Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1879-06-19
Tom EVvinG's Opinion of the Demo-
cratic Party

1t is an old saying that "chickens will
come home to roost," ;" and before the cam
paign is over the Hon. Tom. Ewing will
be several times reminded of the fact that
his political chickens will1do so. L. B.
Curtis, the correspondent of the Cincin-
natl Times, sends one of them home in
BIT OF HISTORY.
Justabout six years ago company of
offioe-seeking, g,discontented Democrats and
Republicans, whose failure OF. apprecia-
ton by the people of their respective party
organizations had soured, met in this city
and started what was briefly known to
fame under the seductive cognomen ssThe
Peoples Party
The head center and most noticeable
gentlemen iu that company was man of
splendid physical commanding presence,
powerful voice and attractive manners.
He was handsome, manly looking man.
and all looked to him as the nucleus about
which the new party was to concentrate.
His hair, prematurely gray, gave him an
appearance of wisdom, and his arbitrary,
yet courteous ways, made him the honored
guest.
During the convention he managed men
and measures, and before its close he fully
identified himself with the new party
whose mission was to regenerate the ma
ton, lin speech which at the time attracted
general attention. This handsome, cour-
teous party builder was
GENERAL THOMAS EWING,
the present Democratic nominee for Gov.
ernor.
The party born that day went out after
brief session in ignominous defeat, and
the participants in the convention have
mostly drifted back to their old organiza
tions, and would gladly, if it were posi-
BILE, wipe out from their political liyes thu
work of that campaign.
Since that day there has been much dis
pute as to what General Ewing said in hi
speech as chief accoueher of the peoples
party. In this country we forget rapidly
and political utterances are too often
ephemeral, but turning over of dusty
volumes of newspapers in the State Lii
brary shows up the entire report of tht
| famous Peoples Convention, including
shorthand report of General Ewing
speech upon that occasion.
After referring to various matters, ant
notably the defeat of the Greeley move
ment, General Ewing said: F'It seems t.
me proved by these euentS that on the large
theaters of action the Democratic party is po9U
erIess by itself, inefectiUe as an ally, and
therefore, as no longer an instrument of re
form in American poIities.''
The writer will not soon forget an in
terview held with Senator Thurman el
the evening the Peoples Convention wa
born, and the plain but rather forcibl
Saxon indulged in by the irate Senator a
that time. He fairly boiled over wit
rage at what he termed Ewing's imperti
nenee, and said that he would not spar
time or money to have the absurd com
bination beaten. 1t is not necessary t
tell again the story of the Democrat
campaign of 1873, for ithas gone into his
tory. Suffice to say that Thurman resuI
rected the venerable William Allen, mad
him the candidate for Governor, manage
the campaign personally, spent his Ow
money for expenses, and when Octobe
came Ohio had Democratic Governor an
the Peoples party had vanished into thi
air.
All this occurred but six short yea
, ago, and yet the convention of yesterds
+ defeated the admitted choice of Senate
/ Thurman and chose for its standart
: bearer the man who, for personal al
, vancement, sought the life of the part
1 who now sets him up as it's chief expOnel
| and leader