The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1876-09-06
Gen. Geo. Is. Mcclellan Comes cut
for Tilden and Reform.
COBURG, CANADA, Aug. 16, .


My dear Sir: Your very kind let
ter of the 18th has reached me, and l
quite concur with you.
Deeply impressed by the gravity of
the issues involved in the approach
ing Presidential election, believing
that the honor of the country and the
well being of the people depend in no
small degree upon the result, l feel
compelled to depart from the reserve
that has become habitual with me,
and express the earnest convictions
that press upon me.
! Under a constitutional government
the formation of political parties is a
necessary consequence of the diversity
of human minds and interests. Senti-
mentalists in their closets may dream of
an ideal Republic. all of whose citizens
are perfectly wise, virtuous and, conse-
quently, unanimous; but such dream
can never be realized on this earth,
and we must recognize the fact that
political parties are not only necessa-
ry, but beneficial, acting as they do as
checks upon each other. Experience
has shown, in all constitutional coun-
tries, that when any party possesses
uninterrupted power for very long
time, especially when the minority is
too weak to interpose any efficient
check upon the actions of the MAORI
ty, the tendency is that the leaders he
come careless and reckless, forget that
there is any power to which they are
responsible, look upon office as per-
sonal possession and reward, rather
than public trust, and learn to re-
gard their tenure as permanent. So,
too, the legislative bodies become in
inclined to a system of extravaganza,
which engenders corruption, facilitates
the formation of rings, and finally de-
stroys the prosperity of the people.
The only sure remedy in such a case,
is that the people shall, through the
ballOt-box, place the former apposi-
ton in power.
That our country is now in the con-
dition described is proved by the uni
versal and peremptory demand for
complete reform by the people, with
out regard to party.
Among Democrats there is no doubt
as to the manner in which the change
should be accomplished.
With many Republicans the ques-
ton issyhether they can trust the pro-
LESSONS of their party, or whether
they must take the disagreeable step
of breaking away from old political
associations, by leaving the party I'M
der whose administration all the evils
of which they complain have grown
up, and act with the Democrats, who,
from the force of circumstances, must
necessarily be reformers.
l have the highest respects for the
personal character and intelligence of
of the Republican candidate for the
Presidency, and believe him to be an
upright gentleman; but it seems to
me quite impossible That he can
change tho organization and policy of
his party.
The leaders who control and shape
its policy would be the same after his
election as now, and it is idle to hope
for any change in them, or under them.
1t is now abundantly evident that
had not a Democratic House been
elected in 1874, it would have been
impossible to unearth the various IT,
stances of maladministration that have
come to light land it is equally clear that
until the Government passes into the
hands of the Democrats, we shall
never know the whole truth, whatever
it may be; and we need to know the
truth as to the past, that it may serve
to guide us in the future.
Believing, as A firmly do, that ev-
cry consideration of honesty and sound
craftsmanship, every true national
and individual interest, demands the |
prompt Inauguration of policy which |
shall, in the briefest practicable time, |
reduce every governmental expendi- |
ture to the lowest point commensurate
with honor and efficiency; regarding |
the reform Of the civil service il It's |
broadcast sense, and with it the enforce
ment upon office-holdcrs of the con-
victiOn that their only business is to
perform their public duties, and not |
to manipulate party politics, as an in
herent part of this reform; satisfied
that it must be accompanied by fnan-
cial measures steadily directed to-
wards the resumption of specie pay