New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-10-13
9oor IND d" PEACE."

1920" IND "PEACE"
Orr Democratic friends have had no end OF
fun during the past week OF two chaIking the
figures 1893" on the doors oil prominent ne
nubl,cons and on sidewalks, fences, and dead
walls all over the county. In some places 'ucy
have intensified the humor Of the performance
by d-Geurng doors and house fronts Win
these figures in paint. Except that TINS out
bust of genuine Democratic humor mas III
these cases Occa,ioned expense, in some othctS
Inconvenience, and in some perhaps, niue
ANNOYANCE, no great harm has been done Inc
footuriuts If tie Democracy have not always
Lcen so easy to erase. Some CT thclr W0IK i'll
the mast quarter OF century has had to be
wa he'd cut in blood. 1t Is great dcaI
easier to rub out the figures they are writing
on sidewalks and doors in 1850, than to WIPE
of the debt It cost us to carry on the war INTO
which they plunged us IN 1850. Ihey llI'lS-
trite tAcmst Ives 10 less, however, IN me IAN
tastic horSe-play OF to-day than IN the grim
seriousness of twenty Yeas ago. The eager
ness with which they fell to this chalk work
and the extent to which they have carried IT.
show two things pretty clearly to wit: the des-
neratc straits to which they are reduced for
arguments,
of humor. Completely nm ashore for arGu-
ments against the Republican party and candl-
dates. they all with one accord throw mud
They wax vlrtuously indignant if any RepuD-
lican refers 20 wcll-knOwn weaknesses In Cen
craI HancOck's character; but to chalk Kepub-
lican doors with figures representing a gross
libel and caumny upon the personal integrity
of General Garfield they think IS eNcruc'at-
incly funny. Mr.. Samuel Cox needs to wite
another book entitled, "Why We Laugh"
This outbreak of wit, howeyer-il wit it can
b, callcd-hls been comparatively harmless.
Much more harmless, rs his been said, than
Democratic ebuiticns usually are. Republic
cans have rs n general thing recognized in 1t
an odmiss on of intellectual poverty aud bank
r1p.cy in argument, and patiently washed OIL
fine f.ur.s. or let them stand as memorials OF
Democratic stupidity and malignity, while re-
spcctablc Democrats have been disguised by
if. and made luke warm in a cause winch
has to be supported 10y such devices. Indeed,
il may bc said that these dcrIsiyc figures have
been read by Republicans with such perfect
good naturp and by them turned to such good
account in exposing the weakness of their Op-
ppncnts. that they have upon the whole in
tage of the industrious chalkers. They are
wise enough to knew that the use OF sclndaouS
catchwolds is very liable to react upon their
inventors, and that the people are much more
likely 20 be repealed than Won by party
which engages in a body in mud Throwing.
There was Il noted instance of tie turning OF a
scurrilous epthct upon its inventors III the SIX
teenth century, when 4 IN mber OF fhIIpS
Council denounced the petitioners for religious
liberty in Holland as beggarS. lie gave
them smbb0lcth which they accepted and il
sign under which they conquered. Nearer Our
own time, the scurTility with which III $40
the Democrats opened The campaign against
.Granny" Harrison was followed by the same
sort of reaction and the Wings taking up the
/. Log Cabin and Hard CIDER" cries of their
opponents, pu' them to disastrous flight.
Sail ano her Illustration Of failure In the
attempt to start party cry, and one that runs
on all f0urs with the present, was FURNISHED
during the war. The Hon. y. ID. Sperry, Of
New Haven, made effective Use of 1t III Il re-
cent speech. Referring to the last great argu-
mrnt OF the Democrats chalked on all The side
walks. he reminded his audience that during
fine war in 1851, they had reSOrcd 10 the
same tactics; that then, inse cad of 329, they
chalkcd on doors, fences and sidewalks the
word Peace 1t was at time when Union
men were depressed and Rebels and Copper
heads hopeful; when the war had been pro-
claimed n failure by the Democratic National
Convention when Democrats were holding
peace meetings and denouncing all the mea-
surts of the Administration for putting down
the rebellion. And the Rebel sympathizers at
the Embellishments every ore OF them
broke out of IA sudden on sidewalks, doors, and
fences with chal, marked "Pelce." The
neople read il and took in the whole meaning
of it. 1t did not answer the design of the
chalkers, but it served to illuminate the pun
pose OF II G Democratic party. And the patriots
of the North, worn and wearicd with the long
struggle and desiring peace next to Liberty and
Union, sail simply We shall have peace, but
mot such peace as these men wouId bring us.
at shall he peace with the Union established
~and the authority Of the Government vindi-
"cated.r II was Peace in 1864 1t is 800
IN 1850. Chalk is their last weapon. 1t will
serve them no better now than it did sixteen
years ago
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