National Republican., 1876-08-29
GENERAL McLELLAEs LETTER.

Little George" should eschew politics,
except when he is candidate. As Til
den letter-writer he is lamentable failure.
Talk about Kilpatrick's blunders They
are nothing to those of our 'Little Corpo-
raj" ofthe Army of the Potomac. Egi-
IDENTIFY, Kilpatrick's alleged letter was not
intended for the press, while 1t is just as
apparent that George designed his careful
composition for reproduction in all the pa
pers. But he asserts too much. He lays
down the proposition that there is no polit-
ical Utopia in this country, and that as
human nature is constituted there can be
no perfection in political parties. Such
organizations are necessary to the well be-
ing ofthe country as wholesome checks upon
each other in the management of public
affairs. But when either party has been
in power for a long time uninterruptedly
it of necessity becomes corrupt, when the
only way opurify the Administration is to
change parties. Change of men won't do,
says George, because the leaders are the
same, and they will control the new Ad-
minlstration. He says:
81 have the highest respect for the personal
character and intelligence of the Republican
candidate for the Presidency, and 1 believe him
to be an upright gentleman; but 1t seems to
me quite impossible that he can change the
organization and policy of his party"
Now, further along he seems to have for
gotten the axiom here laid down, for in con-
Guiding panegyric on his railway friend,
Tilden, the candidate Of the railway mo-
nopolists, he finds in him all the qualities
that he had just before described as quite
impossible for Gov. Hayes TO successfully
exert. What he conceives to be utterly
impossible for Hayes to perform, notwith-
standing his high respect for his ability and
intelligence and for his personal character,
he conjectures may very easily be accom-
plished by the "Oily Cannon" candidate
of the Democracy. This is the way he
puts it:
''1n Mr.. Tilden l am confident we have a
candidate possessing all the requisites that the
exigencies of the times demand. In q long
career he has given the suIest proofs of ability
and integrity. IL is a uery easy thing to preach
reform TO an opponent, but a very i1erent affair
TO carry il out IN ones oTn party. This Mr..
Iilden has had the rare courage Gnd ability TO do.
Against great obstacles he commenced and carried
through the RercaIIedR task Of fighting corruption
and pursuing the plundererS ii his 0pI party, and
1t is almost superfuous to say that the courage,
energv, untiring perseverance and acumen he
displayed in those memorable contests prove
that be possesses in q most eminent degree the
qualities so much needed in our Chief Magis-
trate in the present crisis of our affairs"
Unfortunate Republicans Why had you
- L. 1f DE- o
So We see that what the General had
laid down in the earlier portion of his let
ter as an impossibility Tilden has already
performed in his own party. He said:
''The only sure remedy in such a case-is
that the people shall, through the ballot-boz,
place the former opposition in power"
All but Mr.. Tilden is equal to impossi-
bilities even. He ''carried through the
" Herculean task Of fighting corruption
" and pursuing the plunderers in his own
"party." He not only did.this, but The
General says Mr.. Tilden commenced this
Herculean task Is there not a slight
mistake here? 1t strikes US that Tilden
only Joined in the chase when he found
that he, among other thieves, was about to
be overtaken. He then began to hslloo
''stop thief - with the noisiest, and prose
cuted and prosecuted his old associate and
fellow thief, "Bill Tweed" into the penl-
tentisrY, and later into the Eldridge-street
debtors prison. This is characteristic of
all shsrpers. The idea of Samuel ]. Tilden
blushing at political or railway corruption
is sure to produce broad grin upon the
faces of all knowing circles in Wall street
and the political clubs whenever it is Sc
riously broached. Tllden don't like the
risks of such clean stealing as Tweed in
dulged, although he might take some of
the dishonest money in the shape of coun-
sci fees. His strongest hold, however, is
legal stealing. This is done by machinery
and little chicanery. The machine is
joint stock corporation with no indi-
vidual liability beyond the value OF
the stock, and the chicanery is
in rendering the stock worthless in
order to pay the bonds. This is done by
vote of officers, who are generally self
elected, and possessed Of the ability,to con-
troll the bonds. Sam Tilden is their legal
counsel, who draws their papers, contracts,
&C., and takes liberal fee, say $50, 900, in
cash and the balance, say $3.50, 600, in the