The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-07-06
From the N. Y. Tribune. ]
Mice and Lions.

Mice and Lions.
1t pleases the Democratic press to
speak of Gov. Hayes as a nobody, pig
my, a nonentity. The crooked Esop OF
Democracy lilxens other candidates, now
that they are defeated, to the lion, the
tiger, and the elephant, and Hayes to the
mouse. 1t must be very satisfactory to
them to reflect that this Republican
mouse has met in deadly combat the
Democratic lion, elephant, and jackal,
and has defeated them all Ohio has
been the national battle ground ever
since the present parties were formed.
Stephen A. Douglas left behind him no
Democratic leader at the West Of wider
or stronger popularity than George II.
Pendleton, whose hosts of friends inVad-
ed New York at the National Conven.
tion OF 1868, and who would then have
been nominated as the Democratic cam
didate for the Presidency but for the
two-thirds rule. Yet Mr.. Pendleton
tried to defeat r. B. Hayes for Governor
OF Ohio, and got badly beaten after
contest Of then unprecedented fierce
ness. Allen G. thurman has for years
been the acknowledged leader OF the
Democratic party in the Senate Of the
United States. intellectually no other
Democrat who has been in that body
since the war is a match for him; his
personal character is pure beyond re-
proach and his candor and dignity have
always secured for him very high respect
even from political opponents. Yet in
Ohio, where he is known, loved, and
honored, Mr.. Thurman tried to defeat
r. B. Hayes and got beaten. William
Allen is a man of very different stamp.
He appeals with wonderful power to the
basest and most ignorant elements of
both parties, and, having been easily
elected in 1873, was selected to lead the
great struggle of 1875. Even by political
foes his campaign was pronounced
marvel of energy, endurance, and un
scrupulous cunning. Yet he was beaten
by this same r. B. Hayes. If Republic
an mice have such terrible power as COM
pared with the strongest Democrats in
Ohio, is it not about time for the Dem
ocratic party to wind up business?
This miserably shallow affectation does
not deceive intelligent Democrats
They went home gloomy on Friday night
from every telegraph station from Name
to California, because they knew that
there was something in this man Hayes
which had enabled him to defeat not
only their loudest rabble-rousers and
meanest demagogues. but also their
ablest statesmen and polished orators.
After q week or more the Democratic
journals will begin to confess that Mr..
Hayes is neither pigmy nor a nobody,
but a man whom it is very hard to beat.
Why, we will tell them. There are abler
orators in the country, but not many
among men who possess other necessary
qualifications for high station. In
speech and intellectually, Rutherford B.
Hayes is decidedly stronger man than
Mr.. Hendricks; as the Governors of ad-
joining States, Ohio being the larger and
more important, Mr.. Hayes has shown a
higher executive ability, and has COM
manded more hearty approval, even
from political opponents, than the Gov
ernor of Indiana. He has displayed,
above all things, the rare ability OF rising
above all demsgogism and partisanship
in the discharge of great public trust,
and only very bold Democrat would
say that of Mr.. Hendricks. Gov. Hayes
is not intellectually the strongest Repub-
lican nor is he intellectually stronger
than some Democrats, but even in that
respect he ranks fairly among the fore
most men of the country, if the precise
form of ability now required executive
talent, is taken into consideration.
He is q man of very pure and genuine
character. Tried in the army and in
high public station, he has never shown
weakness. Many fierce contests have
failed to detect single flaw in his char
acter or reputation. Modest, manly, sin |
cere, thoroughly honest, he has shown a |
very unusual fidelity to principle, espe-
cially in confronting the hungry and |
howling mob of communists and repu- |
diators at the West. Allen G. Thurman |
had not the nerve or manhood to answer, |
as Hayes has done, mo repeal of the |
pledge of resumption without surer and |
more speedy means to that end" With |
al Mr.. Hayes has this rare and excellent |
quality-nobody runs" him. He has |
been tried repeatedly, and friends and |
foes have learned that in all matters of |
importance he thinks for himself, acts |
for himself, and owns himself That |
cannot be said of many prominent men |
in either party. The man who has these /
qualities is no pigmy.
1t will be just as well for the Demo |
Gratis to abandon this line of attack, and |
seek some other. Gov. Hayes may be |
assailed as the chosen representative of |
q party which has done much evil; he |
cannot be successfully assailed as an in |
significant or inferior person. He can
be assailed because of the opinions which /
he holds and manfully avows and dc
tends; he cannot safely be called small
man by the cowardly trimmers who
sneak behind pitiful evasions and tricks
of phrase. lie can be compelled to bear
some share of the odium which Repub-
lcan rascals have brought upon their
party, but it will not be easy to make
people believe that one who has been
twice in Congress, and thrice Governor
of one of the greatest and richest States,
in these times of prevailing corruption
and demoralization, and who has never
been reached by the breath of suspicion,
or made a single appointment which
brought dscredit upon his executive
ability or integrity, is very smal and
incompetent person.