Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1892-10-20


that the enemies OF the president have
drawn the most damaging differences
from their extraordinary disappear
ance."
THE ATTACK ON GRANT.
The attack on the hero OF APP
pomattox occupied a column in the
Tribune of May 81. Whitelaw Reid
wrote:
+ "While we do not expect Gen. Grant
to understand the scandal of many
of the appointments which he has
made, it does seem incredible that he
should so obstinately persist in keep
ing men in place who have done no.
thing 80 thoroughly as to demon
strate their own unfitness for it..
Seen. Grant seems to have forgot
| ten that the president is a civil and
not military officer, and this ex-
| plains his undertaking to govern the
| South as if it were still q great en-
trenchment camp; his manipulating
our foreign policy as if he were treat
ing with an enemy at his mercy and
upon the point Of surrender-until,
indeed, the tables in one or two cases
were turned and he was ready him
self to surrender; his issuing his in
structions to free citizens about to
vote as if they were his old infantry
about to engage in battle.
"Gen. Grant is a soldier, and the
old habits of q soldier stick to him.
He has many OF the professional
faults OF Jackson, and apparently no
comprehension OF that strict, law
abiding conscience which redeemed the
soldierly character of Washington, OF
Taylor and of Harrison. They were
good soldiers, but better citizens.
They never attempted to govern the
republic by general ORDERS
SUMMERS SPEECH.
Then came Charles Summers fam.
Gus speech in the senate denouncing
Gen. Grant as Caesar. Reld's pen
flowed smoothly along in Sumner S
praise:
eve are not sure that our greatest
senator did not make, at this time,
the greatest speech OF his life.
Not a trait has been spared. He gives
the cynical nepotism, the eager &C.
ceptance of presents, the reward Of
personal service by public offices,
the stolid contemptuous disregard OIL
law, the deposition to shut himself
up in a close phalanx OF congenial
creatures, whichs'have been so Ions
recognized by all intelligent people
and so long passed over in silence by
opponents who cared more for decor.
UNI than for. decency.
"But nowIthat the time has come
that all the powers of government
are to be put in operation to compel
the reelection OF this conspicuous
failure and the perpetuation of this
discreditable exploitation of the ex'
ecutive office, it is the duty OF every
man who disapproves OF such q use
of the presidency to speak plainly the
truth that most men feel-that Gen
Grant is not fit man to be presi
dent.
REWARDED BY HARRISON.
Whitelaw Reid was the most promi'
nent of the Republican editors whose
reward for campaign service to BenJa
min Harrison in 1888 was appointed
to Office. Some OF the smaller editors
became ,postmasters; those OF large
influence and whose newspapers had
greater circulation were given ap
pointments. Editors whose news
papers were leading party organs
were made minister's Whitelaw Reid
of the Tribune, became minister tC
France. But on June 3, 1872, White
law Reid wrote:
"Whoever wants to see the disinter,
ested nature of the support given to
Gen. Grant by considerable portion
of the New York state press where
from malcontents have lately been
taking some comfort, may find it in
the list OF editorial Off holders else,
where published. 1t would be mar,
velous thing, as editorial ofliceholders
go, if these people did not support
their master"
This argument OF Whitelaw Reid
in 1872 appears to have stood the
test OF time in the light of the Tri.
bune:s attacks on James G. Blaine
previous to the nominating conven-
ton at Minneapolis in June, 1892.
LOGAN GIVEN A TURN.
With Summers speech and the re-
plies made to it in the senate came
Mr.. Reds opportunity to insult and
deride other prominent Republicans
and companions-in-arms of Grant.
John A. Logan became target for
his singing. Whitelaw Reid i'm
pugned Gen. Logan's motives in
defending Gen. Grant by compar-
ing him to the conspicuous gam,
bier of that time, John Morrissey
He wrote:
unexpected champions have arisen
to defenn the president from the terri
BILE arrangement OF Senator Sumner.
The first was Flanagan, of Texas.
The second cham
pion was Gen. John A. Logan. His
speech deserves no notice in itself.
It was one mass OF rank ad-
iectives. There was nothing what
ever in the speech except the
fact that Logan made it, and this is a
matter not without certain import
ance. 1t only means that heimagines
Gen. Grant is to be reelected,
and that in that case he
can take the state - patronage
into his own hands He, like most OF
Gen. Grants partisans, avows his
| contempt from reform in the civil SER