Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-05-15
THE COLUMBUS MEETING.

THE COLUMBUS MEETING.
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Last week the Dem ecrats of this Stat e
met Columbus to, select delegates TO
the National Convention at Cincinnati.
Although no State nominations were
made and no platform adopted, yet, in
some, respects, the action, ,of. the ,Conven-
ton was extremely significant. In tie
6rst place it makes it certain that M.
Tilden has not captured this State. Ii
the next place, it insures Senator Thu.
man fair consideration of his claims in
the National Convention. In the third
place, it secures to all other candidates
an equally fair consideration of their
claims, if it shall become apparent that
the first cannot be the final choice of
the Ohio Democracy, or that it must
give way to the first or the final choice
of other States, Lastly-and this is
point of no small importance-the pro-
ceedings show that the Democrats of
Ohio do not relish the idea of candi-
date dictated to them by Mr.. Tilden.
The Democracy of Ohio have larger
views of their own duty and of the duty
of the whole party. By so much the
poliJieal atmosphere is clearer. Let US
hope the time is not far distant when it
may become clearer still. 1t is time that
the great Democratic party should re-
lieve itself vigorously of burden
which weighs heavily upon its reputa-
tion and its spirit and threatens it with
defeat before the battle begins. Inde-
pendent voters all over the country
are tired of reading and hearing about
Mr.. Tilden's power as political man
ager, and of being told how he can
''whistle for" politicians when he has
occasion for them, and be sure they will
come at his call. If the Democratic
party expects to win the confidence of
the people of the United States, and to
be in:rusted with the duty of ssforming
an administration, the Democratic
party must show confidence in itself
and ask the confidence of the American
people for itself, and not for any one
man. If the American people must
choose in the next election, not between
thS 1/Ou2OSidSiS pdAGS du0 the< ASOPuoAA-
can party, but between General Grant,
who represents to the masses the victory
of the Union, and Mr.. Tilden, who re-
presents his own failure to take the
Presidential seat to while he was elect
ed in 1876, no rational person can
doubt which of the two men will be
taken and which left. The Grant man
ayers have sense enough to see this, and
they have done their best, therefore, in
every possible way to make the country
regard the Democratic party as nothing
and Mr.. Tilden as everything in the
Democratic organization. The voters
of the Union, settle two things by their
votes at the Presidential election. They
decide whether the party in power shall
or shall not be kept in power, and by
the same process they decide to what
particular man the formation of a new
administration shall De intrusted. II
under the operation of the system of
national conventions one man in either
party gets such a hold upon the nomi-
mating body that the voters are shut up
to intrusting the government to him il
they desire to intrust 1t to his party.
the result will Inevitably be that the
election will be decided by the popular
opiuion of the candidate alone. In an
issue between the Democratic party and
the . Republican party, the two candi-
dates being men of equally good gen
eral repute, the country to-day, we be-
lieve, would decide emphatically in ia
vor of the Democracy. In an issue be-
tween General Grant nominated by the
Republican party and the Democratic
party represented by civilian candi-
date of independent personal character
and good repute for ability, the country
we believe, would pronounce emphati-
cally for the Democratic party. In an
issue between General Grant and Mr.
Tilden, both parties would sink out Of
sight and the strongest personality
would win, intelligent people prefer
ring, as a rule, to bear the Robesons
they have had rather than to fly to the
Peltons they but dimIy wot of. If nom.
mating conventions were omnipoten
this might not be SO. But nominating
conventions are far from omnipotent
One can lead a horse to WATERBURY
cannot make him drink. Nomination
go a great way when they are the ex
preston of the free will OF. a great part,
after full and fair debate. But if
nomination is determined by the wire
pulling and the check. book of nomi
nee, or is generally believed to hav
been so determined; if it is the result o
a series of preliminary personal move
on the political chess-board, with dele
gates for pawns, a nomination ma,
easily damage the party which submit
to it much more than it can help tn
person who secures it. Rightly o
wrongly, Mr.. Tilden has become identi
fled in the minds of the masses of hi
conntrymen with sly and suberrahea
personal methods in politics. Politicia an
openly pin their faith in him to hi
supposed wealth and his alleged skill i
political manipulations. This may b
just or unjust to Mr.. Tilden. That doe
notmatter. His repute in these re
spects is made and cannot be unmade
and his repute in these respects, viii
it maybe a source of strength with til
politicians, is a source of weakness, an
of fatal weakness, with the voters
the country.
PRIVATE. DALzELL is circulating prin
ed petitions, asking soldiers to sign the