The Republican journal., 1873-08-07
Letter of Hon. w. S. Grosbeck.

We publish on the outside OF this pa
per. 4 letter of Mr.. Grosbeck, the well
known democratic leader of Ohio We
do 50, not because We agree with all the
| letter. but because the document is inn
portant IN the political indications of the
day, and our readers will desire to see it.
The proyerb that a prophet is not honored
in his own country. does not fail in this
case, for the democratic journals have at
once taken issue with the writer and de-
clarcd for IN adherence to the old name
and old organization.
Mr.. Grosbeck is not consistent through
ont his letter He says the democracy
have constantly Numbered for ten wears.
including the surrender of last wear, and
that ii j. hopelcsslv shorn of its strength
Md Vet he strai"htwav advocates a new
surrender, which. if it has any advantages
| oyer the old one, cannot readily be seen,
| The capitll)ation of last year was suffici-
entity Illuminating and disastrous enough
| IN its consequences, it would seem, to satisfy
the incinations in that direction of any
democrat II Mr.. Grosbeck knew lust
now many OF the true>t men of the party
last wear stayed from the polls in disgust
he would hesitate about advising the
| forces to "nramp again on similar ground.
| With his suggestions for a new party,
the writer OF the letter under notice gives
| no hopes OF new ISSUES. He wants the re-
suits OF the war to be accepted, and that
has been already done at the surrender
aforesaid. The opposition to centraiza-
ton, to extravaganza and cheating, to
| nigh tariff, and advocacy of strict con
>tructioll. are one and all rood democratic
| doctrines, and no doubt will be while the
party ehdureS. After all it will probably
| DC found that the greatest bugbear in the
democratic party, the goblin that atfrights
otherwise willing recruits in the view of
III" friends OF the change, is its title.
| Democracy by some other name would
| give much less unsavory odor The sue
gestlon practically is that in Maine, for
instance, the fifty or sixty thousand demo-
cratic voters would be made very tolerable
| ny the ldmlNture of a few thousand re-
'r'lltN, and Il prefix to their title of the
word liberal L, may be So and vet it
was not last ialsnoticed that these desiring
and seeking souls crowded the way much
when aheN We're asked to become not
liberal democrats and vote for democrats
b'a liberal republicans and support Horace
Greeley. We didn't sacceea in lodging a
great amount OF >att on the tails of this
class al that time An forms of device
under that htxsd were effectually tried last
year, and lamentablv failed. Is il worth
While 10 go Wooing again to the same
family, while heart-sore with the memorip,
OF our former iltng?
When the people of this country have
suffered long enough and deep enough,
from the rule Of the dominant party, they
VIII effect change by throwing a pre-
poh"er;tnce OF votes to the opposition
whatever that party may be, without re.
gard to its name. That thu, Democrat,
party is honest they will know from its
long and steady devotion to principle,
when there has been nothing else to ami
mate it. That the party is not corrupt
Will be known from TIRE fact that the ycna]
men OF Its ranks have long since gone
Whele place and plumber were to be had
| aS reward
Inc life of political parties springs from
issues III governmental policy The party
Is the child, not the father IF :, m,aSt;on
OF great import were to suddenly arise.
like that OF war with a foreign power, the
acquisition Of Canada, OF some chanoe in
the fundamental laws of our government
the old parties would be very likely rent
Ill fragments, and arrange themselves
anew. But no mere struggle for the
possession Of the administration and the
realization Of the spoils can effect this.
Inc existence Of gross corruption in the
| dominant party is the likeliest of all causes
to call the opposition to power And to-
| oily TINS Is the most potent weapon which
! we have ut our hands. We should use it.
an" lace our work manfully, rather than
NE down IN the ditch crying that an is lost
thu that too at time when our oppo-