Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-10-29
An Imperative Duty.

There is one sequitur of the disastrous
Democratic defeat in Indiana and Ohio
which should suggest itself at once and
with great emphasis to the leaders of
that party, which is to permit General
Hancock to gracefully withdraw at
once from their ticket. To continue
him upon the track when he is hOpelessly
distanced is a species of gratuitOus and
refined cruelty. Ii he were an old
party hack, accustomed to run in all
kinds of races, and used to being
beaten, the case would be different.
The old scrubs who have been beaten
over and over again in the last twenty
years are hardened to it. Their records
are 50 scored with defeats that one
more will not injure them, and cannot
affect them in the future. They have
nopride to be wounded, nor sensibilities
to be shocked. General Hancock is a
man who has had the itch, but not the,
opportunity, for Office for several years.
To ruin him now, when there is no
possibility of success, must eventuate,
not only in defeat, but in retiring him
forever, a hopeless political wreck,
past all chance of ever putting in an ap-
pearance again as a candidate for Of
ice. This would be the height of
cruelty.
The Democrats can avoid this now by
letting him withdraw, and leaving him
to nurse his personal magnifcence and
elegance on Governor Island, the
spoiled darling of the softer sex and
the superb chevalier of Democratic
gullibility.
Now is Cipher Tilden's opportunity.
The substitution of "Old Usufruct'
would bring a new issue into the cam
paign. or rather revive an old one. The
Democracy and the Sun can once more
raise the cry of fraud" and thus di-
versify the campaign. Tilden and
English would be a won lerful team
Old Cipher Alley at the head and Shy
lock at the tail of the ticket is accord
ing to the eternal fitness of things.
Sammy would unquestionably open his.
barl again, now hooped mp tight. Such
substitution would put new working
capital into the campaign.
But if the Democracy are not salts
fed with that " change" and want to
do a graceful thing and something pc
culiarly taking, let shem put Bayard,
from the little whipping post State of
Delaware, ut the head OF the ticket.
If they want to make an excitement ON
the track, let theIA put on Hendricks,
who will straddle any two horses they
can furnish. If hey want to do, the
high patriotic act, let them take Carter
Harrison, and have it understood that
he shall let loose the American Eagle,
and make it lively again for that un-
terrified bird. There are plenty of pa
triots in the d D5mocratic. party who can
be put up ana knocked down without
any injury to them. But this is not so
with Hancock.
Ii the Democratic party has any
decency, anY sympathy, any tender
ness, any pity, any felOw-teeling left
in it, it wal allow him to pull of and
save him from the avalanche which is
rushing towards him with such fearful
momer 3um. They should not allow
him to go down to history like Nc
Clellen.. battered, smashed, wrecked
and cUined by this storm that is coming
up IN the Northern sky, He has been
pretty badly handled already for his
Order No. 40, for his attempt to re-
store the levee thieves OF Louisiana, for
'Ais slang about "nigger domination, "
for his reactionary prOclivities, and for
( his lack OF promptness in military ac-
tion at critical moments in the War;
but he still stands well with the people
as an able and gallant corps command
er, when acting under command OF
ADLER officers. like General Grant, and
not left to his own indiscretiOn. He is
still. for ~ Democrat. considered to be
a decent and respectable man, and his
political friends should allow him to re-
tain that reputation. They have no
right to keep him in false position
when there is no hope that he can make
ANYTHING by it. They have no right to
keep him in the ompanionship OF those
aguinst whom he fought. If they will
not take him off voluntarily he should
ask them to take him off and upon
it, Chicago Tribune