The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-08-06

From the Buffalo Courier.
The most marvellous thing about the Re
publican party is the control which 1t has OH
tanned over the public sentiment of the North.
In 1860 II was fashionable 10 consider II de-
based suffrage the great danger Of the COun.
try in 1870 manhood suffrage was the first ar.
tee In the creed of the infallble political
party, and whoever denied il WAS anathcma
tzed in 1880 broad tolerance was in fash
ion and good Republican might hold either
doctrine and defend the eniranchisement of
the negro in South Carolina and the di>fran.
chisement of the tOreign.hOrn citizen IN Rhode
Island.
Sometimes it Is expedcnt for Republican
purposes that temperance should be the key.
stone OF political reform, and then again It
may be denounced as mere fanatiCism. In
1868 paper money was n sacred thing, and in
1873 gold was the god Of the national idolairy.
When il Is necessary to install II carpet.bag
Governor who has been beaten at the polls, a
state has no rights which the Federal Govern.
ment is bound to respect When it becomes
necessary TO count into the Presidency man
who was not chosen by the PEI pie, the rights
of the States are so sacred that Congress can
not go beyond the official seal on the ccrtf.
Gates as to the electors votes, even to correct
iraud and forgery.
dictate seem to become almost intercOnverti.
BILE terms. There are times when 1t appears to
be "A greater crime for Democrat To have red
hair than f., n Republican to steal 100000
In regard to individuals within the Repuh.
llcan organizatIon this curious power To alter
standards tn make and unmake heroes, Is sin.
gularly exhibited. The facility with which n
common place little man like Woodford can
be exalted to fame rs one of the foremost ora.
tors Of the world, and cast down again to the
level Of an incompetent attorney neglec,ng
his official duties, is amusing. We have seen
Wood,n hooted as the undcrllnc Of Tweed, and
then metamorphosed into great refnrmer.
We can remember the time when SCHUYLER
Colfax was held up rs the model of American
manhood, and we are by no means sure that
he won't come into fashion again. The mo.
mcnt Seward abandoned Rcpuhlicani4m he
sank from the foremost statesman Of the age
and the associate martyr of Lincoln TO mere
drunken ofliceh0lder. When Chase turned
Democrat, he turned also, and IN the eyes Of
the public, into g mere ollceseckcr. The hate
of the party converted Horace Greeley from
the champion ut human rights INTO "a drivCl.
ing old proslavery idiot.
At present we are enjoying the most aston.
ishing exhibition of the ability oi the Repuh.
lican party to set up and pull down national
heroes that was ever exhibited. A little more
than year ago the country, under the influ-
ence of Republican fascination, was crazy
about Gen. Grant. A the Chicago Times puts
the case: ale was the greatest warrior uf the
world He was the first citizen of the repuh-
Inc. He was noble, modest, gracious, the guest
of kings, the lover and savior of his country"
Sober minded people dreaded that the popu-
lar folly which treated HIM as sort of deni-
god m chit nrova dangerous 10 our inst itutions
Now Gen. Grant is metamorphosed into dull