New-York tribune., 1876-07-17
LIE nENncRl1s AND REFORM


il. what assurance have they 10 give that
Democratic success means reformi The ability
OF GOV. Tildcn. and his integrity Of purpose,
NAV as well be acknowledged by his oppo-
nents. Men who honestly desire reform will
not bcIitt!e his services IN this city and state, nor
will candid men doubt that he would make an
earnest effort, if elected. t. honor himself ana
his party by pure administration. Precisely
the same may be said of Gov. Hayes; lis SIN
cefity of purpose candid opponents Will CON
cede. They claim that he would be power
less; that he cOuld not reform the pubic
service; that the opposition of party managers
ard the tendencies and habits OF lis party
would overcome Ills best resolutions. Have
thcv considered how il would be with Coy.
Tilden2
We are not inclined to worship either party
organization. Each commands the support oi
a great many t-uc and pure men. But each
is controlled, in the main, 10y placc-hunins
politicians. During sixteen years OF continued
decentralization III public aii .irS, 1t has come
to pass that those who run the machine on
either side. do 50 mainly for selfish motives.
The hope of success means TO the stat sman
or the rsiormcr hope of the adoption OF
cherished policy. To the party manager and
worker it means hope Of Oihc2, of share IN
the spoils, of fat contracts and nice jobs. Is
that no. true Of the majority Of those who do
the work for either pariyi Is 1t not
quite as true of the majority of Demo-
cratic workers a oi the majority
of Republican workcrSf Let those
answer who have known the Demo-
cratic party best, and have seen 1t tested
by "A share of power Mr. Iilicn, If elected,
will have TO contend with a combination OF
spos-hun,ins politicians at least as powerful
and a. greedy as any in the Republican party.
But he is a ryfoTmeT VINO has shown that he
can resist such tendencies in his own party.
Let it he granted that he will trF. l. II alto
gefher clear that he would succeed better than
Gov. HayeSi The individual counts for some
thing, but not for all. Very much depends
upon the relative strength OF the elements
favorins and opposing reform in the two par
ties. Very much dgcnd,, also. upon the per-
sonal relations Of the leader with those cle-
mcnts in his ovn party.
Ii is decidedly Ia the advantage Of GOV.
Hayes that bis associations have been with the
better class OF Republicans His parry Is
,ingrllarly free from rings in Ohio; lis admin
i,tlation there has been remarkably pure and
honest II is TO the disadvantage OF Gov.
Tilden that ne has been in close relations aS
an active politician and rs Chairman OF the
state Committee, with by 10 means the best
class o. workers Ia that State IN which
the Democratic party was nDtOTioasly more
corrupt than anywhere else. lie aided power
fully to strike down the Tammany RiIg. II Is
true. Bat there were associated with Tam
many, in every county in the State, men whose
notions Of political virtue were such that they ala
10. scrupl to help Tammany, even in making
fraudulent returns in 1868. With these men
Gov. 1ilden acted then. Is it clear that hc
has wholly separated from all of them now
Would old associations and the memory oi
sharp contest, in which taey worked heartily
toceiha.r be never remembered hy the Gov
crnor when these active Democratic workers
should become applicants for o!iicc7 Behind
ali tlis is the grave fact that the better elc-
mcuts are not strong in the Democratic party.
!ts machinery is at least Is corrupt AZ that OF
the Republicans; it, body OF Ignorant
or pIeiudiced voters, who sustain the
party whether night or wrong, Is proper
tionally much larger; its positive and uncom-
promising reform element Is relatively weak.
We have only - look ut recent history for proof
MANY thousand Republicans have shown that
they were in earnest in demanding reform, for
thcy have boltgd unworthy nominations, and
Organized to fight against the party itself, If
necessary. II is no secret that this fo.ce OF
holt,Is hls not btcn strongly rccDi0 ced from
the u !n1cIa.ic ranks. Nine ont oi tyn Of the
men known a. independent voters have been
Republicans The greater strength OF Demo
cratic attachment to party names Is unde-
uiable Many OF that party desire good gov
ernmcnt Not many have shown the dispo-
si,ion 20 defeat their own party whenever 1t
misbchaved. The politicians care nothing for
the good citizens who vote with the party,
right on wrong They stand IN dread only OF
! the mutinous independent who viii vo.e with
! the party only when 1t satisfies his c0HNic-
tions. In which of the two parties is that
element likely to have greater io.cc!
The Democrats have been Oh trial during
the past year. Their conduct in the House
has been constantly restrained b. desire 10
carry the Presidential election and by the as
surance that tine independent vote would not
help them if they mis5chaygd. It is lair to
say that if the Democratic party has not shown
its best, it certainly has not shown its
worst. during the last year. But what sort
OF reform does the conduct OF the Democratic
House promise7 Has it not turned out OF
Office the most capable and worthy men be-
cause they were Republicans Has it not Sc
lectci some men because they were on the
wrong side years ago, and others because they
had been INSCRIPTIONS workers ior party
Has it not manifested, in short, precisely that
spirit which, under the administration of
Grant, has developed so much corruption in