The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-07-10
The Democratic Surrender.

The Democratic Surrender.
The efforts of the Democrats to
reconcile the nomination of General
Hancock with the well defined policy
of their party since the war would
be amusing did they not reveal so
clearly the immense sacrifice of prin-
ciple which the attempt involves.
Let us see in what this sacrifice con-
sists. In the first place it implies the
complete surrender of the Democratic
position on the question of electing
military men to civic officers. Up
to the present time the Democratic
organs have inyeighed increasingly
against the military establishment,
and have over and over again assert
ed that no army officer ought ever
again to be elected to the Presidency
of the United States. Their hostility,
indeed, was SO malignant that, but
for the opposition of the Republican
minority in Congress and the firm
ness of Republican President, they
would long ago have reduced the
army to ten thousand men, and our
frontier would at this moment be
unprotected against Indian upris-
ings. Yet. Notwithstanding all this.
they have selected as their candidate
for President a soldier whose whobA
life has been spent in the regular
army, who is even more closely iden-
tilted with military caste as it exists
in this country than General Grant,
and who in times past has not hesita-
ted to oppose with all his influence
every attempt on the part of the
Democrats to cut down the military
establishments 1t is plain. therefore,
that in giving him their support, the
Democracy must recaBt their opin-
ions concerning the unfitness of mil
itary men to hold high civic offices,
as we'll as withdraw their demands
for the reduction of the regular army.
In theSsecOnd place, the candidacy of
General Hancock implies the sacrifice
on the part of the Democrats of the
fraud issue. AS the New York Sun
tersely put it on the morning of
Hancock's nomination, the alterna-
tive presented to the Cincinnati con-
vention was "Tilden, principle and
victory or, somebody else, no issue
and defeat" By its refusal to nomi-
nate Mr.. Tilden, the convention
practically renowned its faith in the
fraud issue, and dropped it out of the
canvass. Considering that the party's
entire stock in trade since 1876 has
consisted of the allegation that its
candidates were counted out" by
the Electoral Commission. this sur
render may be said to include all tie
available assets of the party.
But as an Offset to these sacrifices,
we are told that the candidacy Of
General Hancock will settle forever
the question Of the loyalty of the
Democratic party and drive tht
bloody shirt issue out Of the canvass
The fact that nearly half of hi.
strength on the first ballot came from
the South is cited as indisputabl.
that the Southern wing of Democracy
has finally purged itself of the tain
of secession. Accepting this us tn,
truth-and we fervently pray that i
be the truth-we are unable to Sc,
how the position of the Democrat,
party before the country is betteret
thereby. To surrender one after tn,
other the principles for which it ha
contended during the past twenty
years and adopt those of the Repub
lican party is but to confess, it SEEM
to us, that the latter has been righ
all along, and to furnish the best 0
reasons why it should be continued il
power. While all patriotic citizens
therefore, will rejoice that the Dem
ocrats have been brought at last I,
see the error of their ways and hav,
been forced to nominate Union GEN
eral as pledge of their loyalty, th,
intelligent voter, we fancy, will still
prefer TO cast his ballot for the nomi
nees of the party whose loyalty ha
never been doubted.-Bdno. A,neri
can.