The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-01


The Fiasco OF the Late Cocktail
Convention"
The liberal or the anything to beat
Grant republicans of Ohio have. in the
solemn formalities of q State Convention,
just concluded their labors in behalf OF
the organization of q joint stock opposi-
ton party, on a new departure, calculated TO
attract the attention, if not the support. OF all
honest men, They have adopted platform
in which they declare substantially that par
ties have no claim to infallibiity; that both
the democratic and republican parties nave
outlived their usefulness; that the republican
party, in tho full enjoyment of the public
plumber, is awfully corrupt; that there are
too many government Offices, and that they
ought to be reduced; that all these money
subsidies and land grants from Congress are
wrong and pernicious that in govern
ment affairs there should be strict con-
struction Of the constitution that we
want, on tho basis Of qualification. reform
in our civil service; that duties on
imports, so long as such duties are
necessary, should be imposed for the purpose
of revenue only, and not for the purpose of
benefting or enriching private individuals or
companies or favoring particular branches OF
industry at the expense of the whole people;
and, finally, SHAT it is the duty of the govern
ment to repeal all laws that favor capital to
the prejudice Of labor"
Upon this platform these Ohio liberals have
nominated q half-and-half ticket, headed with
q democrat, the object and the calcula-
ton being fusion of the democrats with this
movement, just as the Baltimore National
Democratic Convention of July, 1872, fell
into line with the liberal programme adopted
at Cincinnati But Mr. Brinkerhoff and his
Ohio liberals have evidently been counting
without their host in their experiment to re-
peat the Cincinnati drama on the basis of
another democratic surrender. It is given out
among the democrats Of Ohio that, in view Of
the presumptuous proceedings Of this liberal
Convention at Columbus no other course is
lett to the cold liners but the ignoring of
this liberal movement, the nomination of
regular democratic ticket and
vigorous fight under the old party banner. In
truth, it appears that this liberal or illiberal
| State Convention was such a mixture Of
heterogeneous and impracticable elements,
such strange compound of sweets and
sours and bitters, as to be fairly entitled to
the distinctive name of the "Gumbo or Cock
tail Convention"
We give On instructive and interesting
special despatch on the subject this morning
| from Columbus, from which it seems that this
Cocktail or Gumbo meeting more nearly
resembled q meeting of Communists than
conference Of sensible men, and that the
republican party of the State could well
afford to pay the expenses of this liberal Con-
vention, in consideration of the services it
has rendered to the republican cause, in
detaching the democratic party from this
liberal, or rather illiberal faction Our cor
respondent says that the democrats will never
join this liberal movement, but will hold the
largest State Convention on the 9th of
August and nominate the strongest ticket they
have had for years, and that the Convention
will be attended by politicians from all parts
of the country, inasmuch as new issues will be
brought forth Of the highest moment to the
ments Of the Union.
This late liberal affair at Columbus, then,
which was thrust into the foreground in order
to dictate tho terms of coalition with tho
democrats, may be pronounced faSco. True,
several conspicuous democratic leaders, such
as Pugh and Ewing, gave it their countenance
and encouragement and true it is that the
~ he oho1s or
suggestions of Mr.. Groesbeck. particularly on
the tariff strict-construction questions but
with all these liberal devices Of Cancellation
the great body of the Ohio democrats are
satisfied that they had enough of this role
of second fddlers to these liberal repub-
licans in their Baltimore submission to
the DEGREES of the original Cincinnati
liberal gathering, especially In view Of
the net results Of that new departure: If
there had been any appreciable strength in
any State secured to the democratic party from
this coalition, if this party had not been SEN
sibly weakened in every State from this incon-
gruous and incoherent alliance with the
liberal or anti-Grant republicans there might
be still some inducements and compensations
worthy of consideration in view Of the sup
port of Mr.. Brinkerhoff and his little band of
political bushwhackers.
1t is apparent, however, that, from the Presi-
dental figures of 1872, the masses of the
democratic party are satisfied that the liberal
republicans as balance of power signify
nothing; that they are but ga sounding brass
and tinkling cymbal, and that their claims,
pretensions or threats are of no consequence
Accordingly the Ohio democrats, a few days
hence, will hold State Convention on the
fundamental idea that, as in 1872, the liberal
republican movement as democratic base of
operations proved "a deluson and snare"
the old historical party Of Jefferson and
| JooLcoo ui1I ocf for itcaIf ~, rafor