The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-08-31

SCHURZ SHOWN UP.
Dignified But Scathing Letter to the
Senator From Ex--Lieutenant
Governor Mueller.


ram Erie, ofAugust 2ith.l
To Mr.. Carl SchVg'
The announcement that you are going
to make your ae6M as reformed reform
in our beautiful Forest City has been a
surprise to me and no less to many of
your former admires think under
stand why the Republican leaders wish
to see the lever for reconverting the Lib
eral Germans first applied in our city;
but what | do not understand is that you
should so readily offer your assistance
You must have known, since 1872, that
the reform ideas whose seed you helped
to sow took strong root with us here,
and that these roots cannot be pulled out
without some trouble. do not think
that you are given to the illusion ofbeing
able to re .Republicanize the German re-
form elements of this locality, even with
the rhetorical mastership that is your
own. But as the persons who have cal
led you here believe, or at least pretend
to believe, that such dcXterous perfor-
nance can be accomplished, and mas
much as the Liberal Germans are thus
exposed to the humiliating suspicion OF
requiring only an intimation from your
self to be converted-this explains why
you make your first campaign speech in
German-it is right and properto protest.
Far too long already, far too long for the
honor of the German element as we'll as
the honor of all of us, has the false idea
been worked and speculated upon that
the German vote can be effectively IN
Auenced and controlled by some one
great or small politician 1t is high time
to do away with such notions.
But in case that your speaking in
German is accidental, and that the infer
ence drawn from it be therefore void, |
still must avail myself Of your presence
in order to set forth something to me all
important. Having been member of
the New York Conference, to which you
invited me, feel called and justified to
do so.
Disguised with the corruption of the
reigning party, without confidence in the
other party, | beheld in a conference OF
independent patriotic men ray of hope
for reform. The spirit that prevailed in
the conference surpassed my expectations
the result of its deliberations we satifac'
tory to me. Although many members
were inclined to cross the Rublcon i'm
mediatelly and to use the conference as a
starting point for third party, the opin-
ion of the more prudent members pre-
dominated, viz; to remain as yet in po-
sition of waiting; to issue an earnest ad-
dress to the people, and to found third
party only in case that this address should
be unheeded by the several conventions
which were to be held in the immediate
future.
The address to the purpose, edited by
yourself left no doubt which class ofpre-
sidential candidates was meant to be
worthy of support. The first sections
manifestly depicted the class represented
by Messrs. Morton, Blaine and Conk-
ling, while the other sections were direc'
ted against such candidates of expedien-
cy as Hayes and Hartranft. There was
not the least doubt of this in the confer
enCe.
Nor can the author of the address be
in doubt of it. Since this seems to be the
case, however, intend to assist his me
mory and remind him that when he read
the address before me and my friend on
the day preceding the conference, and
made us acquainted with its intent, that
he himself after each section had been
gone through with, called the names of
the candidates that were meant though
not named; and that after reading to us
the following:
1--WE shall support no candidate who,
however favorably judged by his nearest
friends, is not publicly known to possess
those qualities of mind and character
which the stern task of genuine reform
requires, for the American people cannot
now afford to risk the future of the repub-
lie in experiments on merely supposed
virtue or rumored ability to be trusted on
the strength of private recommenda-
tions."
He turned to us and remarked plainly,
and as if it were a self evident matter:
"THIS DISPOSED OF MR.. HAYES"
If we compare this passage, which pro-
nounces the verdict upon Mr.. Hayes,
with the parole likewise issued byssMr.
Schurz, viz.-that this election did not
turn on political articles of faith as much
ag on the Personalities of the candidates
not on platforms but on the men that
stood on them-then we discover the tr-
refnta6Le fact that not only Mr. Schurz
but the entire conference, all of whom
enthusiastically approved ofthe address
and the above passage counted Mr..
Hayes as among those who should a6-
SOkateLy not be Snf9Oytea- And, not yet
content with this, the conference. by their
sweeping approval ofMr. Adams speech,
fixed its programme as follows: Bristow
or Tilden; and in case that neither is
nominated, reconOening Of this confer
eHCe.
The position taken by the conference
fully corresponded with my own convic.
ton. 1t was great satisfaction TO me to
know that so patriotic body of men as
were assembled there should agree in
the points above mentioned. took the
cause to be an earnest one; have re-
manned true to it despite of all deserters.
How is it with Mr.. Schurz--the insti-
gator and leader of the conference; the
chairman of the executive committee, ap-
pointed at his own motion, and which
was charged with carrying out the views
and resolutions of the assembly? How
is it with the man that, as long ago as
1861, declared war to the Republican
party, and who to accomplish the ruin of
his party, in 1872 allied himself with the
Democrats? Is he, who for the past five
years has been using his captivating elo-
quence, his great talent and the strong
power ofhis popularity for the overthrow