The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-29
The FoIIies OF the Democratic Cam
vass-Wnl the Democrats Succeed In
Defeating Ttldens

|
gave the mot Tordre of battle in a
speech which signified that the country was
rapidly going to the devil, and that if he
was not called upon to reform it the centen-
NAL of our nations life would be the end.
We had preserved nothing but the worst
features Of the older world, and unless the
Republic was reformed the sooner it was
ended the better. We ventured to say to
the Governor that his raising the black flag
was hardly the way to begin successful
canvass, and that to win the affections OF
the people he must not wound their pride
and self-respect. We called attention to
the fact that an aggressive" fight was
never fought on one side and that whatever
blunder the republicans may have made in
administration they were still powerful
and astute party, and had the regular army
of office holders. We urged the Governor to
enlarge his canvass, to introduce other issues
than reform, to present as bold front as
possible to his opponents, to concede no
question Of principle to rebels or repudia-
tors and, above all, to take command of his
campaign, and as the head of the party lead
! it to victory.
| The present condition of the canvass
! shows the wisdom Of our advice. The repub-
licans have gone into action with mastery
| discipline They have not made mistake
since their campaign opened, unless in the
appointment of Mr.. Chandler to the head Of
their Executive Committee; and we question
if that will prove to be SO much of a blunder
after all. They have taken candidate
for the Presidency who unites every
faction. This candidate may be Pierce,
or he may be Lincoln. We take
| him on trust. But thus far he has
not received blow. His record is
as white as the rock, and his character has
those conservative, homely, unpretending
traits that commend themselves to our farm
ers and working people. He is the fair aver
age man of our time, and somehow republics
| drift toward average men. AS we have said,
no one can tell whether Hayes will turn out
to be Lincoln or a Pierce but as we never
know the real character of man until he is
dead, so we never know how great how
small statesman may prove until We see
him in the Presidency. Of the two candi-
dates, Hayes and Tilden, all concede the
superiority Of Tilden in intellect and expe-
rience. He is a large-mnded man, who has
hourished in national field, who has fitted
himself for any duty by forty years labor in
the stern, hard metropolis. If we were Sc
Letting the president Of a railway company,
or the counsel for an important case, we
| should take Mr.. Tilden before Mr.. Hayes.
Yet this ADVANTAGE cardinal one to the
democrats they are losing Mr.. Tildens
management of the canvass leads people to
ask, care we to have another Buchanan? ?"
Buchanan, they remember, was q ripe and
finished statesman, the first of his time in
| character, years and experience, whose ad-
| mnistration WAS to ''save the country" and
''restore the purity of earlier days" The
arguments which elected Buchanan are the
arguments the democrats use to elect Tilden.
| All men know how disastrous that admins
tration proved; how it threw the country into
a civil war; how it paltered with treason until
treason had the nation by the throat, and
| how this model, this consummate statesman
President went into retirement without the
respect of the country, his patriotism ques-
toned and his administration remembered
only for its folly, its weakness and its shame
What therefore, was the strength of
Tilden in the beginning has been turned
into n weakness solely because he paltered
with the financial question by his surrender
| to Hendricks. That astute controversialist
Mr.. Marble, may show us in careful phrases
| how Tilden's letter looks toward resump-
ton, how it is the real thing while all else is
false pretence but the country will ask
why should Mr.. Tilden propose that we
should break one of the pledges upon which
| our national credit rests, md that, too, be-
fore we have tried to redeem it. The only
answer is that such q concession was neces.
sary to please Mr.. Hendricks and the infla-
tionists of the West. AS Mr. Marble said ut
st. Louis, this is day of compromises. In
other words, Mr.. Tildon begins his cam
paign of reform by proposing COM
promise on our national credit, just rs
! Mr.. Buchanan thought lie would save the
Union by compromises with the seces-
sionists. What Buchanan did under
the dictation Of Davis and Sldell
! Tilden does under the dictation of Hen
bricks and Ewing. This tendency to CON-
promise is seen in the want of leadership
1 shown by the democrats. The 'black flag"
has been fured The campaign of ''aggres-
sion" has become one OF explanation and
defence. The republicans, who were to sink
| in the race because Of Grantism, have
/ thrown aside all Of Grant but what is USE
| full. In the canvass for the Governorship,
upon which the success of Tilden depends
more than anything else, we have the same
INDIGESTION, the same helplessness Here we
are on the eve of this most important Con-