New-York tribune., 1876-10-27

! pFPSON1L CHtRfCTER NOT THE ISSUE
Would it not be well in these last ten days
of the Presidential canvass to drop some OF
the demagogism with which political campaigns
| always in greater or less degree abound, ana
from which this has not 10y any means been
| free, and try to discover and discuss the real
questions involved! We bad hoped, and
at the opening of the canvass expressed
! it, that the petty mcanncsSeS the scurllliy
| and blackguardsh, the gross personali-
ties, the coarscncss, malignity, and brutality,
| which are so frequent an accompaniment II
| not an unvaping characteristic of onr pot-
/ ical contests might be absent from this. IL
did seem possible in the earlier stages of 1t
for even active partisans To conduct the discus
| sions preliminary to such an election with
! something like courtesy and civlllty, without
| any sacrifice of sclf-rcspcct or any resort
| 10 nastincSs. mud-tlTowIng, or billlnENsate.
| notwithstanding the ba4 example oi the Dem
! ocratlc organs, which before his nomination
| assailcd Gov. 1ldcn's private character and
| pcrsonal integrity with the most INSCRIPTIONS
/ energy and malicious vindictlycnc>s oi pur-
! po.c that had neither limit nor restraint, we
/ hoped the Republican opponents OF GOV III
! den would refrain as far as possible from
/ attacks upon private character, and that the
/ discussion 50 far rs they were concerned
might rise to the level of principles. and
/ he addressed to the reason rather than the
passions and prcjudiccs of men. We do not
! say this hone has been entirely disappointed.
| Wearc rather disposed to think, on the contrary,
/ that the average tone of discussion haS been
/ little highcr-not much perhaps, but little
| than in former Presidential years. The average
| Republican organ has, we think, shown dis
position To treat political questions IN more
/ d?cOrouS and digniicd manner more ~ though
/ its opponents were decent citizens and not
convicts or wild beasts, than i'll former years.
Bnt il is manifest also that the debate,
| If il may be called "A debate, has too often
| dcgcncated into Il wranglc and rapid exchange
of sour epithcts and bad names. II j. equally
manifest, We aye confident, that tins style oi
augmentation has helped those against whom
il was directed and injured those "ho have
used it, That is the practical tact about II
which deserves the attention of politicians.
/ We believe il To he quite susceptible of
nroof that the whole line of policy which has
he'd to demonstrate Gov. Ti!dcn's personal
nnlitncss for Office has not only been failure,
but has actually rcdoundcd TO his advantage.
The average voter does not inquire into the
details of the private life of Il candidate for
the Presidency of the United States for facts
in hi. personal history upon which to either
support or oppose his election. Men of ordl-
nary intelligence know that the constitution of
! National c0nvehtions-madc up as they are Of
delegates from all parts Of the country, mostly
| men of affairs who are keen enough and
| shrewd enough not To begin their business
! with "A fatal blundcr-is sufficient guaranty
! of tho personal character of the candidate.
! More public men have benefited hy personal
abuse than have suffered damage from it. In
the case Of Coy. Tilden it cannot be doubted
| that the indiscrmnatn uSc of cpithctS the
coarse invcctivcs and sweeping dcnunciations
with which some OF the party organs have con
! stantly assailcd him, have reacted III his favor
| by arOusing sympathy for him, and exciting
disgust for such methods of political warfare
Ii has not been, and it ought not to be, a pay
| ing policy. 1t has helped instead of hurting
| him. TIE TRIBUNE has had no part in, nor
any sympathy with it. Even in the matter
of Coy. Tildens income returns, the discussion
of which may possibly be called an i'm
pertinent prying into private and personal
affairs, we have simply held that under the
circumstances it was quite legitimate and pro-
per to inquire if the suitOr who came dcnounc-
ing the burdens OF taxation, and proposing
to furnish relief from them, appeared in court
himself with clean hands. Inquiry in that
direction we deemed Legitimate and proper and
comment thereon not impertincnt. We still
regret, on Gov Tildcn's personal account, that
he has not made as ready and satisfactory an
explanation of this business as he has of his
individual views upon the subject of Southern
| claims.
But there are, as it seems to u.s. much higher
and more important issues mt stake than any
involved in Gov. Tilden's personal character
and we again appeal to the readers of TIE
TRIBUNE to the American People, to lay aside
all minor questions and consider with intelli-
gent seriousness what would be the effect upon
the country. upon its present condition and
future prospects, of the advent of the Demo-
cratic party to power. Gov. Tilden's per-
sonal character, good or bad, his probable
policy. whether wise or unwise. his pur-