"I never said all Democrats were saloonkeepers; what I said was all saloonkeepers are Democrats"

In this quote, Horace Greeley is making a distinction between 2 groups of people: Democrats and saloonkeepers. He clarifies that he never claimed that all Democrats are saloonkeepers, but rather that all saloonkeepers are Democrats. This statement suggests that there is a strong connection between being a saloonkeeper and being a Democrat. It could likewise indicate that being a saloonkeeper is viewed as a defining quality of being a Democrat. This quote may also be translated as a commentary on the political and social environment of the time, where saloons were typically related to the Democratic celebration. Overall, Greeley's words highlight the interconnectedness of politics and occupations in society.