Tuhia he tomokanga mō tēnei wāhanga - I muri i tana wehenga i te Rōpū, ka tīmata anō a Cowan ki te mahi ture i Greensburg. I haere tonu ia ki te tautoko i te Pāti Manapori, me te tautoko i a Horace Greeley, te kaitono Manapori me te Manapori Republican mo te perehitini i te tau 1872. I tautoko ia i te kaitono perehitini o te Democrat a Samuel J. Tilden i te pooti o te tau 1876, a he kaitautoko ia mo Winfield Scott Hancock mo te perehitini i te tau 1880, tae atu ki te haere ki te Democratic National Convention o taua tau
hei kaitono.