The New York herald., 1876-09-14
That story About Mr.. seh-rz.

That Story About Mr.. schurz.
OF course Mr.. Chandler has not quarrelled
with Mr.. Schurz. Mr.. Chandler is not a
goose. Mr.. Schurz, ex-Secretary Cox and
other speakers of that kind are doing the re-
publican party an -inestimab]e service by
their courageous plain speaking. They urge
reform, and in doing SO they necessarily
criticiso many things which have been done
by the party and its leaders in the last seven
years. If the republican administration had
been faultless there would be no occasion to
promise reform. But everybody knows that
there have been grave and scandalous abuses,
and if the republican party did not intend
to reform these it might as well give up the
canvass at once 1t is because q consider
publican party will institute the important
and necessary reforms in the federal admins
tration, and will, on the whole, do it better
and more certainly than the democratic party,
that the republicans have a chance to win.
1t is because Governor Hayes has in very
decided terms and in very plain and def
mite language shown the necessity of GER
tain reforms, and declared his determine
ton, if he is elected to carry them into effect,
that the republicans have hope of carrying
the election. When Mr.. Schurz, ex-Secre-
tary Cox and others, therefore, make these
reforms the burden of their speeches, they
are doing precisely what is needed, and very
much needed, to secure public confidence
to their party; and we advise Mr.. Wheeler,
Mr. Bristow and other republican speakers
to follow Mr.. Schurz's example.
Of course there will be superserviceable
tools of the baser part Of the party ready to
cry out when q speaker urges civil service
reform that he is ''criticising the administra-
tion." They are perfectly right. Any demand
for reform is so far criticism of that which
now is; for reform means change, change
for the better; change, for instance, which
will leave out the Belknaps, Robesons, Bab-
cocks, Shepherds, Sargents, Vests, Spen-
GERS, and put in their places honest and
capable men. If republican success in
November was not believed to mean such
change then the republican party would
sustain defeat more overwhelming than
that of Mr.. Greeley four years ago. The
people demand such change; and if the
organs of the corrupt part of the party could
silence Mr. Schurz they would simply defeat
the party, for the people would seek for a
change elsewhere.
Moreover, it should be understood that
those who so impudently attack Mr.. Schurz
and others who demand reform are s'criti-
cising" the nominee and head of the party,
Governor Hayes. No one of the republican
leaders has 80 strongly pledged himself to
the important reforms MS he. The etiquette
of his position keeps him silent or his
voice would be heard more loudly for
a thorough reform Of the civil service
than that of any Of the republi-
can speakers. He spoke his mind with
uncommon freedom in his letter he believes
every word he there wrote, and if he is
elected he will carry out the promised re-
forms with determination which the oppo-
nents of such measures will vainly strive to
shake. If anybody in the republican party
does not like Governor Hayes programme
we advise him to go over to the democratic
side or to abandon politics for q while
entirely. The Governor means what he has
written, and is not o man who can be scared
from his purposes. Those party organs
which, under pretence of quarrelling with
Mr.. Schurz, really aim blows at the candi-
date Of the party, ought to be careful what
they are doing They may do mischief to
the side they pretend to support. They
may not like Governor Hayes it is hardly
possible they should; for if he is elected
they will have to take back seats, but mean
time a little modesty would be meritorious
in them. They will have need of good
deal after next 4th of March, whether Gov
ernor Hayes or Governor Tilden is elected