Year: 1875

great parties preparing for the struggle. We
see grave questions affecting the honor and
the prosperity of the Republic If at any
time the people should be animated by a
patriotic desire for the honor of the Union
it would be in the Centennial time, when
every day almost brings with it some memory
of the trials and glories of the Revolution,
and when we are about to celebrate the
hundredth year of our national indepen-
dence. If there ever was a time when we
should have return of that "era of good
feeling" whose existence forms so bright a
spot in the early political history of our CEN
tury it should be in 1876 and 1876


We look first to the republican party, as
its views are expressed in many State Con-
ventions. This is famous party. It's ira
ditions are interwoven in our history. The
time will never come when Americans will
forget the republican Lincoln, who pro-
claimed emancipation the republican Grant,
who conquered Lee 1t has been a party of
great men contending for lofty principles.
1t was courageous enough to fight slavery in
the full fash of its power, independent
enough to compel reluctant Lincoln to pro-
claim emancipation and arrogant enough to
force Johnson to the verge of impeachment.
Yet this party, founded by Sumner and Chase
and Greeley which carried the country tri-
umphantly through the struggle to which we
owe the strength of the Union and the free
dom of our institutions under the Union,
now lies covering at the feet of military
chieftain. We see this in the declarations of
the Convention at Saratoga. Here we have
the most Independent Convention, in certain
sense, that has assembled in New York since
General Grant has been President. 1t
gave Mr. Curtis latitude of rhetoric which
would have been Kissed three years ago. 1t
even spoke on the third term. But in all
the essentials of political manhood its plat
form is of no more value than the signing of
! the winds There is nothing upon which
the members can really rally. 1t presents
no one sentiment to animate the coun-
| try. 1t is commonplace and feeble. 1t
says there shall be no military in the Southern
States except for the purposes clearly de-
fined in the constitution )" that there shall
be honesty in office; that bad men should
not be chosen to the Legislature that canal
thieves should be punished ; that it will re-
duce the taxes in New York to five million
| dollars that further initiation" would be
a calamity that taxation should be made
equal that the free school is ''the bulwark
! of the American Republic" All this means
nothing. 1t has been said a thousand times by
every thieving, gabbling politician. When
the Convention came to the vital point, the
third term, it spoke with bated breath. In
stead of declaring that the Office of the Presi-
| dent as it now stands, and as it has been
strengthened by the constitutional violations
since the war, is incompatible with repub-
| lican institutions and that, therefore, it
should be limited first by amending the
constitution to make the President ineligible
to reelection, second by limiting his patron
age we have a cold, meaningless compliment
to the President and half-whispered hope
that he will not run for the third term. Not
one word on civil service, nothing on the
financial question except platitude, nothing
on the Indian frauds no allusion to the back
pay or the salary business of the last Con-
gress, quiet ignoring of every misdeed of
the administration.


From this great party, lying, as we. say, pas
sive and covering at the feet Of the Presi-
| dent, so submissive that even the eloquence
of George William Curtis could not evoke
! the expression of one manly sentiment, this
! Convention of tide-waiters and Custom
! House officers, drilled by Alonzo b. Cornell,
we pass to the convention of political tramps
and vagabonds which has just adjourned at
! Erie, Pa Here was a great party seeking
power in a great State Never did it have
such an opportunity. Pennsylvania has
long resented its present republican admin
istration. Even republicans feel that the
leaders Of that party have been false to their
trust. The people showed in the canvass
for the constitution that they were indepen-
dent of any political domination. They
adopted that constitution in spite of the
earnest protests of republican leaders. The
! spirit which rose in mutiny against Senator
/ Cameron and adopted the constitution
might well have been invoked by
the Convention that met at Erie.
On the contrary we have record far more
deplorable than that of the republicans at
Saratoga The platform is an insult to every
American who believes in the sacredness of
the national honor. 1t is platform which
means reputation, because the policy it
supports is q policy which looks toward re-
pudiation. 1t will so result unless the good
sense of the people should defeat it. Instead
of uniting with the democracy of New York
and the East, who have shown themselves in
every trial resolute in support of the national
honor, who stood by the Union when it was
threatened by treason, Pennsylvania demo-
Gratis under the leadership of the worst men
in the party, 60 wandering after the wild,
hare Drained fanatics of Ohio and the West


When we look over the names of the men
who controlled this Convention we arepain-