of Gov. T.. T.. NOyes, dfIiyere'i
at Athens, Ohio, = usust 23, 1873.

speech of Gov. T.. =. NOyes, diIivere
! Hi Athens, Ohio, = usust 23, 1873.
My FELLOW CITIZEss We lnaug
mate in Ohio to-day the politics
campaign of 1873, for which the STAT
conventions have prepared the way
by the nomination Of candidates an'
the promulgation Of platforms. Las
year, in the Presidential contest, boti
candidates were selected from To
Republican party, and both subscribed
to declarations of principles substan
TALLY identical. This year the Demo
Gratis have two gGbernatorial candl
dates of their own, and two platform
on which to place them. The Ole
school Democrats, after several depar
lures and much vacillation, have deter
mined at last to rely on It's Owl
strength; TO define its own position
to put upon its ticket only the names
of recognized members of its OWL
organization, and to regard all iGter,
terence or dictation on the part OF 1T
recent allies as undesirable and imper'
tinent. This decision has only been
reached, however, alter persistent
coquetting in various quarters, and a
serious family disturbance in conse
quence. The Liberal Republicans, as
they are called, remembering the
treatment which their leaders received
at the hands Of Senator Thurman and
other Bourbon magnates, in the Dem
ocratic- Liberal Convention, which
assembled at Columbus after the pres
identisl election last fall, were suspi'
cious OF new propositions, and reluc
tant to enter into alliance again with
a party whose name had SO long been
associated in their minds with disloy
atty and corruption. They declined
to NEST the Democracy n State Con
vention, and issued a call for them
selves, which was and is denounced a:
presumptious and insulting. "Twc
hundred and fifty thousand Democrats
are not ready to sell out to an inslg'
nificant squad of disappointed office
seekers says the ally of last year
4" Your organization is stencil IN The
nostrils of all honest men, reply the
Liberal Republicans "powerless ior
good, and doomed to death, unlesS
you abandon your ancient name and
tsith, adapt yourselves 70 the living
issues of to-day, and forgetting the
past, consent TO march forward to
victory, with new leaders, and under
banners which your old men have
never seen" An impossible guilt is
therefore fixed between the two, and
each must now pursne its own way
and seek its own fortune as best it
can.
But misfortunes rarely come singly
and alone. The alienation of trusted
allies wos bad enough, but the Demo-
cracy was destined to be yet moro
soreiy tried. Treason developed itself
in their own camp. Many OF the old
leaders, heretofore honored and con-
fided in, regarded as wise in council
and brave in the field, whose clarion
voices had "rallied the boys" IN many
a hard fought battle, whose presence
was inspiration, and whose names were
a tower of strength, disgusted with
long continued and unvarying defeat,
dissatisfied with the plan of campaign,
conscious OF many and oft repeated
mistakes, ashamed of the past and
hopeless of the future under the old
name and management, marched out
of the Democratic camp, keeping step
to unaccustomed music, with their
ewes fixed on banners bearing new
and strange devices. They have
bivouacked by themselves, and are
inviting recruits from the old army,
and deserters from the Republican
rAnkr. How powerful this organiza-
ton may hereafter prove to be, it is
impossible now to tell. There are
many reasons why Democrats should
ioin it; there are none at al why
Republicans should give it counte
nance. They are satisfied with their
own organization, and propose to re-
main with 1t.
If the time shall ever come when
the Republican party shall be "pow
erless for good,'' as Pugh, Cunning
ham, and Caldwell, Collins and Ewing
say the Democracy now is, or so far
advanced toward decay as to be
4" spCiled," as Groesbeck says the
Democratic party is, then we may be
ready to Join some new departure
But the Republican party OF Ohio
stands to day upon the history OF Its
achievements for the last seventeen
wears, upon its unchanged position,
upon the honesty OF its purpose and
the Justice of its cause. 1t is united
well organized, and hopeful! consciou;
of its strength, and carrying with Ii
the prestige of continued and almost
uninterrupted victory. Practically
the fight this fan is between this pow
erful organization and its old enemy
the Democracy, long dishesrtened by
defeat, despondent on account o
promises broken and hopes deferred
divided in sentiment as to the best
means OF securing future success, anc
weakened by the departure OF thC
Young and progressive Democracy
who. conscious of the unpardonabl'
mistakes which were committed b!
the leaders of the party during th'
war, and which have been repeated
since, would gladly escape from th'
memory and odium of the past, L
seek their fortunes under new name
and surrounded by new associations
The 3Oth of July and 9th of Angus
conventions should be regarded q
representing the two wings CT th'
Democratic party in Ohio; for although
a few influential and reputable Repub
licans, for whom l entertain high re
spect, took part in the 3Oth OF Jul,
convention, yet it was controlled b,
the Democratic element, and the nam
of a lifelong Democrat was placed q
the head of the ticket The grea
body Of the Liberal Republican part
will vote the Republican ticket, n
doubt, for the reason that it will b
evident as the campaign progresse
: that the choice Is between that part
and the reactionary and unregenerat
Democracy. If the new party sha
= succeed in teaching the old Democrat
that It's only remaining mission is |
, die and be buried out of sight, it wi
! merit the gratitude OF mankind.
there be such thing as maintainir
1 seIf-respect for steadfastness of pu
nose and consistency in wrong doin
/ our chief opponents are this ye
getting back to comfortable conditit
of mind. Forseveral years they ha'
- occupied a most uncertain, and as
seems, unsatisfactory position. 1t
, hard for any party to admit, in
formal platform, that 1t was wron
and Only wrong, while its opponer
were continually right all through
= eventiul and important crisis in {
country's history. Yet this the De-
ocraoy undertook to do, very ungraC
$ fnIly, 10 be sure, in the Vallandin
ham departure after the war. L.
wear it went further, and not OF
adopted the platform OF its enemi
but accepted as its nominee for {
highest office in the gilt OF the peop
IFS most relentless and bitterest revil
! man who never in his long end evel
full Fle uttered one word OF sympat
with any OF the distinctive doctrir