The Russellville Democrat., 1876-07-27
Hon. r. w. Bird, of Hassacbu- setts, on the St. Louis nomi- nations.

From the New York Wor1d.l
 At ratification meeting held in Faneuil hall, in Boston, in sup port of the St. Louis nominees and ] :he platform on which they stand, upon the return of the Massachu- setts delegation, the presiding officer, Judge Woodbury, said it had been expected that F. ". Bird would be present and tell what a liberal republican thinks
 about Tilden and Hendricks. But he was ill and had sent the ] following letter, which was mighty sharp, smart and biting, and would do any one good who should read it:
 EAST WALroLE. July 12.
 Messrs. c. l.. Woodbury, Thos. L.
 Jenks and c. F. Baldwin, Com.
 GENTLEMEN I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your invitation to address the ratification meeting at FaneUil Hall on Thursday evening. l very much regret that my health is stick that l could not accept it.
 It would give me great pleasure to join with my colleagues to the St. Louis convention in rendering an account of our stewardship. The result, whatever agency Massachusetts may have had in It, is one of which every true friend of reform may well be proud. Our eandi- date for the presidency realizes our Massachusetts ideal of a dem ocratic ruler; the candidate for tic vico-presidcncy, not quite up to that ideal, is yet 9 statesman ofpure life, of tried capacity and a spotlcss public record. l should be glad to be with you in the old "cradle'' to give a few of the reasons for giving my hand and heart to the ticket; but, for while at least, 1 must school my self to silence. 1 do not see how any sincere and earnest friend of reform can hesitate between the candidates presented by the two parties, especially when the party supporting each is considered. I ain sure l do not look at the ques tion a5 g partisan. In May last q meeting of notables was held ut the Fifth Avenue Hotel, in New York, to consider the duties of American citizens Tn the ensuing campaign. They were gentlemen of the highest character and of the most unscllish motives. As to their practical wisdom in af- fairs, there may be some differ ence in puplic opinion; but there was no difference upon this point, that they were capable of forming the highest ideal of q president and capable of clearly describing tbat ideal. This they certainly did in their addess to the country. After describing the condition of public affairs to which republican misrule has brought us, they de- scribe the candidate needed;" Our imperative duty in this res pcct is. plain and imperious, it suffers not trifing or equiYoca- tion; the wornout clap trap affair of promises in party platforms will not satisfy it. Neither will a mere fine profession on the part of candidates; not mere words are needed, but acts; not merely platforms, but men" These would well describe Bristow or Tllden Does Hayes meets their requirements? Again, they say We shall support no candidate who, however fayorably judged | hy his nearest friends, is not pub licly known to possess those qual- | ities of mind and character which | the stern task of genuine reform" &c. Jfthis was not designed as {; sketch of MT, Hayes, it surely de scribes him and his position. Again, they ask, "can he (the can didate) be depended on to possess | the moral courage and steady res olution to grapple with abuses which have acquired the strength ! o. established custom, and to this ! end firmly resist the pressure of | his party friondsw This means Bristow or rilden. They repudi- ate the availability which consists in this That the candidate be i neither so bad as to repel good | citizens, nor so bad as to discour- age the bad ones" Mfr. Tilden's nomination discourages the Tam any and canal rings. We do not yet learn that Mir Hayes noinina- tion dlscourages any of the rings which have made this administra- tion infamous They clinch their argument with the following: "The iman to be iltrusted with the presidency this year must have deserved not only the confidence of honest men, but also the fear and hatred of theives. lie who manages to cultivate the thieves cannot be the candidate for the honest men. Every Amer ican citizen who has the future of the republic and the national honor seriously at heart should solelnnlr resolve that the couutrv