Year: 1872




FIsion-R eforn-C n-Consistency-AnI Iude2en
dent Reform Convention


EDITOR REPUBLICAN,:


ask the privilege Of your columns tt
give expression to so1ne views upon tlt
present political situation in this State
which I am prompted to give publicity tc
for the reason that they are not alone held
! By myself, but receive a hearty response
from respectable number Of influential
men in every political party lately or now
in existence, Ii order that my purpose
may not be miscoHceivcd, I will take this
occasion to state that I am not now. nor
have ever belonged TO that political genus
called sOrehead.7 I was, on the contrary,
one Of the first Of my party Republican,
| to embark in the Cincinnati movement, and
am now an earnest and Jealous laborer in
| its behalf. l have besought members Of
! my party, at the sacrifice of personal and
political friends, to cut loose from the
abuses and the extremes Of Radicalism in
| this State and to join hands with the honest
| and conservative elements, in accordance
with the letter and spirit of the Cincinnati
| platform.


| beheld with astonishment and pleasure
| the fair and honorable spirit which actuated
| the majority Of Liberal conventions in the
country parishes ard which swayed the
opening proceedings Of the Liberal STATE
Convention. It could not have been i'm
proved upon But when that convention
4 H. =
| unselfsh patriotism, ia order to effect a re-
Cancellation, Of all favorable but conflicting
elements, grew anxious for the result as
saw it gradually moulded and swayed IN
consciously, as it were, into the snares of
the importunate and impracticabIe svmpa-
thizers Of the Bourbon Democracy, marked
with a cool and unsympathetic tendency
toward Liberal Republicans. ltcan not be
denied that the labors of the conference
committees were arduous, and their Difficult
ties many; yet I believe that if a portion of
its labors confined too exclusively to the
B0urbons had been with equal vigor direct
ed to the Cancellation Of Liberal Republ-
cans, a more practical result would have
terminated their mission.


The nomination Of a Republican to head
the ticket was generally expected by ma
jority of constituencies represented, be-
cause it would have insured division Of
the Republican vote beyond doubt. When
it is considered that the Republican party
is now in power, and commands large
majority in this State, the wisdom or policy
of reducing that majority is at once appa-
rent. Many were confident that Governor
Warmoth would be nominated on the first
ballot by virtue of the prevalence of this
practical view Of our political situation;
others, governed by motives Of conoiIiation
and delicacy, thought him Objectionable,
yet cIung to the hope that another Repub-
lican could be found. And here the con
vention made its first and almost ftal mis-
take. 1t nominated Mr.. Penn, an honest
Democrat but unable to c0nciiate opposi
ton In any quarter. This disappointment
was materially dispelled, however, by the
adoption of a clear and ringing platform.


The first place being allotted to a Liberal
Democrat, policy and prudence alike die
tated that the second place should have
fallen to Republican-perhaps to some





influential man of color. Here came mis-
step No 2 with another Liberal Democrat.
Te nominations of 1Iessrs. Dumas, James
Graham Sheridan and CAN'T were of a
character to crafty Liberals of every shade;
and, duly approaching the difficulties at
tending the convention, determined to
equal it in moderation and sacrifice for
the time of personal considerations, yet not
without misgiEings as 10 its strength Lib
eral Republicans resolved to work for the
success Of the ticket.


The thirty day resolution Of the oonTen-
ton was adopted in Difference to the i'm
preston generally prevailing that the ticket
needed additional strength and the work. of
Cancellation must go on.


The Liberal ticket at the adjournment Of
the convention stood:


Liberal Liberal