Litchfield enquirer., 1876-07-20
Haxes, Acceptance.

The letter of Mir. Hayes which we pub- fish on an outside page is on the whole a very satisfactory document. It is especi- ally strong on the subject of civil service reform and promises radical amend ment of the present system. One thing MT. Hayes must reckon upon: that, how ever ready they may be to talk buncombe on the stump, Congressmen will not give up their. present control of patronage without sharp struggle. This power gives tue Ins such heavy advantage over the Outs, that the continuance of Con- Rressman in office is often due to his skill in the distribution of posto6ices than to his skill in debate. This is especially the case with the Reconstructed South, where the fight for patronage is the real battle. Senator Spencer, of Alabama, has taught us that the man who controls the federal patronage is generally the man who can control Republican conventions and legis. latures. If Hayes keeps his word, the usefulness of MT. Spencer, and the like of Mir. Spencer, will be at an end. There are not so many Spencers is the United States Seante, as formerly, and there will be fewer still in March 1877, but there is Simon Cameron, and the like of him {! How will he like the enforcement of Mir. Hayes principle? He will talk reform in public, but if, after election, he does not insert his dagger under it's fifth rib. we are mistaken in the man. Indeed, it has long been our belief that the President who brings about real civil service reform will have to come to square issue with Congress about this matter of patronage. He will win, for the people will support him, but it will be long and bitter con- troversy, and the feeling at the City of Washington will be strongly against him.
 On resumption the letter gives no un- certain sound, and this is really Mir. Hayes strongest pointv His campaign of last year shows him thoroughly reliable where so many politicians, both Demo- cratic and Republican, are weak. Tilden is also strongly committed to sound currency; but the nomination of Hen- dricks,. and the weakness shown by the Democracy in the present Congress on that issue, indicate that Tilden's election would not be so much of Hard Money victory as his defeat.
 The only portion of MT. Hayes letter to which we should be inclined to take any exception is that which treats of Southern pacifcation, and here the fault is a neg ative rather than O positive one. It is perfectly true that ''laborers will not go and capital will not be ventured where the constitution and the laws are set at defance," but it is equally true that system of plundering state governments, such as have disgraced the name of Re. equally fatal to progress. Still, if, in case of his election. MT. Hayes will ''pro- mote, by the influence of all legitimate agencies of the General Government, the efforts of the people of those states to ob- tain for themselves the blessings of hon. est and capable Iocat goVernnaent," it will be most desirable improvement on the conduct of the present Administration. Above all, the withdrawal of the present power of federal patronage from politi- cians of the Spencer type, would be 8 more valuable aid to Southern Reform than any amount of direct interference.
 One peculiarity of Mir. Hayes letter is its ignoring of the present Administra- ton, another, the advocacy of the single term principles. President Grant must feel that they are in effect protest against his administration, and the letter will be none the less popular on that &C., count.
 In fact Mir. Hayes letter breathes the true Bristow spirit, and we hope its wri- ter will have the backbone, if chosen president. to carry out the program of reform he proposes. It will be an ex tremely difficult. but, If successfully ac cOmplished, it will make Mir. Hayes ont of the wOrthiest of American presidents.