The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-08-05
WESTMINSTER, MD. SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 1876.

J0r REFORM, i0hOse capacity and courage for
The loork are matters Of record rather than
Of promise who will restore the simplicity,
Independence, and rectitude of the early ad
ministrations, and whose life will be guar.
anty Of his fidelity aud fitness man at the
mere sound of whose name even the most
disheartened will take new courage, and all
mankind will say, "The Americans are indeed
in earnest to restore the ancient purity of
their government"
These words do not apply to Gov. Hayes !;
aud it would be a disingenuousness hard to
characterize for those who wrote and adopted
them to select one Of the very persons against
whose possible candidacy they were leveled
as their ultimate exponent.
THE PLATFORM no LESS DEFICIENT.
But from the candidate let us turn to the
platform or declaration Of principles on which
he is presented. VIII that improve his posi-
tom Not at all. The platform, in its re-
iormatory aspects, is even weaker than the
nomination. One of the journals, The Neic
York E1eHing Post, which most strongly
sympathized in the objects Of the Conference,
said ofit, on the day Of its publication that it
was "half- hearted and 'timed." "The re e.
cent history Of parties contains many pages
Of feeble resolutions" it adds, Shut in a com
petition Of weakness the declarations adopted
yesterday may confidently challenge compar.
ison with any Others 1: was a tissue of
platitudes and commonplaces, such as we are
usually treated TO on such occasions, which
literally say nothing that ought to be said,
and say much that it is Indifferent whether it
be said or not. We look through it in vain
for any watchword or keynote of reform.
The Administration of Grant, which has been,
and to this day is source and instigation of
many of the most monstrous abuses that we
dcplOre, is commended to our approval and
gratitude. Its recreant abandonment of the
attempt at civil service reform passes unre.
buked. Not a word is said in denunciation
ofthe enormous conspiracies and frauds which
had converted the Government from pro.
tector into despoiler. No allusion is made
to the painful peryersion of high trusts which
have brought disgrace upon the nation. No
stern, resolute, unsparing determination is
expressed to rectify known wrongs, but only
a feeble promise to punish them if, peradven-
turc, they are discovered; no broad or states
manlike scheme for the retrenchment Of our
oppressive expenditures is broached no
hearty condemnation of the bad practice
which divides the spells of office among the
henchmen of Congressional leaders; no whis.
per of approval, even, of the law declaring
day for the resumption of specie payments,
which some Jealous Republicans would per.
suade us is solemn National pledge and the
sum and text of orthodoxy on the currency
problem. The members of the Conference
whose hearts were yet aglow with the beam.
ing eoquence of Schurz, Adams, Seelye,
Bullock, and Welsh, must have read its jeiune
and costiye phrases with the sensation of one
that passes from the vapor bath into cold
plunge.
THE LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE BETTER, nut NOT
ADEQUATE.
The letter of Gov. Hayes, since written in
acceptance of the nomination, is, in some re
spects, an improvement of the meaningless
symbol of his party. 1t recognizes the need
of correcting the present mode of appointing
to office, which has been one Of the foulest
spots of thoroughly foul system. But its
manner of correcting it-that is, by giving all
the present incumbents of office an indefinite
tenure-would simply perpetuate their hold
OF the trusts they have so many ofthem abus.
ed. Its principles, admitting them to be
sound as principle, would, in their practical
operation, be au act of indemnity for all the
felons and rogues who now infest and pollute
the public offices. 1t is also more emphatic, |
though still quite general and inexplieit on
the subject of resuming specie payments. In
his speech at Marion, Ohio, July 81, last year,
Gov. Hayes declared that he was firmly CD.
posed to contraction" and that she left the |
work of placing our currency at par to the in
Huences of time and the inherent energy and
resources of the country''-Mr. Bontwells |
much rdiculed scheme of 'tgrowing up to it,"
but how we are to reach resumption by that
process | fail to perceive. Resumption in
that form means no resumption. As whole |
This letter does not meet the exigency. 1t |
proposes to trim away few branches of the |
npas tree, while it leaves the root untouched. |
It's omissions are as fatal as those of the
platform. 1t does not even refer to, much
ess reprobate, that dangerous perversion of !
MI right theory and practice Of government
which, under the significant name of Grant.
SIN, has become the dominant spirit of the
party. These prodigious and proaigate ex.
Denditures that have maintained hordes of
Useless placemen and furnished food for the
corrupt manipulators of political machinery,
While they have almost paralyzed the indus.
ries of the people, are hardly mentioned.
No matured plans of economy no systematic
cheme for the readjustment of our absurd
md oppressive methods of taxation; no
'hange in the loose, procrastinating, and in
competent treatment of the finances is SO
much as limited at, and thus the letter leaves
Is in doubt whether the writer even compre.
lends the vital necessity of thorough revo.
ution of affairs.
THE ST. LOUIS CONVENTION
The Democratic Convention met in st,
4ous on the 9th of June. 1t differed from
III previous conventions of the same party,
according to a writer in the Tribune, in this
particular; 1t was composed
mainly of young men, or of those who had
,rown up since the time when that powerful
nifty, making its fatal mistake on the slavery
ssue, was broken into pieces, and large frag-
nent went wandering into the wilderness.
The friends of Mr.. Tlden, the acknowledged
New York reformer, easily obtained the or.
and from beginning to end held
he upper hand in all the proceedings Only
wo ballots we're taken-the first merely for.
nal and complimentary--whe Mr.. Tilden
vas unanimously nominated. He was, how
yer, not unopposed in spite of his ascenden-
y, but the opposition to him came chiefly
rom what are regarded as the most question
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