The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-08-07
Mr. Tilden's Letter.

less VeEpltSS. UOcs Hc VI At@AoA1
"Reior,n as many slmpletons thought
he would do, and leave the great disputed
questions to take care Of themselves Docs
he try TO deceive anybody in regard
to any matter now properly before the
people for decision in the presidential
election? Not he. He writes as IL he
were a born leader. he lays down the
law for his party. He has opinions, and
he knows why, and tells why, he entertains
them. lie speaks in language that cannot
be misunderstood. He.is for "Reiorm y;
but it is not simply the turning the Radical
thieves out OF Office that he calls Reform"
He wants "Reiorm" in the methods OF
legislation touching all the vast material in
terests OF this country. No candidate for
President ever before favored the people
with so SQUAD dissertation upon politico-
economical questions.
After explaining his long silence, Mr..
TILDEN first takes upthe question OF taxa
ton. The sum and substance OF his teach
ing on this question may be told in few OF
his own words-words which will touch the
popular pulse-as follows:
"What YOU want to do now is to cut down
your expenses and live within your income.
would give all the legerdemain OF finance
and financiering, would give the whole OF
it, for the old homely maxim, Live within
your income.'"
he recommends as measure OF economy
an amendment to the Constitution which
will require separation into distinct bills
of the appropriations for the various de-
partiaents OF the public service. Hitherto
system Of log-rolling has prevailed, which
the Government. A meritorious object has
to bear upon its shoulders the burden Of
one or more having no claims, or else the
Congressman urging the latter will not vote
for the former. In connection with this
amendment there ought to be one giving to
the President the discriminating yeto-that
is. the power to approve such features OF
bill as he approves, and 10 veto such iea-
lures as he disapproves. At present he
must approve all or none.
Mr. TILDEN finds in the misgoVcrnment
OF the South by the Radicals OF Congress
one OF the causes OF the present hard times.
The South has always furnished the means
of paving our debts in Europe. Her cotton
and tobacco do it. The whole country must
therefore suffer when she suffers.
Mr.. TILDEN does not refer to the Ham,
burg affair, as we have said more than once
he could not well do, but he declares his in
tention, il elected, "tO protect all citizens,
whatever their former condition, in every
political and personal right" He will be
applaudcd by all good men for this dcclara-
ton.
Then comes the burden OF Dir. TILDEN's
letter. In two solid columns he discusses
with distinguished ability all the questions
connected with the currcncy-such rs the
time and the methods Of rcSumin% specie
Dayments; the course the banks ought to
pursue !: how governmental resumption will
affect the banks; how the volume OF the
currency is ut some times larger than at
others, and why it must be so; and how
government must do nothing to cause fluc-
tliations OF values. In fact, this is aS nearly
an exhaustive discussion OF the resumption
question rs could be compressed within the
limits OF q letter OF acceptance. He clearly
condemns the resumption act as nUllity-
q mere sham-a promise that will never be
kept by the Republicans; and OF course he
has no objection to the repeal OF that act.
He says:
"Unccrtainty is the prolific parent OF
mschiciS in all business. Never were its
evils more felt than now. Men do nothing
because they are unable to make any calcu-
lations on which they can safely rely. They
undertake nothing because they fear 4 loss
in everything they would attempt. They
stop and wait. The merchant dares not buy
for the future consumption OF his customers.
The manufacturer dares not produce fabrics
which may not refund him his outlay. He
shuts his factory and discharges his work
men. Capitalists cannot lend on security
they consider unsafe, and their funds lie
almost without interest. Men OF enterprise
who have credit or securities to pledge will
not borrow"
These are exactly the results which many
others, including ourselves, have repeatedly
stated flow from the operations OF the re-
sumption act 1t is not that the act neccs-
sarily produced these effects. 1t would not
and could not have done it if the public
had been kept in ignorance OF its passage.
Bit being passed it destroyed public conf
dencc in the stability OF values, and thereby
paralyzed every branch OF business. .
Mr. T1LDEN utters no uncertain sounds
on the question OF rcSuming specie pay
ments. II the northern and eastern men
are not satisfied with what he says, they
must be difficult to please; and If anybody
shall hereafter charge him. with trying to
please both the hard-money men and the
rag-money men, that man ought to be called
ASASIAS.
Mr.. TILDEN's remarks on civil-servicc re-
form are characterized by his usual clear
ideas rs to what is needed when there is a
wrong to be righted. We have no great faith
in such reform under our present system OF
government; and so VIC have not split our
throats in calling for il. But Mr.. TILDES
has proposed an ellectual remedy for the
evils which we al wish to cure; and that is,
q constitutional amendment rendering the
President ineligible to second term. This
Recommendation completely takes the wind
out OF the sails OF Mr.. HAYES on the Ques-
ton Of civil-seryice reform.
After reading this letter, we are almost
ready 10 say that it was Mr.. TILDEN who
composed the St. Louis platform-that
grandest OF platforms. Some OF the Re-
publican papers have laid its paternity upon