The New York herald., 1876-08-01
The Republican Canvass-What thu
Party Should DO.

Governor Hayes letter OF acceptance dlo
what the Cincinnati platform entirely failed
to do; it gave definite promises and pledges
of reform and good government. 1t had an
important and fortunate effect upon the
party fortunes, for it did what the Cincin-
natl platform entirely failed to dot
brought back to the republican ranks large
body of voters, represented by Mr.. Schurz,
Mr.. Bryant and other leaders in sympathy
with them; men whose position was doubt
full and whose conclusions were watched
with much anxiety by persons who desire
the success of the republican party in
November. This class of independent
voters were not persuaded by the Cincin-
natl platform; but when Governor Hayes
issued his letter they were satisfied and
gave in their allegiance. They saw there
definite pledge of civil service reform,
sound money and Of liberal and consti-
tutional management in Southern af-
fairs-the three points of policy about
which all thoughtful citizens are anxious.
1t may be correctly said, therefore,
that Governor Hayes letter did what
the Cincinnati platform entirely failed to
dot secured to the republicans the sup
port of class of voters without whose votes
they cannot hope to carry the election.
But, on the other hand. the Hayes letter
excited the contempt and alarm of a con-
siderable and very powerful part Of the re-
publican party-of the actual chiefs and
rulers of that party in fact. The President
hOn off OF va tcxua ri
Spencer, Senator Logan, Senator Sargent
and the Senatorial Ring generally re-
garded it as most i'll advised and
ignorant document. More than one of
them spoke of it as ''rot" and de-
clared that it would very seriously damage
'the party" 1T is the hay at the end of
the pole that makes the horse pull" said
one of them show are you going to get men
to work if you can't promise them an Of
fce?" In short, the machine politicians who
have brought the republican party to it's
present condition of weakness, but who have
all the while feathered their own nests, and
who have not the least idea of giving up
their supremacy, were for the moment bit
terly offended. Since their first outburst
they have been silent but by no means in
active. On the contrary, they have been
extremely busy. They are fortifying them
selves. They are causing the dismissal from
the public service of all who are known to
be in sympathy with Governor Hayes letter.
Since that letter was issued they have turned
out Postmaster General Jewell, Commits
sioner Pratt, District Attorney Dyer, Mr..
Yaryan and considerable number of minor
public officers, of tried fidelity, in different
parts of the country. They have substituted
party men"-men who belong conspicuously
to the very class Of machine politicians"
whom Governor Hayes letter condemns and
offends They have begun process Of
whitewashing other public officials, as, for
instance, Secretary Robson. They have
caused the nomination of Marshal Packard
in Louisiana, as signal that the rule Of
terror and thievery in the South is not to
stop and while we see men like G. G. Sheats
appointed to federal Office in Alabama Bab-
cock retained in his place in Washington,
Orth, who, but for statute of limitations
might be under criminal Indictment run
ming for Governor in Indiana, and Secretary
of War Cameron urging the use of United
States troops in South Carolina, the organs
of the party and many of its prominent
speakers begin already to ''hoist the bloody
shirt and appeal to the people with tales of
outrage, most of which are false, and none
of which have any relation to the canvass.
One of the most effective speakers in the
party-a man of considerable infuence-de-
clared the other day that the strongest and
the only argument he cared to make for re-
publican votes was that it was not safe to
trust the South in the hands of demo-
Gratis. Meantime Mr.. Zachariah Chandler
is made chairman of the Republican Ma
tiopal Committee, and has begun the circu-
lation of documents the clear intention of
which is to arouse religious hatred and keep
alive the spirit of prejudice against the
Southern white people, as is sufficiently evil
dent from the following titles THE Bible
the Security of American Institutions"
Religious Liberty, Our Perils and Hopes"
'Vaticanism in Germany and the United
States ;" Relations Of the State to Religion
and the Public Schools y "The Bourbon
Conspiracy to Rule or Destroy the Nation )"
Democratic Violence, Prescription and In
tolerance;" Esprit of the White-Line Democ-
racy-Duty of the Republican Party to Main
tain the Rights of the Colored Men !" "Jeffer-
son Davis and Amnesty, being the notorious
Blaine debate; ''Can the Nation Trust the
Democratic Party?" and SO on.
That is to say, under the rule of Mr..
Chandler, the Pope and the 'sbloody shirt"
are to be made the two leading issues in a
campaign where the candidate has declared
that civil service reform, constitutional
government and q sound currency are the
real issues. In the bundle of republican