The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1876-09-07

he disclosed himself as reformer, had be-
come, IN the not altogether virCuous school of
Democratic New York politics, the adroitest
manager, the most accomplished political ma
/ chine-rnaster OF our days. He is that now,
and I think I do not wrong him when say
that to this accomplishment his nomination
/ for the Presidency is largely due. Now sup
pose him President, and under him the broil of
conflicting factions in his own party, threat
ening to disrupt the organization and
endangering the continued posses
/ sion OF power so long worked
and hoped for-will not necessarily the arts
| Of the manager, the party machinist, so
well understood, and so long and successfully
| practlced, be again resorted to, IN order to
avert the disaster of a rupture? Let me say
\ to you that, in my whole political experience /
have never known man who was pro-
] foundry versed in the tricks of machine man
agement, and had grown strong through their
employment, that was willing to throw them
aside when by them he would carry an inn
portant point. And what means viii present
| itself to the man at the head of the machine in
such case? One but too well in accordance
/ with the traditions, instincts and constant
practice of the Democratic party the cohe-
sive power Of the public plumber" Ask your
! selves whether that will not be necessarily so.
Is it not inevitable that a party so
| torn by internal dimensions viii demand
that cohesive paste so as not to fall to
| pieces VIII not the memories of the Douglas
| and Buchanan feud, with it's disastrous conse-
! quences, stare the managers IN the face as
| warning example? Is it not certain that they
will eagerly use the means already at hands
This Office will be used to silence the opposition
of this man, that Office to purchase the support
/ Of anolner and bread and butter generally TO
! stop the clarnor of factions by filing their
mouths. AS the war betW cen Tammany and
anti-Tammany. between Boss Kelly and John
/ M Vorl- No.
| ing the adherents of one the Custom House to
reform and permit the adherents of the others
to iufuse virtue into the Postoffce or
the revenue service, much to the relief
and delight of the business community
will not in the same way, by skillful distribu-
| ton of the Government plumber the soft
money and the hard-monev Democrats East
and West be made to understand that they be-
long together, and that the table will be spread
! for them all only as long as they live together
like good boys And the result? In spite of
! all the pious wishes now entertained and ex
pressed bv some Democratic leaders and some
independents who follow them, g the cohesive
power of public plumber" viii rule the hour
! the spoils system, that most dangerous foun-
tain of Generalization and corruption will flow
more richly than ever-and then
! farewell long farewell, to
the great reform that is to make and keep the
public service once more honest and pure. Is
that what you, my Independent friends, de-
sire and strive to accomplish ? Nay we shall
be in a more deplOrable condition than
ever, for the spoils system naturally grows
worse and worse in its effects the longer 1t IS
permitted to exist. That will be the inevitable
/ consequence of Democratic success as fore
/ see it. A change, yes but change making
the necessity of q wiser change more pressing
than ever.
Let me return to the other side. No sensi-
bic man will deny that the reform which the
tnoo
complished only if the programme be carried
out which we find in Gov. Hayes letter of ac-
| ceptance. But is Gov. Hayes the man to put
through such programme VIII he possess
courage and persistence enough to Withstand
! and overcome the adverse influences in his
/ own party which have shown themselves so
| powerful ? This is a legitimate and important
question. | shall endeavor consclentlously
to answer it. That Gov. Hayes has very clear
conception of what genuine civil serYice reform
MEANS he has abundantly demonstrated by the
specific propositions in his manifesto. Neither
are these ideas new with him, or put forth
merely to produce q momentary erect. You
! will find the same views stated partly IN the
same language, in inaugural addresses and
speeches delivered by him years ago. long
/ before he was thought of as d candidate for the
Presidency. They are, therefore, the off
spring of deliberate and well-matured conVlc-
ton. But has he the courage necessary for
such q task? Courage as candidate
entities him 30 the presumption that
| he Will have courage as a President. 1t
would seem to be the natural interest and
desire of candidate to keep at least all the or
ganized and strong influences IN his own party
in the best possible humor with him, by Gre
! ating the impression that he will be all things
to all men, 80 as to insure the hearty co-opera-
tion of all. Mr.. Tllden seems to understand
! that. Now, have you considered how much
| strength of conviction, how much honest
! courage IN q candidate it requires at the
| opening of a canvass to go before the people
with manifesto like Gov. Hayes letter O. &C
| ceptsnce which, in it's comprehensive and
sharply-defned demands for reform, contains
the most unsparing criticism OF abuses talntlng
| his own party? This candidate tells Congress
men that if he is elected President they must
expect no patronage from him. He tells the
| officers Of the Government that from them no
! party service is desired. He tells party workers
hat party service will not be regarded by him
as a claim to reward ; and in the face of the
fact that the President Of the United States
now in Office had himself elected twice, and
would not have recoiled from a third
term had it been within reach, he
frankly declares his infexible pur-
pose not to be a candidate for reelection,
on the ground that sincere reformer should
not expose himself to the temptation OF using
the patronage for the promotion of his personal
interests. Is not that. courage-the honest
courage of true conviction? Show me IN the
whole history of the republic single candidate
for the Presidency who, in the face OF uncer-
tain Chances had the courage to issue 20 dehanC
manifesto az this You will find none.
ask You, my Independent friends, to compare
the manly, straightforward, unequivocal declar-
atoms of this manifesto with that artfully con-
structed tangle of words, Gov. Iilden's letter
of acceptance.
/