The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-04-13
DALLAS. TEXAS
THURSDAY MORNING APRIL is.
rur FUNDAMENTAL oUrLoOK,

Ing the coming Presidential contest
lie 'says that the sum OF his views are
that we should continue the contest a.
we began In 1872, when we agreed 10
forego all other Issues save that OF
reform In the administration Of the
government. The adversary then
struggled and still strives, with the
help of the Hon. Ben Hill, to Keep
alive the issues OF the war for the pur-
pose Of prolonging abuses which, how
ever great, go unchecked while sec
tional strife holds the public mind.
We did not carry the elections In 1877
because we were not fully successful In
making the issue OF reform. But we
made such a beginning that the victory
of our adversarles has proved II barren
one.e. We 80 far succeeded that show
ofinyestigation had to be made. The
Credit Mobilier fraud, which, though
well known before to all public men,
could not command public attention.,
now absorbs It, Spoilation was check
ed. Jay Cooke a. Co., who had largely
advanced the money to carry the cleo
lions, could not be REIN blrsed by con-
gressional indorseme0tof the North
ern Pacific bonds, and therefore failed
The 30 called Investigating Commit
tees, organized not to convict, were ex-
perts In finding out how not TO do 1t,
and the Departments helped them as
siduously but the independent press
did the work 30 etlectually that q large
Democratic majority was returned to
the present House of Representatives.
Unfortunately this tide Of success,
which assured the reformers Of the
Government this year has been ar
rested and turned back by the intru-
sion into the canvass, last fall, of an'
other issue, of which the Radicals
have eagerly and successfully availed
themselves. Aud their effort Is to
hold on to that issue, aud make the
Presidential election turn Oh the ques-
ton Of resumption, upon which they
have won, instead Of upon the ques-
ton OF reform, upon which they have
lost the day. II they succeed in this,
the result will Invariably be unfortu
nate for us. Our friends having been
beaten on this issue, last fall, IN the
States where anti-resumption was
strongest, our vote In New York, even
without which success for us would be
hopeless), having been largely affected
by the attitude Of ouI friends in those
States, no rational mind can fail to see
that such an issue would defeat us.
1t is plain, from this brief sta ement
Of the situations, that our success de-
ponds upon our ability to reinstate the
issue Of reform as the issue of the
canvass; and il is equally plain that
Is not to be done by resolution, but by
such action rs will not only proclaim,
but will OF itself verify 1t as the issue
to all men. The, nomination OF Tilden
will, OF Itself, force this issue, and
make the election turn upon it. The
friends of other candidates object to
the nomination of citizen of New
York, and claim the nomination for
the West. But Jackson was not Sc
lected because be was q citizen often
nessee, or Jefferson because he was a
citizen of Virginia, or Grant because
he was for short time In Illinois.
Selection on such ground has no polit-
ical significance, andignoresaltNgether
the only consideration upon which Il
candidate ought to be selected, viz, as
the representative ofthe idea sought to
be advanced. Mr.. Blair's preference
for Tilden is only because his nomina-
ton would Of itself force on the issue
Of reform, which is our sure card In the
pending canvass. He does not doubt
that the other gentlemen spoken of
would prove vigorous feformers, and
hasno personal" preference for Tilden
over any one of them; but neither one
or them is SO identified with "reform"
In the public mind ms Tllden. They
haYe, either not had the opportunity
or have not awaited themselves of
1t, to manifest the resolute pur-
pose he has shown to purge the
STATE OF fraud and iobbing They
have'not Joined hands with political
adversaries to overthrow and arraign
and convict as criminals the master
spirits Of their own party whilst they
seemed to be inpregnably intrenched
In the control of its organization, and
have not by such, conduct bee j lifted
into power by the support of large
bodies ofrspolitical opponents, even
against q Republican whose integrity
WAS questioned, but whohad not man
ifested the same zeal In the cause OF
reform. Nor have they, after reaching
power, So signalizedf the administra-
ton by upsparing war or jobbery. BY
this course Tilden has made himself,
more than any other man Of our day,
the representative man Of the idea to
which the Democratic party 80 en-
phatically pledged itself In 1872, and
his nomination would be accepted, not
only by the Liberal Republicans, who
then acted with Us, but BY thousands
wh6 then held back, as sure guaran-
y IL "A =. ~ II ~. |