National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-15
Copyright, 1881
THE NATIONAL wnEY.rRouoH.


THE NATIONAL wHEY-TRou0H
Tho most voclferous squealng over heard
around the national whey-trough was that
which proceeded out OF the so-called Liberal
Republican" convention at Cincinnati in 1872,
which nominated Horace Greeley for the
presidency. II was especially spons enter
prise. True, u was attended by few doctrl.
naires, and some lawyers OF high rcspecta-
bility, who seem TO have taken to amateur
politics Tor recreation during few weeks o
rest from professional labor. But with such
few exceptions, the gathering was made up of
incurablo ofllceseekers, unjust discharged
serving men," uninHuential and neglected
politicians, men who had for years sought
political preiemont In vain at the hands OF
their neighbors, men who had attained office
and been removed for canse, cranks, zanies,
and, in short, the lame, the halt. and the blind
OF the political world.
II was made UP of whoever chose to attend;
the states, however were allowed TO cast only
Si Ues n Ss ooes
Delegates required neither constituencies nor
credentials. A sore head was sufficient to So
II represented one other passion besides hun.
ger, and that was hatred-hatred of Grant, II
recognized no public enemy save him, aud tho
Repnbheen party which nad answered NJ, ms
delegates to the national convention TO vote
for his denomination.
ORIGIN OF THE LIBERAL MOVEMENT.
II assembled In pursuance of call made by
the Liberal Republicans Of Missouri, This In
teIcsing political group was headed by Carl
Schurz, q political anarchist by birth and cdu-
cation, and was made. up OF clay'bank pro,
slavery Republicans OF tho Blair type aud
radicals like Gratz Brown, who grew conserve
tive in the ratio Of the decline Of their power
in the party. II required a mystic mind Ike
that OF tho philosos hic Schurz to discover the
natural affinity between disfrGnchlscd rebels
and individual red-hot radicals who could no
longer carry the conventions OF their own
party.
AS that great political trayesty known as
Liberal RepubliGanism" had its birth In Mis-
souri, and as Mr.. Blaine gives merely glimpse
OF its pedigree, 1t Tuay 10 well to here supply
more particular statement. lie has q tender
ness for the actors in the absurd affair,
growing out of his own furtive and uuavowed
pause In discussing the Greeley campaign: the
humbiest, have not 1--WE that have free sous,
il touches us not. Let the CALLED jade vince,
Our withers are unwrung."
sCHuRZ's POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY.
Carl Schurz, the protector Of Liberalism and
v0riegnted reform, inmigrated 70 the United
States from Germany iu 1882 at the age OF ~
Although he could not, under our laws, have
become citizen until 1857 he did not wait I'M
I'll that time before exhibiting his devotion TO
our institutions by becoming an alderman OF
WateTtOwn, Wis. and county supervisor. In
the fall of 1857, being then naturalized, he be-
came the Republican candidate for lieutenant
governor of Wisconsin, but was defeated. In
1859 he sought the gubenntorial nomination.
and failed to receive 1t. In 1860 he took the
stump for Lincoln, and in 1861 the railroad for
Washington, at, the. time good things were
being distributed. lilo was appointed minister
TO Spain March %, 1861 reached Madrid July
T. returned home Dec. Is on three moRthS
leave OF absence, and resigned in April follow.
Ing to enlist III the Union army as brigader
general. After the war he became n Washing.
ton correspondent of the New York 1ribun 4,
ana subsequently did some editorial work
tn, nd
When he migrated to Missouri in
1867 he found 1t Republican state-made SO
by the Acknowledgement, in 1861, Of those of its
the southern coufederacy. These men had
not the excuse of those who, from sincere
political conviction, had gone. with their
mount allegiance to tho state they rebellcd
against their state in order TO rebel against
their country. Their acknowledgment was
not haTsh IL merely denied to them the
lights they had contemporary thrown away
SETTING HIS STAKES.
