Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-11-02
MIR. TILDEN ANDuIs PARTY,

and pledge that he can be trusted to
hight his party and lis avowed demands
to the end, if need be, by succession
OF Vetoes. We believe that 10 other
candidate for the Presidency has felt
compelled, in such fashion, to admit
that his party was utterly distrusted by
the people, and distrusted justly. No
other Interpretation can be given to
this extraordinary letter. The reserve
customary to Presidential candi-
dates, the reserve which Mr.. Tilden
has thus far maintained in spite of
charges affecting his personal in tegrity.
would not have been broken by the
publication of this letter, had not Mr..
Iilden clearly perceived that the couu-
try would not trust him as the can H.
date and representative of the Demo
cratic party. La extremity, and as a
last resort, be begs people to believe
that he can be trusted though his party
cannot The very fact that he makes
this appeal is an admission that his
party, if it should gain power, might
justly be expected TO provide for the
payment of rebel war claims, even the
most naked and outrageous. That
there is danger he rouio~Scs when he
promises TO Veto Its bills. To escape
from the odium of his party, he public
ly promises to fight it to the end. To
rid himself of responsibility for its dam
gerOus purposes, which he cannot deny,
he promises TO resist its known de-
mands. Hoping for election mainly
by Democratic votes, he pomises, in one
matter of vital importance, to act as a
Republican. Many times a party has
tumbled overheard and obnoxious can
didate. But this is the first time cam
didate has openly tried to ''unload'' an
obnOxions party.
Mr.. Tilden is right in his belief that
the country utterly distrusts Democra-
| cy. Had he asserted that a Democrat.
ic Congress would never pass bills so
outrageous, everybody would have
laughed at him and pointed to the re-
cord. For the present Democratic
House has referred rebel claims to its
committe, and that committee avoWed
lis opinion that the Government was
liable to the full amount of such claims
as trustee for the claimant. This on
the ground that, since the amnesty.
the offense of rebellion is condoned.
and all citizens, whether loyal or dis.
loyal once, are alike loyal now, and
stand on the same footing as claimants.
Moreover, the Democratic House re-
pealed, SO far as it had power, the act
which prohibits, the consideration by
the Court OF Claims OF any presented by
disloyal persons. About the intent of
the Democratic House there was no
room for dispute. The party was a
heavier load than Mr.. Tilden could
carry, land he attempts at this late day
to pitch it overheard.
The experiment will not work. The
country does distrust Democracy, and
with reason. But in National and
and purly party matters, it equally dis
trusts MIR. Tilden. The attempt to
make people give to him, as an indi-
vidual, the confidence which they ut
terly deny to the party by which he
was nominated and is supported, can
not succeed. Mr.. Tilden has made an
admirable Governor of New York, In
that field he was rot broken down by
partisan associations. Against the au-
thOrlty OF the National Democratic par
ty he has never been able to make the
least headway. He may have disap-
proved, but he has never dared even to
protest. MIR. Tilden has acted with
that party to this hour. Its most in
famous acts have never drawn from
him a word OF rebuke. 1T declared the
war failure in 1864, and Mr.. Tilden.
though member of the committee
and the convention, uttered no word of
dissent. 1t robbed the people OF New
York by most infamous frauds in 1868,
and Mr.. Tilden, though personally re-
sponsible and personally appealed to by
Mr.. Greeley, made no protest. 1t de-
manded reputation of the solemn
pledge given in the Resumptiop act. |
and Mr.. Tilden, though most sacredIy
pledged to countenance no steps back |
ward, surrendered to its demand. I'll
would be stupendous folly to suppose
that, after yielding to his party in such
things, after trampling upon his convic-
tlons and abandoning the record of his |
lie I'D submission to its disloyal or re-
pudating spirit, this same Mr.. Tilden
VIII have the power to resist his party |
to the end and successfully in matter
which, more powerfully than any
other, appeals to the personal interests
OF Southern Democrats. He never can
be more firmly bound to any course
than he was to resist inflatiOnists and
repudiatOr5. But at their demand he
hnds some preteXt to satisfy his con-
science. So, men will rightly fear, he
may hnd some means to reconcile with
the letter of his pledge real submission
10 the demands of Southern Democrats.
This defense will fail because, as the
people now clearly see, the party be-
hind Mr.. Tilden is utterly dangerous
and nWorthy of trust. 1t is not neces-
sary to elect him in order TO get an {
honest man for President. By electing
GOV. Hayes the people will secure a :
PRESIDENT who does not need 10 promise
that he will not yield to disIoyal
Claims, and, at the same time, they l
VIII avoid intrusting the vast powers |
ol congress to party which even Mr.. ,
Illden admits cannot be trusted with
safety. Ii it were possible for Mr.. Til
len TO escape all responsibility for the a
party with which he has steadily acted a
and which nominated and now sup- 4
ports him, the case would be different.
1t Is not possible. And the country is .
lot IN the mood to surrender the power n
o the party which even Mr.. 1ilden t
lIStru5ts and promises to resist.-N. Y. Il
Tribune.
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