New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-29
THE LOC3LJTY 1RGTfENT.

Senator Sherman has written letter to Ohio
urging his party in that State to send a pledged
delegation to the Republican Convention in
June to work for the nomination OF Gov.
Hayes for the Presidency. He supports this
suggestion with wcll-fOunded praises of Mr..
Hayes, and ends ms letter with the old-fash-
toned appeal to State pride, which is as hard
for politician to avoid as for music-b0x to
leave ont bar Of its tune. The argument az
usual, is two-fold. Ohio must be carried, and
Hayes can carry it better than any one else.
HAYES is an Ohio man, and therefore Ohio
people ought to prefer him to any other Re
publican. The selfish narrowness of this need
not be dwelt upon. If Mr.. Shcrman's suggcs-
ton were carried TO its ultimate result we
should have some 81 candidates for the PrcSi-
dcncy and no possible election. But there Is
no danger of any such event. The people at
large are not influenced by such pcttiness AZ
the politicians attribute to them. The resi-
dence of candidate has scarcely anything to
do with his popularity. The locality" super
sttion is only powerful before conventions,
and has no weight in elections.
1t is not to be denied that certain men are
stronger than others in certain States, but it Is
not tie mere fact of their residence which
gives them this hold. Gov. Tilden, for in
stance would seem more likely to carry New
York than any other Democrat; bat not merely
because me lives here. 1t is because he repre-
SCENTS more clearly than any one else the de-
sire of the better class of Democrats for re-
form and financial honesty. III there were IN
the party another statesman who stood before
the country as Mr.. Iiden's superior in this
respect, we believe he would carry more votes
in New-York than Mr.. Tilden, whether his
home was in Maine or Oregon. IL is possible
that the movement which Mr.. Sherman has set
on foot may result in sending a delegation to
Columbus pledged to Gov Hayes. But it Is
idle to say that the voters of Ohio would, il
consulted, prefer Gov Hayes to Mr.. Blaine,
for example, because the one lives in Ohio and
the other somewhere else. They have known
Mr.. Blaine much longer than their Governor.
They have read more of his speeches; they
have regarded him for years as one of their
leaders There is, in Ohio, as in other States,
a considerable Blaine party, ready made. which
can do no trihing amount of work for its IA
vorite, from the moment the nomination is an
nOunced. If the matter of State citizenship
counted for anything, it would count as much
in favor of an alien as against him. For all
States are full of the natives of other States.
The geographical argument is still more vain
and empty, except i'll caucuses We are always
hearing the professional politicians declaring
the West will not stand one thing, or the East
will insist on another thing. In an earnest
canvass these considerations do not influence
vote in ten thousand. 1t is a maxim of this
petty school of politics that tho candidates
must be taken in turn from different sections.
But Illinois has given the Republicans every
candidate they have elected in twenty years.
and this year presents two more with excel
lent chances. Another rule is that the Presi-
dent and Vice-President must be taken from
different sections; but Grant and Colfax were
from adjoining States, and the ticket probably
did not lose vote from that cause. We have
recently received letters from leading Repub
licans in Ohio and In Illinois, referring with
great severity to the efforts made by Dir.