Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-12-06
Driven to the Wall.

Driven to the wall in its search for q
leader the Republican party now turns
for hopeful consolation to- d man whom
the party leaders regard with small
consideration. Too much of man to
cringe and cover before the clamor of
partisan appeal. General Sherman has
in season and out of season spoke his
mind upon all public questions and
more than once expressed his opinion
of the men who were donning the garb
of patriotism for ambitious ends. While
he has sought no opportunities to at
tack the partisan leaders of the Repub-
ican party, he has never minced his
words nor tempered his thoughts when
their manner and methods were, being
discussed He was a bold, blunt man,
and said what he had to say without
caring whether anybody liked it or not.
Having never allowed the buzzing bee
of political ambition to find Judgment
in his brain, he was under no,,restraint
and so managed to go through his pub
lie duties with satisfaction to the
people, though never highly valued by
politicians. who early found that they
| could not use him. To this grim war
rior, as,iHdependent in speech as he
was brave in the field, the Republican
party is now inclining itself, in the hope
that his good name and military servi-
ces may furnish them with a bridge by
which they might re-establish connec-
ton with lost public favor. Although
General Sherman has repeatedly an
nounced his determination not to enter
the field of political ambition, and has
looked forward to the period of his re-
tirement for rest and repose, still he is
H. h. Il rs inv
which certain men, anxious to hold on
to power, present to him for their own
benefit. The party must indeed be in.
desperate straits when it attempts to.
force into an unwilling candidacy q man
who wants none of it, and is, deter
mined. to have nothing to do with it.
The fact is the candidates who want the
Republican nomination are scarce, and
those who would take it the party is
afraid of, so they are obliged to worry
and annoy people who constantly turn
a deaf ear to all their explorations.
When the chances were reasonably fair
the politicians cut each others threats
in their ambitious strifes, butnow when
defeat is almost certainly written over
against them they turn to men whom
they then ignored, and whose candi-
dacy they would have laughed at. If
these men think they can now induce
General Sherman to lead their forlorn
hopes and pull their chestnuts out of
the fire they will doubtless make seri-
Gus mistake. They will have to fall
back upon their old party hacks and
meet their defeat under their old lead
ers. General Sherman has no idea of
clouding the evening of his days with
discouraging and disheartening de-
feat He stands well before the coun-
try as one of the heroes of the war, and
as such will live long in public remem-
brance. He would not be the man the
country gives him credit for if he should
give rein to an ambition which could
not add to his name more glory, and
might cover him with regretful refec-
tons. The Republican party must seek
its candidate from among the men who
covered it with disgrace and brought it
to its present pitiable condition. Cen
eral Sherman can not be used for their
selfish purposes american Register.