Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-07-01
SECTIONAL FRIUMPHs.

The nomination Of Hayes is claimed by
some as . triumph Of the West. We are
at loss to see upon what ground the
claim is based. 1t is true that Mr.. Hayes
is Western man, that his birthplace is
West of the Alleghanies, that his life has
been spent wholly except when absent
upon public duty within the bounds OF
his native State, Ohio. But we fail to
see how these facts constitute any ground
sor the claim that by the nomination OF
Mr.. Hayes tho West have secured snoth-
er triumph.
Let US analyze the vote Of the convep-
tion and see where the strength Of the
various candidates was drawn. As the
leading candidate, Blaine came into the
Convention with strength drawn from
every quarter. His own State was solid
in his support, but the rest of New Eng
land gave large vote against him. 1t
was in the West-in such States as Iowa,
Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and California
that Blaine had the most enthusiastic
support and the greatest strength. :
Bristow, although Southerner, received
his strongest support in New England
and the North. Hayes, the successful
candidate, started with but little support
outside Of his own State, and that support
drawn from the Eastern more than from
the Western States. He gained on avery
ballot until the seventh, whom the nomi-
nation was made. and the votes Of both
the leading candidates came from the di-
vided delegations Of almost every State.
The Republican is a national-not a
sectional party. Under its regime liberty
and law are no longer meaning less words
in one quarter ofthe Union, while holding
their full application elsewhere. It's
principles are national and its candidates
are national. 1t looks to the prosperity
and good government Of the whole Union,
and does not seek TO aggrandize one Sec
tion at the expense Of others. And in the
choice Of rulers its aim has been to Sc
cure purity of principle, ability, integrity
Of character and unalloyed patriotism,
and where these we're believed TO be found,
no further qualification was demanded.
Least Of all was asked the place Of
mans birth. Tho particular locality in
which a man first saw the light is t he
poorest Of all arguments which can be |
used in his favor. This thing of repre-
senting different sections on the National
ticket is come down to US from the old !
slave holding times and should have dis
appeared with the peculiar institution"
Then Wings and Democrats alike felt
necessitated to put Southern man on
their ticket, or it would have had no
chance OF success in a single Southern
State. Not content with that the slave
breeders demanded that the Northern
representative should be "sound" on the |
slave question, and each party in the
North was sufficiently governed by dough-
faces to accede 10 the demand. North
ern Democrats, especially, could out
Herod Herod in their praises of the pa
triachal institution. But the Republicans
as party do not feel called upon to rec
ognize the claims of section, unless merit
and capacity combine to give it promi-
nence. They recognized once, and they
are not likely to forget the experience.
Andrew johnson was made Vice Presi-
dent because he was Southern loyalist.
The bullet Of an assassin made him Pres
ident, and at once he commenced to un-
do all that had been done in four years of
internecine war. Let us be national in
all things recognize merit and fitness
whether found in the four million people
of the Empire State, or among the pio-
neers of an unorganized territory. The
Republican party made great step to-
wards true political freedom when it
swept away the distinctions of caste and
colors; it has but little farther to go when
we say that locality and section do not
constitute valid claim on our snffrages.