The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-30
A Good Man Weighing 25O.

By this scornful appellation a
paper which has more brains and cpn-
victions than a mere Democrauon
organ, calls General Hancock. The
New York Sun, the author OF tnis
name, has given seyera! nicknaues
that stick. One of its weapons OF
attack is to impale its intended Xlc>
tim with some offensive epithet, and
repeat il and reiterate 1t day amer
day until the public is sick of it mt
sometimes by sheer force of repetis
tion the name is rememhered.
When, therefore, the New York n'na
gave up the Democratic campaign as
lost, it prepared itself for defeat BY
abusing the Democratic leaders, the
campaign and the candidate. Seek
ing to be as severe as possible, itcsslls
General Hancock "a geod z Ss5al
weighing two hundred and fifty
pounds" This was not done for the
purpose of making the avoirdupois
ofGeneral Hancock campaign issue,
but was intended to convey the sug-
gestion that Hancock's brain had
suffered a fatty degeneration. Surely
even The political opponents of Han
cock must feel sort of pity for him
now. He has placed himself in a
position where he cannot shelter his
bulky form from the kicks of his own
party. He who when Union sol
dier, weighing $50 lbs., stood vlctori-
Gus over "Democratic principles"
and the "lost cause" and the ''solid
South" must now when his belt has
grown larger and his tonnage heav-
ier, submit patiently to their SCOTS
and recalcitratiups.
The Democrats having no prlnci-
pies to stand on, sought to cover up
their discOrdant and wrangling fac
tions with the shadow of great
name. They selected Hancock as
the largest name at their disposal.
There was signer of the Declaration
of Independence by that name. Han
cock had fought bravely in the Union
army. He had written a letter con-
tanning some trite and undisputed
common-places about civil and mill
tary authority. And in their utter
dearth of great men the Democrats
chose big man for great one they
mislook avoirdupois for weight of
Judgment, and length of waistbaDd
for depth of thought. How were
the Democrats TO knew any better.
They have no man in the party large
enough to use as the yard. stick to
measure great man with. 1t was
thus a very natural blunder which
they made when they picked up
Hancock for great man. And now
that they find that Hancock, heavy
as he is, is not quite ponderous
enough to walk over on the solid
South and make the whole North tilt
up, they are angry with him and call
his nomination "a blunder."
Perhaps, however, the Democratic
leaders were shrewder than is sup
posed. They haye certain low
cunning which serves their ordinary
uses iOr craftsmanship; and what
they wanted IN their nominee, was
not man truly great, but one only
seemingly so-a man with a great
name and great moral platitudes,
who, while being "superb" figure
head, would be putty in their hands.
If this were their purpose. they per.
haps chose well. The solid South
might hide behind his record as
Union soldier, the rag baby, the
silver lunacy, the Lost Cause, the
communist, the free trader-all the
isms. in short, that want "a change"
might shelter themselves behind the
broad name of Hancock and mould
him to their wishes. But this ia to
speculate on possibilities which will
not happen. The Indiana election
pricked the bubble of Hancock's in
flated pretensions, and leaves bin in
a collapsed State. He is now mere
dead weight on Democratic hands. or
as they call him in their bitterness of
spirit "a good man weighing two
hundred and fifty pounds. - -BdLO.