Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-09-15
profcssor Summers POSifiOn-Why
He SmDDUrlS sildem.

Professor Summers POSifiOn-"hy ,
He supports silden.
regard The good sense. sound patriotism !
and correct intention OF the masses OF the peo-
pie in either party substantially equal. re
gard the evil clements in the parties as sub |
s,antially equal, and | turn lor my grounds OF
Judgment TO the considerations which think
genuine. | find these 10 men. cannot trust
a party. [ GAO trust a man. L caunot hold
party responsible. | can hold mau RESPONSE
Bile. [ cannot get an expression OF oplnloo
which is single and simple from party. l
caa only get that from a man. party cannot
have character, or conscience, or reputation.
|, cannot repent, nor endure punishment or
disgrace. | know very we'll that we are IN the
habit OF predicAtiug all these things OF parties,
but should think our experience had offered
the fullest proof that We cannot properly prcdl
cate any Of these things OF u party. except ID
broad, halt-met aphorical sense, under which
| all the sharpness aud efficiency necessary to
practicai politics are lost. The proof Is, at any
rate, satisfactory to me.
T have no information other than what the
| newspapers have given us all. trHm their
story do not see how any one Can feel respect
Tor the candldalure Of Governor Hayes. 1t
appears that Mr.. Cameron was plqued because
some members OF his delegation violated So
cred DO itical tradition aud did not throw the
| State vote as unit and he therefore refused
| TO give the State vote as d unit Tor their caDdl
date at The decisive moment. The Presidential
aspiranls could DOT see the prize 60 to either
one oil their OWL number aud agreed only that
il sh uld bot 20 to Blaine. These two things
combncd gave it to Hayes |, at the time, tx
pressed the Opinion that this course OF events,
| when one r. A .cted that the business 10 hand
was the selection If chief magistrate Of the
nation, was a ".arce." | did not then, aud do
not now, de1y the possibility that Hayes may
! be the iuan Tor the yr.sls. | canEot deny the
possibility that if you shake mp the names OF
eight million voters IN box, AMI draw oae by
lot, YOU may get the one out Ct the eight mil
lion who is best fitted for the Presidency but
we are assumed to be rational beings. making a
selection or -atona. grounds, aad think we did
u selves little credit on that occasion 10 that
pont OF view Some OF the gentlemen there
came home rejoicing AID trlumphng over the
party machine. They defeated the machine IN
It's frs! Intention, but it duuted upon them
win its W i known suppencss and activity.
Mr.. Hayes seems be the creature OF the ma
| chine and to hava no other public claim 10 he
arbitrary, that he mas everything yet to do to
Justify public confidence, that he is the r2cipl-
cnt of an 'honor." He cannot act with the
assured independence OF u man who has ad-
Ysncei ny we'll earned steps, to whom the Pres
i,lency comes as the highest truss at the end ot
a career TO whom il is less an honor than re-
, cocni,ion aDd a concession.
Mr. Tldens nomination was opposed by all
the wor t clements of bis party, AMI WAS sup
ported hy as honest, pure aud Intelligent men
as ever led 10 any political convention ID this
county. They were many OF them young men,
Representing the hope, strength, faith and pur
&c Of the younger hall of this gcuegatiou, 10
which turnei loug ago with all my confidence
for the nalloua! future.
The gu ~stion Of the currency, 10 ME. sands
J before any other. Ii appears 10 NE
that Mr.. Tidcn has shown III IRE correct, de-
; tailed satcsmanlike knowl igc Of the evil, he
remedy aud the process Of cure than any other
pubic man wh) is eligible.
au, # course, u:tcr.y opposed TO the REPEAL
Of the Resumption act or any part Of it, and J.
disaprrove Of any Concession on that polui. IN
finn or substance, by Mr.. lilden or anybody
else.
know that the soft money Democrats have
claimed that MIR. Tilden has surrendered 90
tie currency question, and the Republicans
have hastcnel to accept their authority "a COO
elusive on that poi1t. Mr.. Tlldens Opinions
GU this point arc net new, nor were they first
placed before the public 10 his letter, but ii he
does DOT 10 that document lay down hari m ney
doctrines, then language has no meaning and
| could not express hard money doctrines my
SELF The soft money men have, within year
or tWo begun to use some hard money phrases
10 forced artificial and Impossible applications.
They find those phrases iG Mr.. T!lden's letter
and that is the ground Oh which they claim his
| surrender.
Mr.. Hayes has made very distinct avowaI
that he will resist the repeal OF the Resunp!lon
act unless s>methiug better is put in its place,
and if he is elected | shall certainly await with
gcrarous cuff ieuce a lu!6lmcut Of that pledge.
The difficulty is just the one which seems to
IN: radical 10 bis cauddature. Bctwcea two
c;.td,dates, on4 Of whom is recon- mendcd to
me Oh the opi1iou Of his friends, the other of
whom has record Of action ard achievement
under my knowledge aud inspection, my most
rational expectation OF such performance a.
d, sire attaches to the latter.
put next in this canvass the matter of ad-
ruios' raive reform. Mr. Tlden has been
Governor of the State which has led 10 the
decentralization OF our politics sluce the begin
ming OF tie century. H. has had the hardest
position for beginning reform, perhaps, which
there is in the Union He has made the only
positive and successful Steps toward it, at the
risk of his OWL political tortuocs, which know
of 10 the country. The newspaper exposures
Of the Tweed riog would have made no more
Impression on thar bpdy than the pat"ring of
rain or the hiae IF d rhiroceros, and tie mem
bers Of the ring would to day have been faunt.
ing heir stolen wealth 10 the face of the public
if Mr. Tldcp had not reduced their guilt to an
arihmetica demonstration, available 10 curt
Of law. The canal ring fights kuowo to every
body.
have in mind, however, not only these "re-
FORM efforts, tut also administrative reform.
| will take a sirgi case which hoated ia para4
graph through the newspapers, occasiouing, SO
far as | ever saw, very little attentioo, but
which had an immense effect on my MUD, and