New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-05-20
Especial Correspondence of the Republican. I
NORTHERN POLITICS.


Bristow.
New YORK, May Is, 1876.
enclosed you on Saturday . remarkable
communication to the Tribune from the
Western Reserve Of Ohio, entitled "Cultus."
Since then have re-read the communica-
most carefully, and to tho point where ito
interest eliminates, it is one of the most
important political papers which the poll.
tical agitation Of the day in America has
produced. 1t has also q direct p ersonal
bearing on Mr.. Bristow's claims for the Re-
publican nomination at Cincinnati. These
considerations, added to the except ionally
literary excellence of the composition, con-
stitute the reason why reproduce it in this
correspondence.
l, therefore, ask you to publish the com.
munication in question as q portion of this
letter:
CULTUs-A WESTERN LIBERAL OBJECTS TO
THE sCHURZ BRYANT CONFERENCE, AND
GIVES REASONS.
To the Editor of the Tribune:
S1R-In that wonderful jargon of the
Northern Pacific coast called the Chinook
language, which was called into being for
the purpose of enabling the innocent child
rem Of nature to bargain for bad whisky
with their Christian brethren, there is
word whose deep significance affords plen-
tiful food for reflection. This word is 'cul-
tus." 1t is an expression of profound con-
tempt, and means the the maximum Of pre-
tension with the minimum of performance.
If q buck Klalaam is found frequently
b0asting of his PrOwees on the war path
without any scalps to show for it, he is
called "cultus." If horse prsncee tumul-
tuously up to the word ''go," and throws up
tail of distress in the first quarter, he is
called "cultus." If . white man begins
his career in Portland with much flourish of
trumpets and affectatiOn OF superior refine
ment, and at last takes to the woods to be-
come the parasite Of Diggers and the equal
Of their squaws. there is no word which at
once will describe and account for his de-
graduation but "cultus Boston man."
1t is needless to inquire the origin of this
useful vocable. 1t was doubtless the sar-
castle inspiration of some Observant ModOc,
who, from the specimens of cultivated in
efficiency he had seen, jumped to the hasty
long absent from any Boston lps-and in
efficiency were one. Anyhow, the word
has proved its necessity by its immediate
acceptation and universal use from Alaska
to Santa Barbara.
As all savage natures are more or less
alike, we find the came idea held by East
ern barbariane, like Senators Cameron and
Chandler for instance. Their ultimate ex-
preston of contempt is lone OF them damn
literary fellers." 1t was this feeling which
caused johnson and Grant to treat Mr.. Mot
ley with such infamous indignity. Neither
of them would have attempted such an out
rage upon q soldier or practical poll
tician. The same spirit was shown by
the Senate when it deposed Mr.. Sumner
from the post which he alone was qualified
to fill, and put SIMON Cameron in his place,
and when it ousted Mr.. Schurz from the
Committee on Education and filed the va
cancy with the ridiculous Flanagan. The
Senate is composed of ignorant, but ex-
tremely efficient men. They know very lit
tie law, or history, or ethics, but they have
q certain rude energy which enables them
to capture Legislatures aud secure their
places, and they have natural and honest
contempt for men of q finer mold. There
has never been so low q tone in the Senate
as now, and the tendency is all one way-in
both parties. Eaton sits in the seat that
Foster occupied. Trumbull and Browning
have vanished from public life, aud Logan
and Oslesby hold their seats in frank scOYn
of everything like culture or decency.
IwOuld like, with the utmost timidity, to
ask, Mr.. Editor, if the literary fellers" are
Dameless in the matter? Is the contempt
with which they are universally regarded
in politics without any germ OF Justification!
Do their occasional languid apparitions in
public affairs entitle them to much more
than general ridicules
For instance, this year it seems to be the
fashion among the literary people who take
an interest in politics to advocate with
with somewhat hysterical shrillness the
claims of Mr.. Bristow against all cOmers,
and to indulge in nasty sneers and insinuar
tions against Mr.. Blaine. From the pin
feather undergraduate to the doctor of
mental non combatants is red hot for
the gentleman the have named the
reform candidate. This is absolutely
ipoomprehensible to ordinary minds.
What in the name of common sense Is
the reason for calling Mr.. Brstow the re-
former, and Mr.. Blaine the politician! Mr..
BristOw came to Washington after the war,
Young and clever man, seeking his for
tune by ingratiating himself with the Presi-
mate friend of General Grant, and got
nominated to all the nice offices that fell
vacant, until at last he became Secretary
of the Treasury, to the great disgust OF the
men who are now running him tor Presl
dent. He had little experience of public
affairs. Bat he was honest and courageous,
and entered heartily into the campaign
against the whisky ring. He deserves great
credit for this-sO do General Grant and
Bluford WilsOn-but do Eot see that the
"cultus Boston Men" have nominated either
of these gentlemen for the Presidency.
l have nothing to say or insinuate against
Mr.. BristOw. / have no doubt he is honest
and clever. But know nothing about him
except that he has been favOrite OF Gen
eral Grant for the last seven years, and
that he has done several months excellent
service against the whisky ring. No one OF
all his shrlll supporters knows any more
than this. 1t is clear case of panic, of pO-
litical hysteria. The more decent of the
"reformers' have nothing to allege against
Mr.. Blaine except that he is politician
and that Mr.. Bristow is not. This means,
being set down in cold English, Mr.. Blaine
has been q leader in public lite for dozen
or more years by the votes OF his fellow
citizens, and Mr. BristOw has held office for
halt that time by the favor OF General
Grant. This is ali there is of the senseless
gush with which we are daily flooded from
the "cultus Boston men" Can you wonder
that men who are not literary" begin to
have q contempt for the culture which
makes it crime to be elected to Office by
popular vote, and virtue to be appointed
by friendly executive?
There is q good deal OF "cultus" about all
this. WESTERN RESERVE.
Painesville, Ohio, May 9, 1876
We learn from this communication that
American civilization means, in it's best
sense and last analysis, that average" Of
social development, represented by what Mr..
Lincoln called the 'plain people" just as
the agricultural department of the Centen-
NAL Exhibition at Philadelphia is the one
xub;oh vo mnst eYcel "a a neODle IF this