Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-07-14

FRE,H TESTIMONY ABOUT LAWS \ gen
tleman, in whose Judgment the New York
Nation has great confidence, " writes phi
yateiy TO the editor
have known HAYES for more than 20
years believe | know all about his work
and his way of doing il, his opinions and
how lie came 70 them. and where they lead
him. A. everybody critiei>e, his friends.
| have made an estimate OF his knowledge and
abilities In the first place, he i not
'.~el-made man." hut was regularly edu-
Gated, a. mat phrase Coes in this country.
He never had % get over any objection to
learning, and has not picked up hIs notions
Of finance and the rest Of political economy
by observing the crops from the windows Of
a rail-car. ike Boutwell,. lie believes in
history and experience. and does not, like
Morton. hold that Old principles are inappli-
cable to new countries. lie believes in
study. and. for more than thirty wears. has
studied public affairs about as carefully,
and quite a. inlelligently. As the
men who were carrying them on. In
a word, he is not a new man IN national pol
itics, IT people mean by new to i'm
ply that Il man lacks familiarity with
the subject. 10 illustrate what mean he
knows every bit a. much about our true
politics (uot about running Tarty) As Mr..
Blaine or Mr. Morton, and his opinion Is
worth twice as much d that Of either Of
them. A. to one OF them, think put it
very mildly should have supported Mr.
Bristow most cordially, but knowing both
men well. { have t. say that HAYES is in
J. e.. 81
his equal Intellectually, ami has much larg
er and more experience, lie Is not ia mag
neticn man he is not audacous he is not
a''lcader he does not impress one a a
great force. and all that But when he has
duty to perform he first proceeds to throw
aside all nonsense. and, with peculiar sing
lcness and simplicity sees lust whatthe mat
ter is After that the devil can't scare him.
| never knew a man who listened with a
franker willingness to learn, and | have
known verv few men who were so sure to
end with an opinion Of their own which
Dothing could shake. observe that the lit
tie people of the Hr4d and Word speak
of him as a ''colorlesS' candidate Well.
his color is not loud but what they actual
" mean Is nonsense. They had better en-
counter him sometime when he has duty
to perform, and try 10 turn him aside, and
then tell Us whether he has color | have
seen him tried, and noticed that his color
was a good deal ike steel. Undoubtedly he
is party man 1t would take much more
to drive him from the Republican party than
would suffice for Schurz for he holds that
the party j. something else than its lead
ers. and that 1t can learn. But my private
talks with him make me feel sure that he is
not, in the least degree, partisan. He is
loyal to the Republican party simply because
he really believes it means something, not
because it is his party. need say nothing
about his honesty you've seen that men
toned IN every paper that names him;
though, perhaps, might Just as well add
that he Is Just absolute integrity. My main
purpose was to speak of his capabilities,
since that must be the chief point of curiosi-
ty lust now. For whatever 1t is worth, ms
clear conviction is that he Is very able
man. very thoroughly informed, of good
deal of culture, of rare soundness of judy
mert, and ola courageous, high character.