National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1876-05-08
THE CONTEST AT CINCINNATI.

MOTlOD, SOnkltnS, DHlne, DrlStOWp
Hayes, Hartranft and the Great Unknown
are the names most familiar to the public
in connection with prophecies regarding
the Republican nomination at Cincinnati.
We say with the public because we mean
that the newspapers and subaltern party
leaders discuss the prospects Of these gen.
tlemeD, and the public concession is that
one of them will secure the nomination.
Each one, except the Great Unknown, has
his especial champions, and notwithstand-
ing the assertions of the Independent Press
regarding some Of them, hundreds of wire
pullers are at work to forestsll the action
of the convention in behalf of their re-
spective favorites. This wire pulling is a
necessary incident of American politics,
as il is in every land where the
people govern themselves by the exercise
of the elective franchise. There is DE-
moralizing phase in it, which is repulsive
to the stilted theorist, and is made use of
by demagogues, who are themselves always
apt at the work, TO dampen the enthusiasm
of the campaign and throw discredit upon
their opponents. Just now such pre-
eminent enemies Of the Republican party
as the Springfield Republican. Cincinnati
Commercial, New York Tribune, Harpsr's
Weekly. among the journals of the coun-
try, and such distin guished mslcontents as
Carl Schurz, William Cullen Bryant, VIM.
NJ. Evarts and others, who propose to par.
ticipate in the Schurz Bryant selfadmira-
ton meeting. are engaged in stirring up
public opinion against it. They talk
about the machine" about manipu-
lation, and about the use of money and
patronage, and pirate of corruption with
the single purpose of destroying the
prospects or defaming the characters of
men who have won their spurs by long,
earnest and brave service in support of the
principles Of the party. And they call
themselves Republicans. We submit, how
ever, that the policy they pursue cannot be
more fifty characterized than by the very
words, wire pulling and manipulation,
which they denounce so severely. If to
tear down and build up by innuendo and
false praise is not to manipulate, in
Heavens name, what is manipulation
If to scheme and plot for the introduction
of certain issues and the consideration of
especial theories is not wire-pulling. what
is 1t But these self-styled saints claim
that they have no part or Parcel in the ma
chine, that they are spotless of any faint of
partisan management, and that they and
their favorites for the nomina-
ton are simply seeking the pub
lie good, without regard to strictly
partisan or selfish considerations. We are
of the opinion, however, that their objects
will be exposed in time to undeceive the
public and to prove that they are, in fact,
as black as they have pretended to be
white. Some of them have been known to
sacrifice truth and party principle by pan
dering to morbid sensational desires, while
others have been known to destroy public
confidence by advancing trifling or tech
nical arguments upon subjects which re-
quired blunt and honest consideration in
stead Of being treated under the mists of
subtle sophistry. While the average
honest Republican voter is inspired by
impulses TO seize the question of the hour,
whatever it may be, by the throat and de-
molish it or raise IL upon its feet, as the
occasion may require, these selfcanonized
Saints and self anointed Priests approach
it gingerly, treat il technically and with
a namby PANTY affectation of solemn
wisdom or devotion to the public veal,
always fail to cut out an ulcer or heal up a
wound.
The contest at Cincinnati will begin
between the active adherents of personal
candidates and narrow itself down to
struggle for supremacy between the aver
age honest Republican voters, to whom
we have alluded, aud the Saints and
Priests whom we have described. Even
now tie contest has been begun. This
New York meeting is movement on the
part of the Priests aud Saints to build up
an appearance Of purity and disafection
with the existing condition Of affairs.
Resolutions will be adopted and addresses