The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-08-12

terviews, in planning and fixing, in writing
and recording, in crasius and interpolating
it, in the vain attempt to reconcile the APP
parently irreconcilable differences of opin-
ion between himself and Mr.. Hendricks
upon the one most important and serious
issue of the campaign? This is the fact,
and yet he would have us believe that his
letter was the happy result of an occasional
moment stolen from his pressing Guberna-
torial engagements. His unavoidable &C.
equations were with the Indiana trimmer.
The object Of the business being to secure
such apparent concurrence of views as
would allow them to risk together the ver-
dict of public opinion.
1t was a delicate affair all round. Mr..
Tilden, professed hard money advocate,
had accepted the first place upon a plat
form, which, although dictated by himself,
as such, conceded enough to the imitation
lists to make it acceptable to them. Their
representative upon that ticket, although
occupying a second place, well understood
the real temper of the Western Democracy.
In compliance with his and their demands,
Mr.. Tilden must "temper" his tone, and
Congress must re-echo the demand Of the
moment. Hendricks and the inf ationists
held the key to the situati on, as subsequent
events proved. The order of names even
on the ticket was contradiction. In real
ity it was Hendricks and Tiden, not Tilden
and Hendricks. And how was this " con-
summation SO devoutly to be wished" &C
compished? Simply as Mr.. Tilden has
done it, by obligingly inditing letter
which, upon its face, yields all that Mr..
Hendricks said his constituents demanded,
to be followed by the repeal of the Re-
sumption act as the sine qua non to success
in Indiana and the West. Did it not so
happen? By virtue of such demands, re-
pudiation is an accomplished fact. SO far,
at least, as the Lower House can accom-
plish it. And yet the end and object once
so desirable to Mr.. Tilden, viz. the resump-
tion of specie payment, could, we arc as
sured by himself and his most astute inter-
prefers, have been easily accomplished in a
very short time after his election to the
Presidency. He and his friends no doubt
believe he will be elected. If he is honest
in his hard money professions, despite the
concessions of his letter, would not the
interval between his Inauguration on the
4th of March, 1877, and the 1st of January,
1879, been ample in which to test the cor
rectness of his financial theories? What
object was to be attained, then, by Hen
bricks demand for, and the actual repeal
of the Sherman act, other than mere party
advantage, if Mr.. Tilden believed really in
his own theories? The simple answer is,
that Mr.. Tilden has hopelessly surrendered
to the intlationists under the specious argu-
ments of his letter, practically exemplified
since by actual reputation by the majority
in Congress. This far, at least, its object
was plain. True, he discourses learnedly
upon tie necessity Of securing L" a central
reservoir of coin adequate to the adjust
ment of the temporary fluctuations of in,
ternational balances until the head of an
ordinary reader swims in confusion. He
talks wisely of "disturbing equilibriums -
while his reader feels his own sadly dis
turbed by his inability to comprehend such
wanders befuddled through the foggy mazes
of his incomprehensible plans for resump-
ton, feeling as did the simple minded old
Christian lady, who listened with dazed
countenance to the wonderful sermon of a
distinguished theologian, and asked God s
blessing on the sermon because she did not
comprehend what the preacher meant
But what does all this amount to in the
face of the act of the Lower House, on
Monday last? 1t means deception only.
1t means that no sound hard money man
can trust the views that Hendricks coucurs
in; and yet he heartily approves and en-
dorses Mr.. Tilden's hard money views. Sc
do all intlationsts in Congress. The hot,
test headed howlers for cole Bllallen "
!, welcome this able exposition of the Great
Reformer, and express their undisguised
pleasure at its reading. Not that they
either do, or are capable of understanding
1t. But they do understand its ,oriter. Nc
less do intelligent men of all parties
Upon the important question of admins
trative reform, Mr.. Tilden is equally dis
ingenious and evasive, affording in his
. elaborate diffuseness striking contrast to
the frank and direct statement of Gen.
Hayes on the same question. True, Mr..
Tilden thinks that "the public interest in
can honest, skilful performance of official
"trust must not be sacrificed to the usu-
"fruct of the incumbent, in which opin-
ion doubtless everybody whatever he may
mean readily concurs. We prefer, how
ever the easier comprehended expression
Of Gov. Hayes, "that the old rule, the
true rule, that honesty, capacity, and
) "tidelty, constitute the only real qualiiica-
"tions for Office" and if elected 81 shall
} conduct the administration of the Cover
"ment upon these principles" The former
is the skillfully worded appeal of a shrewd,
skillful but evasive politician, the latter the
open and unequivocal pledge of a frank
and honest statesman.
WE publish, in another column, the notice