The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-02
Figs From ThisIles 9

Figs From ThistIes?
The irfeparable weakness OF the Hayes
campaign Is the plea it puts forth for success
!, To the country in the thrOes of robbery and
ruin it offers the record of the rebellion
crushed out twelve years ago. Ii the nation
were made up of chameleons and could live
on all, this would be possibly good enough
Morgan until after election, but the mischief
Is there is demand Of something more sub
stantial than records just ROW to satisfy
the voter. Character is going to answer for
a great deal, and, if it were question be.
tween the two leading men, there would be a
difficult problem for the voter TO decide. In
happily for Hayes personally, he is upheld
by the very forces which the country just
now most deeply dlstrusts. If it were at all
likely that the election of Hayes r2eant the
ascendGncy of such men as Bristow, Curtis,
Stanley Mathews and groups like these, who
llnger lovingly in the party, reluctant to re-
llnquish it wholly to its rascals and Its de-
served defeat, the country would not hesitate
an instant. If, indeed there were POSSIBLE
lity, no matter how remote, that Governor
Hayes could constitute the ruling force of
his administration of the pure men of the
party the Tilden canvass would be an idle
work.
Suppose Hayes e.ecied, the first thing he
would be called on to do would be the organ.
ization of cabinet. Let the voter give mo-
ment's study TO this point. The cabinet, of
course, gives tone color, character, impulse,
vitality to the administration. Hayes at the
very outset places himself between two fires
He must select new men for the great Offices
of state, or 1t is at once confessed that reform
has been but pretense. If elected, Gov.
Hayes finds In Office such men as Chandler
in the interior department, Robson in the
navy, Tyner in the postoflice. and Don Cam
eron in the war department. Taft as attor.
ney general, and Fish, as secretary of state
are admirable men, whom the country would
very willingly continue in their present
places so long as they choose TO remain. Com
plant against Robson as dishonest, scan
dalous official has not been confined to dem
ocratic or opposition presses. The entire re-
publican press, with but few entirely neon
sequent exceptions, has exposed his shame.
less jobbery, even before congress laid bare
its shocking details. Tyner is man Of the
lowest grade Of political intelligence tenth
rate Indiana congressman, who was dropped
by his district for peculaton in office, and
appointed by Grant the successor Of Cover
nor Jewell. He was appointed to the great
place of cabinet minister, first because Nor
ton desired it, and second because he had
carried 25 votes Of the Indiana delegation to
Hayes when they had been pledged to Bris.
tow. Secretary Chandler is a man of undlg-
nified reputation. He is not dishonest in the
sense of pocketing brihes, but he has made
office source OF wealth getting for a great
many years He has no conception of politi.
cal morality. He Goes everything to debase
the tone and essence of public affairs, and
has no conception of the obligation devolving
upon public men. He is the official head of
the republican party. He's the chief captain
of Its squadrons. He has the Arrangement
and ordering of the Hayes canvass. He gives
the cue and color to the campaign.
Could Gov Hayes, if elected, turn upon
these men, and give them over to the public
vengeance? To dismiss them would be to
acknowledge that the popular complaints
we're well grounded. Even If dlsposed, could
Gov. Hayes do this ungracious thing? A
man who knows shall answer; Oliver p.
Morton, through whom Hayes nomination
was made possible after ali hope of his own
had fed, has made the future clear. He
said in his recent remarkable address at In.
| dianapOlls:
"The administration of any president will
be in the main what the party which elected
him makes 1t. If he breaks away from the
party, the chances are that he will be broken
down. In a government of parties like ours
the president must have his party. The men
to whom he owes his election, who have de-
Tended him from assaults, to whom he must
look for support IN the future, will Ordinari-
ly control his action, and he will do nothing
offensive to them
Bear in mind that Senator Morton is one of
the most potent factors in the republican or
ganizatioI He holds that the present status
of the country Is greatly better than II has
ever been before; that we have "the best civil
service on the planet" that our taxes are
less, our burdens lighter, anG our laws better
administered than any other country More
than twothirds of the republican OF the SEN
ate agree with Mr. Morton; they hold that
the present condition of things need no
change. If, then, Governor Hayes should at
tempt the reform the country regards as alb
sOutely essential, and should send in the
name of Bristow for secretary of the treasury,
does any oHe suppose that the republican
senate would confirm 1t? Does any one sup
pose that with the civil tenure act unrepealed
the senate would permit Hayes to remove the
men whom they have confirmed in Office for
political value receIvedg Does any one ina.
| CINE John \. Logan likely to relinquIsh a
single appointment among those he has put
| in office for service rendered him in the past
These are the fatalities of Hayes campaign.
Abuse of Tilden and denunciation of the de-
mOCraCy 90 not OOllterate tnese lnSupeTaDle
objections to the election OF Hayes. The
same thing can not be said of TIlden. As
governor of New York he smote his party
until 1t broke in twain; the decent element,
reinforced by the independent republicans,
holding up his hands in reform, while The
less reputable elements, the men who play
the part OF Mortons. Logans, Chambers, But
lcrs, Babcocks, McRees, and Tom Murphys,
were forced into open opposition. II was
against their combin, d opposition that Til
den won IN the convention; IL is against their
secret hostility that he will win in Novem-
Der, and il Will be with the decent and repu-
table men of both parties that he will sur.
round himself and from them that the inspi.
ration of his administration will come. He
will have no compact horde of party asso-
ciates in office TO oppose him. He can select
the best men for every place, and 1t will be
the business OF the senate TO scrutinize the