New-York tribune., 1876-08-05
me LETTERS At LAST

PUbIic exncctation, which has been piouHh
by the long delay in the appearance OF the let
tcrs of acceptance of the Democratic Prcsden-
tial candidates, is this morning answered. The
letters have appeared at last, and curiosity aa
to their contents is at an end. To say tnore
is nothing in either of them taken separately,
or in both of them together to account for the
length of time it has taken to prepare them,
is but to anticipate the judgment
of the reader Neither of the candidates has
contributed anything specially new to the
political situation, or thrown any new light
upon issues already defined. Now that
public curiosity has been answered IN the pub
lication of these formal acccptances, another
question at once scs-Wby was there such
long delay IT certainly was not necessary. The
contents Of the letters are sufficient evidence
of that. Was it grand strategy or petty
tactics7 People who have been waiting-not
without impatience and wondering, not with
out grave misglvings as to the purpose with
which they have been withheld-will be seek
ing some explanation for the whole business
which docs not appear upon the surface. Ony
Yesterday it was announced with something Ike
authority thai the letters would not appear until
Monday next or perhaps later. Once or twice
the politicians who were in Gov. Iildcn's con-
fdence, and supposed to know about 1t, had
fixed the time for the publication, but each
time, for some unknown reason, it had been
postponed. The last postponemcnt was
till Monday next, and upon that the
public was resting, when yesterday morn
ing came the unexpected news that the
Committee on Banking and Currency
II ,,,4 I'LL limo,
the resumption clause of the act OF 1873, and
presto, out come the Tildcn and Hendncks
letters. They came as a surprise at last. And
people will inquire not only why they were
held back so long, but why, when they did
come, they popped out with such unaccount-
able abruptncss.
II looks very much as though there had been
n conflict of cross purposes between Gov. Til
den and Gov. Hendricks III the iilst place, and
between the hard and sOft-mOney supporters
of each in Congress in the second. il has been
suspected that Gov. Tiiden was Withholding his
letter until the adjournment of Congress, or
at least until the danger OF the repeal Of the
resumption clause was removed. 1t Is
known that Gov. Hendricks has been
exceedingly anxious that the House
should pass the Repeal bill, and has
written letters urging it. The only way to
avoid this contingency was through the dead
lock in the Committee OH Banking and Cur
rcncy by which action could be STAYED of
Ii was believed that the unjust ana dishonoT-
able action of the House i'll giving blr
Goode of Virginia seat TO which he
was not entitled, was part OF IN ar
rangcmcnt of the haId-moncy Democrats
10 secure this end. II that was its purpose il
failed. The committee voted yesterday to re-
port the Repeal BILL Mr.. Hendricks scored one
Gov. Tilden had 10 occasion to wait longer,
but every induccment to put before the country at
once his own views of the subject OF finance and
the currency Hence the suddenDess with which
the much-talked-of and lOng-cxpected letters
are Brought out. This may not be the correct
explanation of the circumstances OF the present
publication, but it seems quite reasonable
Indeed, we sec no other way in which TO account
for the somewhat tumultuous manner in
which q Democratic Congress that has been
diIly -dalb'ing over the currency question for
eight months without reaching any con-
cusion, and the Democratic candidates,
who have been consulting over their letters of
acceptance for six weeks without publishing
them. have all at once unloaded currency bill