The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-08-12
A CHANGE OF BASE,
THE REPUBLICANS SWAP HORSES
CROSSING THE STREAM,
And Run up the Bloody Shirt as the Supreme
Issue.
From the N. Y. Herald Of Saturday.

1t is less than two years since General Garfield,
on the floor of Congress, painted the following
patriotic sketch for the conduct OF the Presiden
tial campaign Of 1880:
The man who attempts to get up political
excitement In this country on the old sectional
issues will find himself wlthouta party and with
out support The man who wants to serve his
coun try must put himself In the line Of its lead
ing thought, and that is the restoration OF busi.
ness trade, commerce, industry, sound political
econ omy, hard money and honest payment Of all
obligations"
Circumstances unexpected by the artist put
him into position two months ago, by his sud-
den nomination as Presidential candidate to
exert as much influence as any other man in the
country to realize his own patriotic picture. Is
1t unfit to Judge him out Of his own mouth and
by his own behaviOrj What has he been doing
this week Has he been attempting ITO get upa
political excitement on the old sectional issues"
or ito put himself in the line OF the countrys
leading thought" Let the proceedings Of the
Republican conference in this city on Thursday
answer.
Beyond peradventure the four representative
speakers in thai conference were Senators Blaine
and Logan, Secretary Sherman and General Har-
risOn. What did they set up in their speeches
for the Issues in this Presidential campaign MT,
Blaine said that the issue Is whether the men
who fought the civil war shall surrender to the
men who fought against the Union" Mr.. Logan
said that II is whether 1.-The loyal men OF this
land who stood by her constitution ana nag
when the sword and fame were applied 10 the
temple" or the rebel army and me copper
heads of the North" shall have the right to gov
ern this country" Mr. Sherman said II is Whe-
ther 'the Republican party shall resign to the
solid South, headed by Wade Hampton ana the
Ku-Klux Klan, and little segment IN the NOT,
iaf {frn1 thn nfT
Gen, Harrison said ut is how we will deiend
Washington against the enemy that once opposed
1t In arms" II these assertions are not reylVal
OF the old sectional Issues what are they Not
word was uttered in the conference from nIst 70
last concerning the line of the leading thought OF
the cOunuy-Concerning business, trade, COM
merce, industry, sound political economy, hsru
money and honest payment OF all oDngauOhsI
with the solitary and melancholy exception mat
Mr.. Sherman announced that the Republican
party has accomplished all the resulls IL pro-
posed to accomplish of financial character al.
though hundreds Of millions OF legal tenGer
greenbaCks are outstanding ard eighty elght-
cents silver dollars are coming monthly ~ the
ton.
1t was entirely within the power Of Gen. Gar:
field to check this torrent of sectional passion II
he had willed So He sat in an adjoining patlor,
and knew what was doing. At any time between
noon and o'clock, on Thursday, he had only 70
walk out of one room into another and repeat MS
own words which we have quoted at the Degln-
NJ = OF lnlb attlCle, 10 nave gwen an n'IeII
different complexion to this Presidential cam
paign on the Republican side from that when
he has suffered 1t to assume. But he wil!uly
withheld from Serving his country ne WI,
fully ratified part'zan policy which he hlmseIl
has stigmatized as so unpatriotie that the man
who pursues 1t deserves to find himself without
party and without support" He starts back 10
his Ohio home this morning with the Internal
consciousness, whatever show Of external slolia'
ity he may put on, Of having been false to b
own ideal Of patriotism With his full asse
by the concurrent voices of his party's leaders,
"the old sectional Issues" are adopted for the
main issues of the Republican canvass, and the
line of the country's leading thought is subor
dinated to them.