The Van Buren press., 1876-08-22
A TALK WITH GOV. rrLDIx.
Sound Ideas Relating to the Political
Campaign.


was the suggestion made as was prs.
pairing to leave home for my little sum-
mor's jaunt fortnight ago.
81 am glad you called" said be, be.
cause expect you cantell me something
about affairs in Ohio"
AFTER had concluded, he remarked.
"Weil, we must try aud carry Ohio this
fall. thought not to be permitted to 60
Republican again.
+" Because" said he. continuing. ~
want to see the Democratic party built
up on It's foundation stones. II 10 not
alone my personal ambitions that wish
TO have grati1ed. but the interest and
pride feel in the welfare Of my country,
which l believe can tc best served by the
restoration of that party to power. All
the political education Of my life--and
entered public life, I might say. when
vet A mere boy OF eighteen --nss been
with that party. Schooled in the poiiti-
cal teachings OF such men ~ Jackson and
Van Buren and Marcy and Silas Wright.
/, is but natural that should feel desire
to see those principles again the domi-
nant ones In our government"
"You have had the good or i'll fortune
Governor, l hardly know which to call It.
of having been great deal in public life
In your time without having been In Of
fee much
"Yes, that Is true There Is no man
In the State who has been more intimate
ly connected with its political affairs than
myself, aud yet may say that until
came into this one never was In ofilcc.
To be sure, l have been twice In the As
sembly, being sent both timcs to accom-
plish special objects, and twice in conven.
ton to revise the State Constitution; but
these we're merely incidental matters.
which took but little OF my time. ane not
at oil like offices which would have en-.
crossed it wholly. The truth is. that
while was always active in poiiticai al
fairs, l never felt that could accept Of.
fce l was devoted to my profes
sion, and felt that could not abandon il
for anything else that offered"
"Well, how came yor to make the
start at last ?"
Before answering that ] may say.
without wishing to talk too much Of my
self, that had gro wn tired and DISCUS
ted with the political corruption that |
saw growing up on every side. There
was the Capitalization Of power At Wash.
ington drawing everything toward the
general Government, and the dishonesty
It naturally engendered; there was the
wanton prohigacy Of Cur State govern
ments. and the monster rings organised
for robbery, which held our citizens un-
der their control. With these things -
an incentive, l determined to 60 TO work
to do what l could toward reform.
might not be able to effect anything at
the outset In the State Government which
was In the hands Of my political enemies
at that time; certainly could do moth
ing toward reform in administration at
Washington, but lelt that l could &C
complish something in my own city, and
so sat to work there. That was ut the
beginning, in the year 1871, and though
l realized that the chances were that
was entering n campaign that would bc
my political destruction, yet l pushed on
and finally was able TO triumph where
defeat had been promised me. Amer that
| was chosen as tho representative OF m
idca-:he idea Of reform in politics. Tho
of dignity and honor, know. But l
have seen so much Of public life in my
tme-I have been personally acquainted
with more than half the Governors tho
state of New York has had up to this
tme-that care little for tho dignity or
honor Of the thing. still less for its pay.
which doesn't amount to one fourth what
l would make in my ordinary practice.
but it's the opportunity that is given me
to establish the old principles OF the dem
ocratic party, the principles Of honesty
and capability, and OF faithfulness to
public trust, that value more than all
other things connected with 1t"
In this vein did the Governor discourse
upon the situation and the prospects, for
perhaps half an hour. when, at his sug-
gestion, We adjourned to his of,ciai
apartments, on the opposite side OF the
hall, in order that he might feel more at
home, he said. Here, after some time
the conversation about Ohio Was re.
newed
"Yoy have out there" said he. 50 large
independent vote. don't mean the Lib.
eral Republicans, but men OF perfectly
independent NleWS-SuCu tucu "o ~ues6"
Stallo and Judge Hoadley, Mr.. Reemclin
represent whom have been told are IN
favor of my election"
told him that such was the case.
"Such men are valuable allies to tho
party. Then the German vote am told
is moro favorable toward us this year
than last"
recounted the substance Of talk l
had had with Mr.. Hassaurek day or two
before leaving home in which he exprss-
ed tue same ideas.
well, now," said no As though in .
final summing up Of the case. there 10
ono thing all Of us as good Democratic
: can do. We can unite in vigorous cam
paign against our common enemy. We
can all agree in our determination to root
out tho fraud and corruption and dishon-
; esty which we see daily exemplihed 10
!, that party. We may have our different
views on matters Of policy, or hnancs.
and the like You people out in Ohio
NAV believe one way, and We people here
in New York another One IS as honest
in his belief AZ the other But the thing
for us all to do now is to unite and make
our battle on grounds on which We can
all agree, and then. after we hare woe