The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1876-07-20
WHY OUR GERMAN FRIENDS WILL
NOT VOTE FOR HA YES.

Our German friends do not take kind
ly to Rutherford r. Hayes, the Republi-
can candidate for President. Mr., Carl
Schurz in his address issued by the Fiith
Avenue conference at New York few
weeks ago, stated the case OF Mr.. Hayes
plainly. What he told his associates on
the committee was specially intended to
describe Hayes, is in the following Ian
guage;
eve shall support no candidate who,
however favorably judged by his nearest
friends, is not publicly known to possess
those qualities of mind and character
which tie stern task of genuine reform
requires. Y \ In one word, at pres,
ent no candidate should be held entitled
to the support of patriotic citizens OF
whom the question may be fairly asked,
is he really the man to carry through a
thoroughgoing reform Of the govern
ment? X Passive virtue IN the
highest place has too often been known
to permit the growth of active vice be-
low. The man to be intrusted with the
Presidency this year must have deserved
not only the confidence of honest men,
but also the fear and hatred of thieves"
This agrees perfectly with the opinion
of Hayes expressed by the Hon. Joseph
Pulizer of st. Louis, in letter from Eu-
rope, published in the st. Louis Times :
Hayes nomination means no change,
but rather a continuation Of the present
Republican party in power, with its
present tendencies. HAYES means the
status quo, and neither change nor re
form, but possibly even greater rascaity
than Grant has fastened upon the coun-
try, There is no reform possible with
out President of great will power and
great ability. Hayes certainly has nei'
ther, however respectfully he may have
demeaned himself as the Governor Of
State. His history while in Congress
proves this. He was cipher there,even
when it was certainly easy to make a
reputation if one had any ability at all;
and how much more Of cipher, then,
would he be as President? In any per-
iod, as you well know, President is, af.
ter all, first the representative of his
party. He may be simply an agent, a
follower of leader or the leader Of that
party. Judge then, his future by his
past, and it is clear that he is not capa-
BILE of being leader; and as President
he never would be anything else than
the agent, the Office disbursing and pat
ronage dispensing agent Of the men who
controlled his nomination and the party
which elected him, doing exactly what
the leaders req ured of him. Conkling,
Cameron, Logan, Blaine, Morton, and at
least hundred other Republican Con-
gressmen, are his superiors in intellect,
capacity, and possibly many of them in
character. As we'll might we talk of a
fly leading an elephant. 1 consider him
a piece of lucky mediocrity, and while |
know that mediocrity often succeeds
much better than merit, do not con-
found the two. His mediocrity must
have secured him his nomination. Ger
tainly the man who is not fitted to be
nationally prominent in his party, is
still less fiji to be President, although fit
to be the successor of such man as
Grant. / grow indignant when think
that such man may possibly be elected
President, especially after the eight years
misrule which Grant has given us, and
the pass 10 which he has brought the
country politically, materially and NOR
ally"
Perhaps, in the course of the canvass
Mr.. schurz will explain more completely
than he has yet done, how, after first
concluding that Hayes was not fit for
President. he finally came to the conclu-
sion to support this identical Hayes. 1t
is not of much consequence, however,
what Mr.. Schurz may say hereafter on
Hayes's personal qualification.