Mr.. Schurz was n delegate from Missouri tc
the national Republican convention of 1858
and offered the following amendment to the
platform reported from the committee on res
olutionS
'And we favor the removal of the disqualif
cations and restrictions imposed upon the late
rebels in the same measure as tho spirit Of
disloyally will die out, 'and as may be con.
sistent with the safety OF the loyal people"
This amendment was adopted without de.
bate, nndwithout objection II was regarded
rather rs q rhetorical adornment than us an
nOuncing any new policy on which there was
or could be q division, Ifit could have been
construed as an imperious demand for the un
conditional removal of all disabilities at a
fixed time in the future, or If II could have
been distorted into declaration that Mr.
Schurz should have power to determine TO
the Republicans of Missouri the precise tim,
when the spirit of disloyalty there should be
treated as dead, and rebel enfranchisement
deemed consistent with the safety of the loya
- a 90 la.V vnA Tg.N,
save that of its author. And yet Mr.. sohur
boldly claimed for 1t the latter constructive
within two years
The Missouri legislature chosen at the preSI
dental election that year had q United State
senator TO elect. II was Republican legisla
ture. 1t elected Mr.. Schurz. He could no
of the rebels, and he cheerfully accepted, a
he had eagerly sought, this handsome share IL
the benefits derived from the .prosoriptio
policy Of the Unionists OF Missouri.
sCHuRz AS A SENATOR.
He took his seat In the Senate March 4, 1865
As soon rs he could master his natural din
dence, TO wit on the 10Th OF the same month
he took the floor, announced himself as cor
Iuption doctor, declared the country TO be ter
ribly In need of certain reform nostrilms whicl
he was vending, and warned the patient TO be
ware, of all limitations. With an artfulnes
which might have been borrowed from MrE
Candor in the "School for Scandal" he eX
pressed his total disbelief In certain pretendet
iumors rejecting upon President Grant, whicl
ulb thVh ilShiul pSiAupS, W. NhO hA1
The debate was on bill to repeal the tenur
OF oilice act. He was for suspending 1t unit
December. This would enable him TO &c
whether the President would exercise the ~
pointing power .judiciously: II he did no
then he could refuse TO vote for further suspect
sion or repeal. lie said.
ut is rumored perhaps with a view Of IN
fuencing our cause, that the President feel
very sensitive on this point, and that he WI
make no removals unless the civil.tenure bi
No. IaAt mote Of I'm gngnnnhnA
feel deep concern in the insinuation
which are Tying hithor and thither tending I
artlicially create an acerbity of feeling wher
there Is no reason why harmony and good un
Outstanding should not prevail. Those
seems TO me, are rendering the President Q
the United States very bad service who rep
resent him as indulging in fit of temper abor
what we regard rs the plain discharge OF ou
duty. Ifthey really want to make us beleyt
and believe themselves, that the Presiden
against his better judgment, will not make an
removals II we suspend instead of repealin
the tenure of office act, they must place, II
deed, very low estimate upon tho soundne'
his purpose. i soiehnly declare that coal
never for moment believe in any OF thei
stories"
These were not the words of a friend, Nc
even OF one entertaining the kindly feelin
which unohending strangers Inspire anon
people of ordinary humanity. They WEI
such waspsh words as are uttered by M
jure II he did not believe the rumors, VIII
did he give them currency, by repeating theI
in the Senate before the whole country
What private griels he had know not but
he had none 1t was quite clear that he II
tended TO have some as soon as possible, IN
conclusion that he wasalready the determine
enemy of Grant, who had been President bl
two weeks, could only be avode
by constituting his rancorons wort
as warning aud u notice tn
he did not intend TO have the President est
mate the value of his support too cheaply.
Whether he had then already prodered h
aid 10 The President In tho matter of the selc
ton of competent persons for the civil seryic
90 not know. Probably not.
GETTING AT THE wHgY-TRoUGH,
Later on he made suggestions which led
the TofOTm Of the serYiCn by the nnnnin TIM