The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-09

Of theI Vest and the bummers
ofthe East" 1t prints on its editorial
page correspondents bitter assault upon
Blaine and Logan, in which, among other
charges, is one that their nomination was
dictated by mob" 1t says:"We wish
most emphatically toput ourselves by the
side of gentleman" whose opinions it
prints, one of whom denounces Mr.. Blaine
as "corrupt dishonest man." calls him
"dextrous demagogue," and with valor-
Gus rhetoric proposes to set "the foot of
his uttermost contempt upon the moral
imbecility" which will not aid in crush
ing, him We do not know which most to
wonder at-the sentiments thus expressed,
or the fact that we find them in religious
and Independent journel.
Again, I find in Boston journal, among
many letters, one from loved friend, an
able Congregational minister, charging
that the nominations were made by "the
machine" and must therefore be defeated
at every hazard. Now when religious jour.
nails and Christian ministers are forward to
open the campaign in this style, it certain,
ly will not be because of their restraining
influence if the campaign does not speedily
degenerate into one from which all ordi-
nary decencies of political dicussion shall
be absent
The writer OF this was not, but is now
"a Blaine man." He earnestly desired
the nomination OF Hawley or Edmnnds.
But if his preference was defeated by 'the
dictation OF mob" then the nominations
of Lincoln in 1860, of Grant IN 1868, and
Garfield in 1880, all of which he witnessed,
were each and all dictated by amob. Mr..
Blaine,s nomination was, | believe, the
first ever made by any party through the
votes of delegates all of whom were
chosen under the principle Of district rep.
lesentation, and who came direct from the
people. 1t was the nomination of man
out of Office for three years, of man who
has been IN public life for twenty years
and whose record is as well known to the
honest and refractory people, as to theil
would-be guides. 1t was a nomination by
more than a two-thirds majority of the
delegates, and was no doubt desired and
ratified by three-fourths of the Republican
voters of the country Indeed never, prob
ably, did a nomination more fully voice
the peoples desire and hope. 1t does no
accord with the facts to say that it was the
work of "the machine" Are the people
then so destitute of good judgement or o
conscience, that they desire "a corrupt dis
honest man" for their President? Eithe
this is true, or else these accusers of Mr.
Blaine are mistaken. Perhaps they ar
mistaken, just as many good men were
who in 1860 thought Mr.. Lincoln back
woods demagogue, who in 1864 though
him bad man, whose defeat was neces
sary not only to "saye the party" but eve1
10 save the country; and who in 1880 re
garded Mr. Garfield as personally unwol
thy Of the high Office for which he wa
nominated. One thing is certain-tha
personal defamation is nota wise mode o
warfare. And another thing which !
reasonably certain, is that no good man /
| likely to be a very good President
elected by, and dependent upon bac
party, while even a bad man will be com
PEELED to be tolerably good President /
elected and restrained by, and held &C
countable to party Of noble traditions
and in the main good principles.
| All this is written not SO much to advo
cate any mans candidacy as to protes
against a vituperative and slanderou
campaign. This whole section of country
is full of original Blaine men, among
whom are men eminent as Christian min
listers, and many Christian laymen; and i
savors neither Of charity nor OF truth Il
intimate that they are lacking in icon
science" or in Intelligence" Speak t
the brethren down East, that they go slow