The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-09-23

edy and the process of cure than any Other
public man who is eligible.
lam, of course, utterly opposed Ia the re
peal of the resumption act or any par, of 1t
and | disapprove of any concession on thai
point, IN form or substance by Mr.. Tilder
!, or any body else.
Il l know that the soft.money democrats have
claimed that Mr. liden has surrendered on
the currency question, and the republicans
have fastened to accept their authority ~
conclusive on that point. Mr.. Tilden's opin
ions on this point re not new, nor were they
first placed before the public IN his letter, hui
If he does not in that document lay down
hard money doctrines, then language has bo
meaning, and could not express hard none,
doctrines myself The soft-money men have
within year or two, begun /" USE some
Ihard-money phrases IN forced, artificial, and
impossible applications. They find lhost
phrases in Mr.. Tilden's letter, and that Is the
ground on which they claim his surrender.
=. Mr.. Hayes has made very distinct avowal
that he will resist the repeal of the resump
ton ACT unless something better is put In it,
place, and If he is elected l shall certainly
await with generous confidence a fufllmenl
OF that pledge. The difficulty is just the one
which seems to me radical in his candida
ture. Between two candidates, one of whom
is recommended to me on the opinion OF his
friends, the other of whom has record OF
action and achievement under nay knowledge
and Inspection, my most rational expectation
of such performance as desire attaches to
the latter.
put next in this canvass the mater of ad
minislrstve reform. Mr. Tilden has been
governor of the state which has led IN the de-.
mOralizalion of our politics since the begin.
ming of the century. He has had the hardest
position for beginning reform, perhaps
which there is in the union. He has made
the only positive and successful steps toward
IT. at the risk of his own political fortunes,
which Ikrow of in the country. The news
paper exposures of the Tweed ring would
have made no more impression on that body
than the patterng Of rain on the hide of a
rhinoceros, and the members of the ring
would today have BEEN Haunting their stolen
wealth in the face of the public, if Mr.. Tilden
had not reduced their guiltto an arithmeical
demonstration, available in court of law.
The canal.ring fight is known to everybody.
| have in mind, however, not only these
reform efforts, but also administrative re.
form. Twill take single case which tioated
in paragraph through the papers, occasion.
ing, so far as ever saw, very little attention,
but which had an immense effect on my
vate conversation.
1t was stated that the politicians Of the
southern tier of counties of New York were
bitterly hostile to Gov Tilden The reasons
were given, two in number: /. Mr.. Tilden
had refused to remove the republican super.
intenden. of the asylum at Elmlra IN order TO
appoint democrat. 9. Mr.. Tilden had re.
moved for cause, the corporation counsel
of Elmia, who was democrat, although the
conmon council of that city was republican
and could elect republican successor. These
were good grounds for the opposition OF the
"pollticRhs,' but they were an imperative
demand on me, if was an "independent,"
aud meant what | had beeh talking about for
years, TO give him my full, hearty and eff.
cient support if it ever came in my way.
That Mr. Tilden is politician enough TO be
available is only an advantage, since we can
not get an angel with a flaming sword, and
think that we independents have cast worse
reproach upon ourselves than our most sar-
castle critics, since we have failed to seize
upon chance which offered itself TO our de.
mand, and have chosen to trust 10 a ground
less faith and hope for which we cannot
give reason. In this latter light | must be
allowed, without ofiense, to regard the sup
port Of Gov. Hayes.
of Gov. Hayes, who declared that Hayes was
very modest man, whose modesty prevent
ed HIM from accepting the United States sen
atorship. quote 1t as an instance of what
seems to ne wrong reaN oning on these mat
tiers. IL Gov. Hayes Is such man as is now
claimed, ii seems TO me that he is just The
mar we have sadly needed in the senate for
the asst few years, and. if. he refused 10 70,
he turned his back on the call OF public duty.
dc not deny his right to refuse, although in
general hold it sound doctrine that a man OF
good health and independent fortune ought
to serve the state when duly and honorably
selected; but if Mr.. Hayes was ever to be a
candidate for the presidency, he ought to
hav. pursued public career in the subordi-
nate places which opened to him; he ought
to have allowed Us TO see him in those places,
and he ought to have made a record on which
we Gould form judgment today, and not be
thrown on the say.so Of his friends. If he is
to b. elected | shall certainly not preJudic.
him nor allow any prejudice to arise in my
mini; bat wnen look back on former cases
in which the campaign enthusiasm has sur.
rounded an untried man with a halo which
has subsequently faded into something worse
than obscurily, my imagination refuses TO
act
Another point in this canvass which very
dee)ly interests me is the condition and fu
,url of the south. The campaign seems to
be urnhg more and more to that issue after
all and il seems 10 be fOunG that distrust of
rebS and the old war spirit are still so
s,rng as to be the best available campaign
capital. If that is to be so then must take
sid,s against any further administration OF
the affairs of the south by the north acting
through the general government. lhave had
occasion within year 10 review the whole
hisOry Of reconstruction. The effect upon
my mind has been shame and blame TO my
sclifor the share which l. as republican,
have had IN helping To build up the worst
leg Station Of the nineteenth century | have
been shocked to realize by what successive
stales We have built up here system OF re
srctive and cocrcive legislation which very
few northern republicans know in even lis
bradest features, and ! can only recognize
in lIsorcer, riot, misrule, irresponsible off
cra tyranny, industrial loss, the results which
hare followed everywhere in history from
co,rcive legislation enacted by one cOmmu-