The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-09-29
The TIlden Canvass rhus Far


The TIlden Canvass rhus Far.
From the New York Herald, Aug. 27,'75.l
The canvass on the Democratic
side has been, up to this time, so
fat aud tame as to raise ominous
misgivings in the minds of Dem
ocrets. 1t would be ridiculous to
suppose that the party in power
can be dislodged without strenuous
and aggressive efforts. They hold
the citadel, and without more ener-
gy on the part of the assailants
they will continue to hold it.
The Democratic party has been
acting on the defensive ever since
the opening of the campaign.
A party out of power can accom-
plish nothing so long as it can be
kept in defensive attitude. I'm
less there is a change very soon,
the Democratic party may as well
make up its mind to chang its
harp on the willows and sit down
by the waters of Babylon and
weep"
Some Democrats are trying to
solace themselves for the want of
life in their campaign with the
idea that a Ianguid canvass is
favorable to the party, because a
full Republican vote is not likely
to be called out when the public
mind is IN a state of apathy.
This reasoning holds good only
in what are called the "off years"
A Presidential year always brings
a large Republican vote to the
polls, even in the States where
Republican ascendancy is SO assur-
edthat two fifths of the voters might
stay at home without putting the
electoral ticket in jeopardy. The
attem pit of Democrts to console
themselves for the flatness of the
Tilden canvass by reasoning which
holds good in an off year involves
a fatal admission. 1t comedies
that the Republicans are 3
majority, and that they only need
to muster their full strength to
ensure a victory. This is not an
election which can be carried by
what Mr.. Tilden used to call "a
still hunt" inasmuch as the great
body of the Republicans never
fail to vote in a Presidential
year.
Every conspicuous thing which
the Democratic party has done
since the st Louis nominations
has been an act of defence.
Scott Lords well-known resolu-
ton, which President Grant so
neatly turned to Republican &C
count, was intended to repel an
accusation. Mr.. Hewitt's wide
ly published speech in reply to
Mr.. Kasson, printed with SO
much laudation by the Democratic
press, was an effort to repel attacks
on the character of the Democratic
nominee. Mr.. Tilden has b cen
put on the defensive In the courts
in relation to certain railroad tran
sactions; put on the defensive be-
fore public opinion in connection
with his course during the war;
put on the defensive by his truck
ling to Hendricks on the great
question OF resumption; and even
the statistics In his letter of
acceptance have been successfully
assailed. Thus far it has been a
canvass in which the OemocrtiC
party has had blows to take but
no telling blows to give. The
Republican candidate has not been
thus called on to meet - constant
succession of charges. 1t is
Impossible to damage him in pub
lie estimation by assaillng Pres
ident Grant. Hayes is in no way
responsible for the plumbers of the
present Observation-Disclosures more
responsible for them than Gen.
Dix is, less responsible for them
than Secretary Fish is; and yet
noboy thinks that Dix or Fish can
be successfully stabbed throughthe
sides of Grant. Hayes did not
appoint Belknap; Hayes did not
protect Babcock; Hayes does not
own a summer cottage at Long
Branch, has not spent his time in
ijunketing about the country, has
accepted no presents, smokes no
big black cigars. and has no i'm
moderate fondness for pups"
Hayes Is not hurt by these staple
charges against Grant; but the
charges against Tilden, wheth er
true or false, are levelled at him
self. They have thus far kept his
organs and spokesman on the
defensive, to the great detriment
OF his canvass.
The most vigorous and efficient
of all Mr.. Tilden's supporters in
the press is trying to extract sun
beams from cucumbers' by q
parallel between the Presidential
election of 1910 and that of the
present year. This is cool
cucumber, indeed; a very small
vial will suffice for holding the
extracted sunshine. The Suns
parallel holds good in but a single
point. 1t is quite true that the
country is suffering from financial
depression now, as 1t suffered in
1910, and also true that the
financial stagnation then, Is largely
owing to arrangement in the
currency. But in all other respects
the present situation is a contrast
to that which existed in 1910.
We do not merely refer to the con-
t-ast in the state of public feeling,
which was as hot and blazing in
1910 as it Is apathetic now, but to
the different attitude of the popu-
lar mind on the question of rem
edies. The Wing party of 1910.
like the Democratic party of 1876,
was q party seeking power by ex-
posures of the existing admins
tration and by appeals to a wide
spread sense of suffering. But in
that canvass the Wings had def
mite and Ineligible remedy to
propose, and were thoroughly uni
ted in recommending it, whereas
the Democrats at present offer no
tangible remedy which the party