The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1876-08-24

| measure, started no IDEA which any human
being can remember, save and except one
which we are asked to forget Like Tilden,
he will be the last of his line, and will leave
no idea, measure or policy as political con
trIbutlon to those coming after HIM On
the 0th of January, 1862, at the State
| Convention of the Democratic party, he
made the most celebrated speech of his line
| He arraigned the war party as the most in
tolerant ever known, as corrupt, as the
author of hard times and desolation, as
wholly responsible for the war, and said
that if the war should be SO prosecuted as
to abolish our market in the South by de-
stroying the peculiar system of labor in
that section he would advise the North
west to look out for itself He has always
exhibited an uncomfortable hatred of the
negro, and in this represented the lowest
and most vulgar elements Of his party In
the Senate he opposed the freedom of the
salves escaping into our lines during the
war. He bitterly opposed the repeal of
the Fugitive Slave law long after the issue
of the emancipation proclamation = = $
With grand opportunities for usefulness,
and connecting his name with the greatest
reforms Of the century, he was blind to the
time and place and remained bigoted ad-
herent to slavery. His political record, ex-
tending over period of nearly 80 years, is
a dull, monotOnous page Of weary common
place, diversified only with bolts, and re-
cording no act to which his friends can
point with pride or pleasure. His unbrok-
en- record of blunders, unredeemed by any
good measure, presents the question wheth-
er he is promising material for great re-
! former. * =
Mr.. Kelly and other leading Democrats
| before the nomination, earnestly described
! Mr. Tilden as a railroad wrecker, a charac-
ter well known in New York and London,
who deals in broken down railroads, and
puts them on their feet again in which pro
cess the original stock and bondholders lose
! their Investment and the assets pass chiefly
into the wrecker's hands They described
him as a lawyer who never appeared in
court, and boldly affirmed that be had thus
made fortune of from $4,000, 900 to Sl0,-
/ 600, 900. 1t has occurred not unfrequently
in the worlds history that the greatest
thieves and plunderers, after they had laid
/ in a sufficient store Of wealth. have turned
reformers, and put the world to shame by
their superior virtue. How many kings
and robber barons, after lives Of murder,
rapine, and the sack of cities, have made
attoncment by founding churches and mon
asteries, thus disgorging small part Of
their blood stained plumber, and then died
in the odor of sanctitv and took their places
among the saints. Tweed when he was
overtaken by misfortune, was not SO rich as
TIden, but it is an open secret that he had
in contemplation, after continuing business
for year or two longer, to turn reformer
and become the regenerator of the public
and private morals of New York * *
To me it seems highly improbable that
man who has for thirty years been the
associate and counsel of the stock gamblers
Of Wall street, who for many years lived
with Tweed in sworn fraternity in Tam
meny Hall, and was his co-operator III the
foul politics of New York, and who has
wrecked so many railroads, can be a con-
scientious and patriotic man. The letter
of Governor Tilden treats chiefly Of the
finances, and cannot be read by any impair
tial mind without the conviction that it was
4
exactly opposite to each other. He strug-
giles through half an hours tedious reading
to arraign the Republican party for
not having forced specie payments long ago,
and then argues that the law providing for
resumption is hindrance to resumption,
and should be repealed.
RESUMPTION.
But when he comes to tell how resump-
ton can be brought about, what the Demo
cratic party would do if it were in power,
he has nothing better to offer than the fol-
lowing miserable platitudes
"The proper time for resumption is the
time when wise preparations shall have
ripened into perfect ability to accomplish
the object with certainty and ease that
inspire confidence and encourage the reviv-
ing of business The earliest time in which
such result can be brought about is the
best Even when the preparations shall
have been matured, the exact date would
have to be chosen with reference to the
existing state of trade and credit operations
in our own country, the course of foreign
commerce, and the condition of the exchange
with other nations. The specific measures
and actual date are matters Of detail hav-
ing reference to ever-changing conditions
They belong to the domain of practical adj
ministrative statemanship."
Who can read this without knowing that
it is disgraceful juggle of words, string
ing together of sentences intended to make
an impression and yet conveying no idea
whatever. 1t suggests no measure, points
out no remedy, and labors by mere volu-
bility to cover up the utter incapability Of
the author The Republican party has
been, and still is, in favor of areturn tc
specie payments. 1t regards gold and sill
yer as the standards of value, and has look
ed forward steadily and honestly to the
time when the paper money Of the country
should be at par value. That there ha.
been, and is to-day, diversity Of opinion