The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-02-01
4ilhnnild 1ispatch,
The Presidency.


favor hos been pressed with an emphasis by
AIR. Senator SIBERIAN, of Ohio, In behalf of
HAYES that will indicate the want Of better
one. Mr.. SHER1AS's peculiar earnestness
might be surprising but that the local argu.
ment that Is good for HAYES, who needs 1t
so much, is also exactly applicable to Mr..
SHERMAN himself. Both are Ohio men; and
if Ohio must have President her claim
would be probably little better satisfied by
the nomination of SHERMAN than Of the man
of moderate calibre who now acts as Gov.
ernor.
This "local argument" is one that is emit.
tied to little consideration, and yet it is made
TO have very unreasonably large influence
in other matters besides making nominations
for high offices. In the matters Of practical
legislation it is trouble and an obstruction.
" This side" and "that side - are very diff
ferent things, and legislators who are under
obligations as representatives of the whole
State as well as of counties are ever prone to
look at questions under the narrow, sectional
views of citizens Of limited neighborhood
"side" of a river. Beginning with the bias
of neighborhood, the discredtab!e passion
OF sectionalism is carried upward through
all the gradations of narrow mindedness
until it bears upon the grand national queS-
ton OF electing President of the United
States.
1t is already manifest that there are not a
few persons who are to be obtruGed into the
arena as candidates for the presidency on the
ground that they live in this or that State.
We may place Senator SHERMAN as the cham
pion of this sort Of strategy-thiS locality "
argument-and yet if there is man distin-
guishea for his hostility to all signs of local in.
6ependeneei in our politicalsystemit is Senator
SHERMAN. But we repeat be is 10 be excused to
some extent for his earnestness in pressing
HAYgs's claims on account Of locality, because
he is only in this urging his own claims; ana
he will undoubtedly give tone TO this mode
of Advancing mems claims. The friends OF
Mr.. TlLpsS, of New York, are playing the
same game. Mr. TILDEN is man OF alto
gether local reputation, and it is the true
policy for his friends to "make the most
OF it,"
In T11DEs's case, however, It is matter for
regret on his own account that he should ball
from New York. lie would better nail from
some other State. The Democratic party
has sustained already two defeats With
candidates from New York, and 1t Is
absolutely impossible that they could be
triumphant upon third trial Wild
horse from the same stable. The people
would not permit anything Of the kind.
The belief that it is impossible would make
it SO. Besides, Mr.. TlLDEN has no remarka-
Bile traits of character, no national fame nj
all, and no irrepressible vim and adroitness
that could rush him on the upward way to
the presidency in spite OF those unfavorabe
facts to which we allude.
Neither TIIDRN nor HAYES can be lifted up
by the locality argument-an argument
that could not be strong enough to splice
out HAYEs's slender merits, and an argu-
ment which, la TILDEN's case, would be
dead weight rather than help, bis prede-
cessors having secured his rejection by their
misfortunes. It is indeed time that noml-
nee shall be tried from some other State than
New York.
We do not think any of the aspirants yet
brought out earnestly On the local ground
stand the slightest chance of nomination. At
the same time, other thiBgs being equal be-
tween two Democratic aspirants, we should
prefer that one of them who lives in part OF
the Union where there is clustered the great
est display of that power and youthful vigor
that is most congenlal with generosity.
We have not the remotest idea that
presidential nominee will be taken from the
South. We want neither President Ror
yice-President taken from that quarter. Let
the North take them both; but we confess
we would prefer that the presidency should
be entrusted to man who lives in great
and growing region, whose power, and
growth, aud youth, and bounding vigor
would be favorable to broad views and
generous impulses.
We trust that really great-hearted and
wise man may be selected as candidate OF
the Democratic party, who may have the
grand impulses that are engendcred in land
like this. This is the man to rule this really
great nation. 1t would be pity to put over
the country a man whose prejudices and fa-
naticism would unfit him to govern it upon
liberal plan which would tend to harmo.
nRe the people and minister to the strength
and elasticity Of our national feelings. What
q reyulsion would it cause to the national
heart to put over the country a man who has
no generous love, no really broad philan.
thropy, none of that patriotism without Sec
tional hate which could take in the whole
country aud derive the greatest pleasure
from the greatest amount Of harmony, and
whose enjoyment would increase in proper
ton to the diminution Of the snimositles and
discords in the land. Such President
would be a national blessing indeed.
While in this bread sense we are not un.
mindful Of the grand effect Of the land, and
the grand scenes and resources Of physical
nature upon mems minds and lncllnatlons,
we repudiate the merely "local argument
and have no idea that it is going to help out
the men Of little merit who are brought be.
fore the nation upon it. That there is the
proper man whose merits are superior and
controlling we doubt not. If the DEM
ocratic party will steer clear Of improper
considerations, and leave their judgment
10 healthy and unprecedented influences, we