The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-08-16

about the South and slavery, who for
wears had been a leader among the
Republicans of the nation; respected
everywhere for his ability and loved
personally by those who knew him
best, yet had consuming desire for
pubic Office, even those of minor
importance, and had quarreled with
| some of his associates among New
| York state political leaders because
they had not gratiied his ambition
in that direction, which they honestly
believed would be-little him in the
eyes of the public. 1t is one OF the
queer facts of our political history
that Greeley could not see the grim
humor of his becoming the candidate
of the national Democratic party. 1t
is another fact of history that the
North was embarrassed by the arrest
of Jefferson Davis; probably President
Lincoln and General Grant had hoped
he would escape from the country;
after his confinement for some time
it was proposed to release him on a
bail bond, and at that time Horace
Greeley had offered to be one Of the
bondsmen, which was a generous act,
and much modified the South; prob
ably that fact had much to do in
bringing about his endorsement for the
presidency by the national Demo-
cratic party convention. Benjamin
Gratz Brown of Missouri was vice
presidential candidate, man of some
ability, but not known much in the
country at large; he usually wrote
his name B. Gratz Brown, and the
cartoonist Mast seized on the facts
and in all his pictures of Greeley in
his big white coat and broad brimmed
hat, pinned to his long coat tail card
with just "B. Crate Brown" on it.
The humor of it, viewed from the ma
tional standpoint was sufficient. And
now enters Tammany Hall contribut-
ing to the history of the campaign;
some of the radical or Liberal Re-
publicans felt the inconsistency Of
asking the Democrats to ratify Cree
ley's nomination, and declared it was
a league with corrupt Tammany; but
just then, without any relation to ma
tional politics the Tweed Ring was
exposed, and Tammany discredited,
which makes one now think of the
police exposures in New York City,
which is practically Tammany over
again.
Only those who can recall in men,
DRY the campaign of 1872 have any
adequate conception of its bitterness.
l think the common people believed
pretty generally that Grant had too
much surrounded himself with unsafe
men, too many self-seekers; but in OPP
posing them and wishing improvement
in the national administration, they
could not see any benefit to be secured
by overthrowing the Republican party.
Charles Sumner had personal griev-
ance against Grant and his immediate
supporters, but would not assist in
defeating the party to crafty his per-.
spnal felings, and went off to Europe
while the campaign was in progress.
Martin Van Buren, had said of the
"1og-cabin canvass of 1910" that it
would be either farce or tornado"
and this campaign of 1872 was both a
farce and tornado; for the result
showed the most decisive popular vote
of any presidential contest since the
unopposed election of Monroe in 1920;
Greeley carried no northern state and
only six southern states. For myself
| am progressive Republican, and
have freely criticised President Taft;
and Hadley of Missouri would have
we'll suited me for presidential candi-
date, and imagine, guess" if you
please, that among those SO per cent
of the registered voters who did not
go to the polls at the primaries in
such states even as Kansas and Penn
sylvania, there are many like myself
who believe in, the Republican party
which did not support slavery, which
did not try to overthrow the govern