The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1876-09-27
PROF.. SUMNER
INDEPENDENCE IN VOTING.
q DispassiOnHtc Estimate of the
Two Candidates.
why Prof Summer Of Vale College
cannot support the Republican NOM
iaPc-----SamueI }. Tiiden's Gcnu.
inc StatPsnanslIip.

PROF. W. q. SUMNER Is Professor
of Political Economy, or the Science
of Government, in Yale College, one
the oldest and highest colleges in rank
among the institutions of America
He is, perhaps, the ablest writer and
lecturer we have on the subject. He
is committed, he says, to no party.
He looks from the standpoint of plain
facts and logical reasoning upon the
vital questions of the administration of
the government and the happiness of
the people. What he says of Govern
or Tilden and especially of the history
of reconstruction is worthy of careful
pcrusal by all candid men. So far as
he has had any connection with party,
Prof. Sumner has heretofore acted
with the Republicans.
From the Ne,c Haren PullUlim. I
/ observe that most of the public
discussions turn upon the antecedents,
the acts, and the characters of the one
and the other party. Those consider
ations have no force at all for my
mind. | know my neighbors. One
of them is Republican by habit, and
the other Il Democrat by habit, and
neither of them can define his party
name. When, therefore, | read the de-
scriptionS that party newspapers and
party orators give of the opposite par
ty, | look around me for the demons
who seek the national ruin, and | do
not find them. find neighbOrS, some
of whom are under one banner and
some under the other, but in their gen.
cral tone and will and intentions those
of one party are just as good and just
as bad as those of the other. Especial
" when | remember that the social
distribution of the two parties in the
Northern States, is exactly opposite TO
what it is i'll the Southern States, it
seems to me that the national parties
are very easy adjusted in regard to the
social, intellectual, and moral elements
which they contain. Now, an histo-
rian or a foreigner, reading the ac-
counts which the parties give of each
other, must infer either that these ac-
counts are all false, and that they sim
ply constitute a depraved method of
clcctioneeing which obscures the issue
and prevents the people from really
using sound Judgment, or else they
that they are all true, in which case
the people of the United States are so
unpatriotic, corrupt, disloyal, unjust
mmderous, and venal that it makes
little difference what is the result OF
any political struggle.
| regard the good sense, sound pa
triotIsm and correct intention of the
masses of the people in either party
as substantially equal. l regard the
evil elements in the parties as substan.
TALLY equal, and | turn for my grounds
of Judgment to the considerations
which think genuine. | find these
in men. cannot trust party.
can trust man. I cannot hold par.
~ responsible. / can hold man re.
ponsible. | cannot get an expression
Of opinion which is single and simple
from a party. / can only get that
from man. A party cannot have
character, or conscience, or reputation.
1t cannot repent, nor endure punish
ment or disgrace. | know very vel
that we are in the habit of predicatine
all these things of parties, but l should
think our experience had offered tho
fullest proof that we cannot properly
predicate any of these things of a par
ty, except in a broad halfmetaphorica
sense, under which all the sharpness,
and efficiency necessary to practical
politics are lost. The proof is, at any
rate, satisfactory to me.
| have no information other THAI
what the newspapers have given IL,
all. From their story | do not see how
any one can feel respect for the candi
dature of Gov. Hayes. 1t appear
that Mr.. Cameron was piqued becaus,
some members of his delegation VIC
+ lated a vote as a unit, and he therefor,
! refused to give the State vote as a uni
, for their candidate at the decisive mo
ment. The Senatorial aspirants coul,
not see the prize go to either one O
, their own number, and agreed onl
! that it should not go to Blain. Thes
two things combined gave it to Hayes
) |, at the time, expressed the opinion
$ that this course of events, when on
: reflected that the business in hand wa
= the selection of chief magistrate G
! the nation, was "farce." | did nc
q then, and do not now, deny the poss
: bility that Hayes may c the man fc
4 the crisis. | cannot deny the pOssibi
ity that, if you shake up the name
of eight million voters in box, an
draw one by lot, you may get the on
out of the eight million who is be:
fitted for the Presidency, but we al
: assumed to be rational beings, maxim
r selection on rational grounds, and
-. think we did ourselves little credit o
~ that occasion in that point of view
u Some of the gentlemen there can
home rejoicing and triumphing ovc
the party machine. They defeated II
le machine in its first intention, but
doubled upon them with its well-know