The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-08-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER

w - W <A' s<1A
i WASHINGTON, u. c., August 10, 1876.
i POLITICS MAKE STRANGE BED-FEL-
Lows-TiLDEN BEIEG ISvEsTIGAT-
ED-A BID FOR REPUBLICAN, VOTES
a BANNER STOLEN 4
MILLION :"
After each perusal Of the letters Of
acceptance Of Tilden aod Hendricks.
additional evidences Of the dissimula-
ton Of the writers become apparent
Every intelligent citizen Of this coun-
try knows that, prior to the st. Lou
/ is Convention, the views Of these two
men on the financial question were
Numerically opposed to each other
Now, after baying studied aud besi-
tated for weeks; after having hsd
personal interviews, each cOatendiug
for the yielding of the other, listen 10
the bypocritieal announcements Of
their respective opinions as to the
merits Of the Democratic platform,
the financial plank included.
First comes Samuel j. Tilden, who
solemnly AYERS as follows:
"The convention, before making its
nomination adopted declaration Of
principles, which, as a whole seems to
me wise exposition Of the necessi-
ties of our country"
This is an advocacy n the repeal
Of the Resumption Act, which, al
though it has passed the House. will
not become law, and Mr. Tilden
knew that when be wrote bis letter
but his ieigned assent was necessary
to put himself in accord with the St
Louis platform.
Now appears Thomas A Hen
drieks, and what does he say. Hear
/ him
ut would have been impossible for
me to accept the nomination if i
could not heartily endorse the plat
+ form of the convention ] am graft
/ fed, therefore, to be able unequivO-
cally to declare that | agree in the
/ principles, approve the policy, and
sympsthise with the purposes emu
merated in that platform.
See how adroitly the willy Tilden
has euchred his associate on the tick
ct: The former risked nothing in
suceumbing to the demand for repeal,
wfile the latter yielded his initiation
views to the requirement Of the plat
I form for q speedy return to specie
payments. So much for moderu
Democratic honesty.
The friends Of Tilden have deter
mined, if possible, to ignore every
other issue in the present campaign
save tha. of reform and retrenchment
10 the administration O. the Govern
ment. They claim .or the Democrat
ic candidate for the Presidency, that
be personafes economy in private
and public expenditure and, as re-
CARDS the latter, they claim that be
has reduced the State expenses of
New York to the amount Of six mil
lions Of dollars a year.
This bold aud reckless assertion
has caused a close investigation into
the facts attending this reduction in
the Sia.e expenditures, snd il is as
clear as the sun at noon-day that Til
den has claimed a credit for retrench-
ment which really belongs to the Re-
publican party Of the Empire State.
| In the four wears from 1868 TO 1872
! (when the State Government was
administered by the DemocratsI the
State Bounty debt was reduced fre
and One-hGlf millions Of dollars. In
the subsequent four years (from 1872
| to 1876, during which the financial
administration Of the State was in
the hands Of the Republicans the
State Bounty debt was reduced
nineteen and oac-ialfmiiiioRs Of dol
lars
Iu addition 10 this direct reduction
of debts the revenue Of 1875 was in
creased by an increase of the value
Of assessable property over that Of
1874, when the sssessme ut was made
Thus it will be readily seen that all
tie credit due for retreEching State
expenditures belongs to the Republi-
can party, and that Mr.. Tilden has
had nothing whatever to do with it.
This Democratic bubble has been
punctured Before the close of the
canvass all the other SAams which
are put forth to bolster Up the Demo
cratic nominee will be exposed and
exploded.
NJ Hendricks. 10 his letter Of ae-
eeptanee, uses the following Ian
guage
''In the reform Of our civil service
| most heartily endorse that section
Of the platform which declares that
the civil service ought not to be Sub
jeet to change at every election" and
that it ought not to be made the brief
reward Of party zeal, but ought to be /.
awarded for proved competency, and
held for fidelity in the public employ +" I
In view Of the old doctrine Of the
Democratic party that "to the victors
belong the spoils." this is sweet Ian
gusge from the would-be Vice Pres 4
ident 1t is intended to catch the
votes Of week-kneed Republicans
now in Office IL is an impodent dec