New-York tribune., 1876-09-07
EIGURE HEADS.

neCtlcut, MT. Rlcila1u ~. HuDDdIu' DoJn Rch-
tlemen of the highest character; of great
ability and unimpeachable integrity. 1t would
be idle to deny that the two Democratic cOnven-
tlons which met and made nominations yester-
day, one at Worcester and the other at Hartford,
have made unusually strong nominations for
the Office of Governor in the two States OF Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut. Mr.. Charles Francis
Adams is a statesman of established fame.
However VIC may differ with him upon ques-
tiOns of policy or upon the great Overshadow-
ing issue in this canvass--which political party
is the better qualified by the experience OF
power by the test of its own work, and by
inherent fitness and capacity for the RESPONSE
bilities and duties Of administering tho Gov
ernment-we can do no less than say that so far
as his fitness for any political Office Is
concerned there is no question. we do not
agree with him in the belief that it is safe at
this time, in the face of all the disclosures the
Democratic party has made of Its Lack OF
capacity and of sincerity, to trust the govern
ment of the country with it. We are free to
admit that he would make an excellent Gov
ernor of Massachusetts. Whether he would
give more dignity to the office or would
discharge its duties with more practical
present incumbent and candidate for re-
election, Gov. A. III. Rice, is so little ques-
tiOn that we do not care to discuss 1t In the
presence of the more important. in fact the
vital, consideration that bis election would not
merely make him Governor of Massachusetts,
but would bring encouragement and possibly
a national victory to the party which puts
him in nomination, and strives under cover OF
such names as his to come into political con-
troll in the nation. The nomination OF Mr..
Adams by the Democrats of Massachusetts has
not single quality of sincerity in 1t. lie Is
neither among them nor of them. In any
State where they had a reasonable prospect OF
success they would not have dreamed of such
q nomination. In even a doubtful State they
would never have taken up such man as Mr.
Adams as their candidate. Az hypocrisy is
said to be merely thelhomase vice pays to vir-
tue so it may be said of this nomination, that
it is simply recognition of Il growing whole
someness in public sentiment which demands
of the Democratic party that it shall travel in
some comely and decent disguise. We may
count SO much at least as gained The devil
is certainly sick when he puts on such saintli-
ness in a nominating convention. Conva-
lescencc comes with an election, and the devils
saintliness then runs with the prOverb. The
party that nominates Mr.. Adams, and not Mr..
Adams himself, is the real candidate for the
suffrages of Massachusetts, voters; and that
party has record by which it must
be judged. We need not go further
back than the last session OF Con-
gress to find enough of the record to give US
pause Mr. Adams is figure head; fine,
historic, clear cut, well proportioned figure
head But behind him. what7 That is the
question for the voter. How many bucca-
neer has rOamed the seas for booty and for
spOils, from whose bow sprang winsome fair
proportioned figure full Of promise with
forecastle full of cutthroats lying just behind
her flowing robes. The figure head is beauti-
full but whoever strikes colOrs to 1T finds
pirate crew behind that will swarm upon his
decks and scuttle his ship without mercy or
remOrse.
SO, too they have nominated Sir. Richard d.
Hubbard in Connecticut. 1t is their season for
disguises. They could not send Mr.. Hubbard
to the United States Senate, though they have
twice had the opportunity. In preference
they showed their stubborn Beurb0nism once by
electng Mr.. Eaton, and once they showed their
yenaity and their utter disregard for even the
appearance of common honesty by selling out
the seat at their disposal to Mr.. Barnum.
There are larger stakes to play for now. They
strike for grander field, for larger patronage,
for richer treasury. So,'withOut having any
thing in common with Mr.. Hubbard, and
knowing that he has nothing in common with
them, they put him at the front to catch the
votes of honest and unthinking gudgeons,
while they, fall ia in hungry swaims behind
him. 1t is but another case of figure head
They nominated him for Governor once be-
fore, some years ago, fairly forced their noni-
nation on him, and then, because he would
not stoop to the mean tricks they ex-
pected of him, and would not fill the
pockets of their hungry committeeman with
money they let him be defeated and 90 out of
his own Democratic town of Hartford with
majority against him. As i'll Massachusetts the
party and not Mr.. Adams, so in Connecticut
it is the party and not Mr.. Hubbard that pre-
sents itself to the people for approval and for
reinstatement in power Behind the flowing
robes of these two respectable gentlemen the
same crowd swarms that hung in waiting
for Democratic Congress last year, and
with the first note of its assembling
swOOped down upon it for the spoils of the
field. 1t is pity that such reputable gentle
men should lend themselves for such a cover.
and yet there is some comfort in the thought
that the party is forced by public sentiment
to put itself in some disguise. If it indi-
Gates no sincere purpose of reform on their
part, 1t at least shows that a health
full public opinion is having some Nef-
feet in the most unexpected quarters.