The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-23


edy and the process of cure than any Other
public man who is eligible
lam, of course utterly opposed Ia the re
peal of the resumption act or any part of 1t
and disapprove of any concession On thai
point, IN form or substance by Mr.. Tider
or anybody else,
| know That the soft.money democrats have
claimed that Mr.. Iilden has surrendered on
the currency question, and the republicans
have fastened to accept their authority a.
conclusive on that point. Mr.. Tiden's opin
ions on this point re not new, nor were they
first placed before the public IN his letter, bu
If he does not in that document lay down
hard money doctrines, then language has he
meaning, and could not express hard none,
doctrines myself The soflmoney men have
within year or two, begun 10 use sout
hard money phrases In forced, artificial, and
impossible applications. They find ihost
phrases in Mr.. Tilden's letter, and that is tht
ground on which they claim his surrender.
Mr. Hayes has made very distinct avowal
that he will resist the repeal of the resunp
ton act unless something better is put In it.
place, and If he is elected shall certainly
await with generous confidence Il fulfllmenl
OF that pledge. The difficulty is just the one
which seems to me radical in his candlds
ture. Between two candidates, one of whom
| is recommended to me on the opinion OF his
| friends, the other of whom has record OF
action and achievement under nay knowledge
and inspection, my most rational expectation
of such a performance as desire attaches to
the latter.
Iputnext in this canvass the mater Of ad
ministrative reform Mr.. Tilden has been
governor OF the state which has led IN the de-
mOrallAtiOn of our politics since the beg H..
ming the century He has had the hardest
position for beginning REFORM perhaps,
which here is in the union. He has made
the only positive and successful steps toward
1t, at the risk of his own political fortunes,
which Ikpow of in the country. The news
paper exposures of the Tweed ring would
have made no more impression on that body
than the pattering Of rain on the hide of a
rhnocefos, and the members of the ring
would today have BEEN Haunting their stolen
wealth in the face of the public, If Mr.. Tilden
had not reduced their gultto an arithmeiical
demonstration, available in a court of law.
The cana.rng fight is known to every body.
| have in mind, however, not only these
reform efforts, but also administrative re.
form. Twill take single case which tloated
in paragraph through the papers, occasion.
ing, so far as | ever saw, very little attention,
but which had an immense effect on my
mind, and which | have often urged in pri.
vate conversation.
1t was stated that the politicians Of the
southernti tier of counties Of New York were
bitterly hostile to Gov. Tilden The reasons
were given, two in number: /. Mr.. Tilden
had refused to remove the republican super.
intenden of the asylum at Elmira IN order to
appoint democrat. 2. Mr.. Tiden had re.
moved, for cause, the corporation counsel
of Elmin, who was a democrat, although the
coamon council of that city was republican,
and could elect republican successor. These
were good grounds for the opposition OF the
"pollticiahs," but they were an imperative
demand on me, if | was an "independent,"
aud meant what | had beel talking about for
years, TO give him my full, hearty and eff
cient support if ii ever came in my way.
That Mr.. Tilden is politician enough TO be
available Is only an advantage, since we can.
not get an angel with u flaming sword, and |
think that we Independents have cast worse
reproach upon ourselves than our most sar
castle critics, since we have failed to seize
upon a chance which offered itself to our de.
mand, and have chosen to trust to a ground
less faith and a hope for which we cannot
give a reason. In this latter light | must be
allowed, without otiense, to regard the sup.
port of Gov. Hayes.
received lettera while ago from friend
of Gov Hayes, who declared that Hayes was
very modest man, whose modesty prevent.
ed HIM from accepting the United States sen
atOrshIp. quote 1t as an instance of what
seems to NE wrong reasoning on these mat
ters. IL Gov. Hayes is such man as is now
claimed, it seems to me that he is just The
mar we have sadly needed in the senate for
the asst few years and, if. he refused TO go,
he tlrned his back on the call Of pubic duty.
dc not deny his right To refuse, although In
general hold it sound doctrine that a man OF
good health and independent fortune ought
TO serve the state when duly and honorably
selected; but if Mr. Hayes was ever TO be a
candidate for the presidency, he ought to
hav. pursued public career in the subordi
nate places which opened to him; he ought
to have allowed us to see him in those places,
and he ought to have made a record On which
We could form judgment today, and not be
thrown on the say.so Of his friends. If he is
to b. elected | shall certainly not prcIudic,
him nor allow any prejudice to arise in my
mind; bat wnen look back on former cases
in which the campaign enthusiasm has sur
rounded an untIied man with a halo which
has subsequently faded into something worse
than obscurity, my imagination refuses to
act
Another point in this canvass which very
dee)ly interests me is the condition and fu.
,urt of the south. The campaign seems 10
be urnihg more and more to that issue after
all, and il seems 10 be found that distrust of
reb.lS and the old war spirit are still So
strng as To- be the best available campaign
capital. If that is TO he so then must take
sid,s against any further administration Of
the affairs of the south by the north acting
through the general government. lhave had
occasion within year 10 review the whole
hisory Of reconstruction. The effect upon
my mind has been shame and blame 10 my
sclifor the share which |, as a republican,
have had IN helping 10 build up the worst
leg Station of the nineteenth century | have
been shocked to realize by what successive
sta.es we have built up here a system of re
s,rctivc and coercive legislation which very
few northern republicans know in even its
brCadest features, aud ] can only recognize
in lIsorGer. riot, misrule, irresponsible Off
cIa tyranny, industrial loss, the results which
haze followed everywhere in history from
co,Tcive legislation enacted by one cOmmu