The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-08-21
Narrowing Down the Issue.

Narrowing Down the Issue.
a stranger to American politi,s
Ruld be likely to get the impression
'n reading the Democratic journals
the present day, that the history
The Democratic party is identical
'h the record of its presidential
'Aninee, so scrupulously do they
lid any allusion to the attitude of
1e party at time when the charac-
Frlstics that make General Hancock
unavailable candidate now were any,
t''ne but popular with the "unterri>
II ssnlVl.y' The Generals gallant defence
p6Tthe Union; his prompt acceptance
sSF SIie cofistitutionai atiIendn3euls
his repudiatlon of the doctrine of
secession, and his uncompromising
opposition to everything looking to
reversal of the results of the war
these are the attributes which the
Democratic organs dwell upon and
with which they endeavor to cloak
the real nature and purpose of the
canvass. Weshall not quarrel with
them touching anything that they
may have say concerning the patri-
otism and loyalty of General Hancock,
for the stronger their testimony on
this point the wider becomes the
gulf which separates them from him.
To show to the world that their
nominee was true to his country in
the perilOus times of the rebellion is
simply to remind the public that they
were false to it then. To glorify his
obedience to the constitutional
amendments is but to revive the rec.
objection of their own malignant and
persistent opposition to these DEGREES.
To emphasize his hostility to the
methods which gave occasion to the
bloody shirt outcry is merely to re.
direct attention to their own male
VIOLENT persecution of the colered
voter. In a word, the more fully the
light is turned on the Democratic
nominee the darker becomes by con-
trast the record of the party itself.
If at this late day anything were
needed to establish the insincerity of
the Democracy, this adulation of a
anR N RI ihof.A wyhnrn nh iaT -s,.t,,
he co-operated with the Republican
party in putting down the rebellion
which the Democrats precipitated,
would furnish all-sufficient confirma-
tiOn of the fact. This insincerity,
despite the efforts of the Democratic
press to make light of it, is certain
to tell heavily against the Bourbons
before the canvass is oyer and it is,
indeed, the most important consider.
alton in the struggle, 1t narrows
down the contest to an issue between
the records of the parties, and APP
peals to- the voters of tire country to
pronounce judgment on trial of fact
concerning which t..ey are already
we'll informed. Demagogues may
try to evade the issue by represent
ing General Hancock as the incarna-
zion of the party's principles ; but no
intelligent citizen is likely to be
bamboozled by such a palpable per-
version of the truth; and if the
ampaign should be conducted in ac-
cordance with such an expectation, it
would Inevitably come to a more
disastrous conclusion than that of
1872. when Horace Greeley suffered
martyrdom at the hands of his false
friends. Indeed, the political situa.
tion is closely analogous at the pres
ent moment to that of eight years
ago. Now, as then, the Democracy
have stultified themselves in their
craving for success, and are wholly
dependent upon the personal popu.
larity of their candidate for the
victory which they hope to achieve:
Now, rs then, they have set up as
their mouth piece candidate whose
previous utterances give the lie direct
to their own professions. 1t Wassaid
for Horace Greeley in 1872 that his
conduct i'm going bail for the Presi-
dent of the Confedercy entitled him
to the votes of the Sout thern Demo-
Gratis, just as, in 1880, it is urged in
General Hancock's behalf that his
recognition of civil rights III Louis
lana entities him to Confederate sup
port. The double face is as apparent
in the conduct Of the managers now
AS then. Here, in the North, it is
the brave Union general that we are
called upon to adore /; in the South ii
is the upholder ofthe cherished States
rights doctrine that is exhibited for
public admiration. This policy
proved dismal failure in 1872, and
that failure will be repeated in 1880
mot because the people doubt Han
cocks personal integrity or are dis
posed to belittle his services In the
war hIft sinrnlv for tha reason that,