The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-06-28
The Radical Chief and His Party.

Inc haClICal CnlSI anu Ills / dt ".
Northumberland RUTHERFORD
b. HAYES, the great Radical chief, who was
selected the other day by the Cincinnati
Convention a. fit and proper person for
President OF the United States, may be all
they say he is, and more, and still
he as a mu>tard-seed to 4 cannon-bal, or Il
mouse to a mastodon, in comparison with
even the most ordinary individuals, the pre-
sent incumbent not excepted, who have
filed the presidential chairat each recurring
olympiad, from the beginning of the Gov
.rnmcnt till now. II CUNKILNG had been
nominated, with all his peacock foppery, his
starch and strut, it would have been idle
TO gainsay his consequence as prominent
political leader, or to deny his capacity rs =
man OF breadth Of brain As well as expo
rcncc in wide fields OF craftsmanship. III
BLAINE had been nominated. the Democratic
party would have been confronted with one
of the hravest, ablest, most aggressive, and
most magnetic men in this country. II Nor
TON had been nominated, Notwithstanding
his devilish malignity and lattlesnakc ran
cor against the South and everything south
ern, we should have been obliged to recog-
nize him as a giant in intellect and Il man OF
national name. II BRlSTow had been nomi-
mated it would have been ridiculous to at
tempt to ridicule him as wanting in reputa-
ton, and the most preiudiccd and dlsingcn-
uous partisans on our side would have been
constrained 10 acknowledge him IS the rep
reSentativc OF 4 new feature Of reform, iii
the promise and prospective policy OF the
party that has corrupted the Government
until the stencil about Washington is enough
to sicken the stomach OF buzZard. But
rs it is, with Mr.. HAYES as the nominee, the
Republican party presents itself to the corn-
try as Il great army OF oilice-holdcrs and
office-scckcrS, led by 4 leader so short OF
stature, SO PLAN in form and feature, so UNI
qualtiedly ordinary altogether, that what
he thinks, or what he feels, or what he wants,
is q matter OF about rs little concern to his
party and TO the country, as if the Brigadier-
Governor-Gcneral was only an inanlmatc
object entering upon canvass III Whlch
he is only automatically the accepted
chief and champion Of the Republican
cause. Mr.. HAYES was certainly not noml-
mated with any sort OF reference to any great
measure he had ever proposed or especially
aided BY his espousal. He was certainly not
nominated in particular consideration OF any
prominent part he played in Congress,
where, we believe, he sat several years us ST.
lent as n man .vho had no voice TO express
his thoughts or no thoughts for his voice TO
express. He was certainly not nominated
with. any especial regard for the military
fame he had won in IN army, where, even
after rising to the rank OF brigadier, he was
probably as little known TO hundreds OF men
Of the same or superior rank as Il small boy
ut 4 big school is known outside OF hi
classes. He was certainly not nominated or
account OF any marked craftsmanship ht
has ever exhibited to the world during hi:
several Terms OF service as Governor o
Ohio. Why, then, was he fixed upon by
his party ~ lis candidate for the prcsi
dcncy! Win; WIS This iniddle-siZed, me.
diocrc, ordinary man, 10 litter than thou
sand otaet men you meet on the
streets every day il any OF the great
cities o. the Union; why is it
and how is it, we say, that this little Mr..
HAYES should have been taken up by his
party, and ut such perilous crisis in its
history, too, in preference to other men
distinguished for ability, for experience in
politics, and for service to their party? The
answer is easy. 1t may be that he was
nominated az the Republican candidate for
the presidency very much upon the princi.
pie OF the fellow who said that certain
other fellow must hiee great deal OF truth
in him as none had ever been known to come
out OF him. But, wes,spect, the Brigadier-
Goyernof-GeneraPs nomination is due In a
great measure TO the fact that he was con-
sidered so small that the eDemy's bullets
wouldn't hit him-tbat he had said SO little,
and done SO little, that it would be diff
cult matter to say anything against him.
And there is something in the argument;
but the Republican party will find that the