The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-09-28
The Cultured Curtis.
Cincinnati Enquirer. ]

They have "Journal of Civilization +"
in New York. 1t is edited by one of the
most civilized men on this continent.
He is not only civilized, but enlightened.
He is not only enlightened, but culti-
yated. He is not only cultivated, but
he is excessively refined. He has been
even accused of possessing fairness. 1t
has been alleged that gems of "sweet-
ness and light" flow from his pen like
shot out of bushel basket. There is
nasty beast at work on the outside of his
+" Journal of Civilization" making pic
lures nastier than he, but Mr.. George
William Curtis isn't responsible for that.
1t has been thought that, if independence
within the Republican party could be
found anywhere, it could be found IN
Mr.. Curtis's department of the Journal of
Civilization. The nomination of Charles
Francis Adams by the Democrats of
Massachusetts, for the Governorship
of that State was justly regarded by the
country as an evidence of the honest de-
sire of the Democratic party for good
government, of sincerity in promoting
reform, for the party thatputs such men
in nomination for high places earns the
confidence of the country. But Mr..
Curtis, in the Harpers' Jo,rnalof CiUiliza-
ton, chooses to regard the nomination as
nothing better than Democratic
trick" He says that it was "insincere."
He says that Mr.. Adams is not Demo-
crat, though he had publicly announced
his support of Mr.. Tilden. The j. of C.
urges that Mr.. Adams "is in sense rep
resentative of the character or purpose
of the Democratic party" while Mr..
Adams said several weeks ago that the
present character and purpose of the
Democratic party suited him excellent
we'll. But that of which Mr.. Curtis
should be ashamed is saying that the
nomination of Mr.. Adams is "merely
political trick" He calls it desper-
ate movement" and manifests some
alarm, meanwhile, at the prospect
of the "perilous results of a Demo-
cratic restoration He calls upon
every honest and patriotic citizen to
pause long before giving countenance to
this Democratic trick. This manner of
argument is unworthy of a Journal of
Civilization or man like its editor. If a
"pure and competent" man is nominated
by Democrats it is " "merely political
trick" while if rascal is nominated by
Republicans it is beautiful job. If we
nominate a soldier, however noble or
brave or honest, the Republicansdenounce
him as traitor and US as tricksters. If
we nominate an Abolitionist, however
simple-hearted, humane, and able, he is
word-mauled as deserter, and great,
honest soul is maligned into madness and
the grave and the Democrats are still
called tricksters. By what rule ARE
parties to be judged? How is it deter
mined that Republican nomination is
honest, and Democratic nomination is
dishonest? How does it happen that if
we nominate bad men, such men as Mr..
Curtis should call us thieves, and if we
nominate good men, pure and compe-
tent" as he calls Mr.. Adams, We should
be called liars? Why is it not equally
competent for us to say, after all the enor-
nous Republican stealing and corrup-
tion, if the Republicans anywhere nom
mate an honest man, sit is merely polit-
ical trick ?" What wholesale psycholog-
ical investigation has developed the fact
that all Republican nominations are
"honest" and sincere" and all Demo-
cratic nominations are dishonest tricks 7
If the Democratic party puts sound
doctrine in its platforms, the party of
thieves and of corruption and of perpet-
ual hate, one of whose most cultured
representatives is Mr.. Curtis, will insist
that we are lying. The Democratic
party is party of fidelity. to pledges.
The only blunder it ever made, if it
made any, was in loving the contract
more and the black man less. To the
pledges made in recent years, as to the old
ones, the Democratic party has proved
faithful. If neither by nominating pure
and competent" candidates, and honestly
endeavoring to elect them, nor by making
professions of faith, to which no excep-
ton is taken, and honestly maintaining
them, nor by proving our earnest
ness in reform by saving thirty millions
in year to taxpayers, we can demon
strate our intentions, the Boss Shepherds,
and the Babcocks, and the Richardson's,
and the Belknaps, and the Conklings,
aud the Buffers, and the Delanos, and
the Blaines, and the Logans, and the
Camerons, and the George William Cur
tises will not believe, though several
should rise from the dead. They will
continue to say that the Republican
party must be Judged by its platform,
but the Democratic party must not;
that the Republicans must be Judged by
its nominations-unless they are noto-
riously bad when the Republicans vote
for the party and the Democratic party
must not; and, clinging to office with
the grasp of despair, the Republicans still
HailinglY cry out that the Democrats