The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-07-03
A PROMINENT NEW YORK REPUBLICAN
OUT FOR HANCOCK.

Like a fash of lightning from cloudless
sky or like a bombshell into the camp when
no enemy is near comes letter full OF fearful
omen to the republican party, and published
in the New York papers of Tuesday, from
Leonard w. Jerome to Gen Hancock, in
which the former announces his purpose ar
IDENTIFY to support and vote for the latter tor the
presidency Mr. jerome, who is recognized
as one of New York's great mllllona!res, the
owner Of Jerome Park, ETC., and who for years
has stood at the head of the republican organ
ization OF that city, was the founder and head
of its famous Union League Club, the repab-
lican Tammany of New York; was frequently
rendered by the party the nomination for
Mayor, Congress and Governor of the State,
and contributed more to the party eectioneer-
ing fund than any other man IN the country
this Leonard w. Jerome now announces his
purpose to cast his influence hencetorth on the
side of the democracy, and to support Hancock
and English II Conklng himself had made
such an announcement in his own behalf it
would have been no more stunning or terrlty
ing to the New York republicans. The |Forld
in publishing and commenting on MI
Jerome's letter, says
Mr. Jerome is a conspicuous type OF
very large and very important class Of men
who have heretofore acted with the republican
party throughout the Eastern states. In the
dark days of the civil war he was widely
known as most persistent and liberal sup.
porter of all the great war measures OF the
Lincoln administration. His purse, his coun-
sci and his time were freely given to the de
tense of the Union. He was active, too in the
press through the large interest he owned in
the New York Times Of which his intimate
friend Mr.. Raymond was then the editor.
Nr. Jerome was one of the founders, too of the
Union League Club, and when It's temporary
quarters on Union Square were necessarily
abandoned he surrendered to it the beautiful
marble residence he was then building on
Madison Square, in which 1t has ever since
been housed. When a citizen with
such record behind HIM deliberately declares
his belief not only that the usefulness Of the
republican party has come to an end, but that
for years past the republican party has been
continued in power against the will and the
convictions of thousands of cool and conservar
tive men like himself, we may be sure that
the roots of this belief strike deep through the
very substance of Northern society in all d.
rectlons"
Mr.. Jerome's letter to Gen. Hancock opens
with these ringing sentences:
"MY DEAR GENERAL: ! take the earliest
opportunity to congratulate you upon your
nomination, and to assure you, lifelong Wing
and Republican, that am, Of my most hearty
support l belong to a very numerous and
very stanch old sllver-gray republican family.
With one solitary exception, there never was
one of them known to vote the democratic
ticket, but venture to say they Will to man
vote for you. They cannot consistently do
otherwise"
Some of the New York papers go so far as
to predict that the detection of Mr.. jerome
will break up the New York Union League
Club and leave the party in the city without
an organization.