Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-04-20

Hos. MosrooxKRY BLAIn on THE
SrruArlos.-we think that political
wisdom ms not born with por 4 Il
necessarily esAenponneous viGh he
Blairs. Moreover, that Il eannoe sur-
vive Montgomery himself. We believe TO
be . non sequarr. Neverthelsss, Nr.
Blair is entitled to Be heard and his
opinions to be weighed in all democrat
&c consultations, and hence We give be-
low his reasonings, favoring the Selec-
ton Of Gov. Tilden as the democratic
nominee for The presidency. Mr.. Blair
contends that 1'ilden il the most avail
able man yet named, but for this opia-
ion he gives no other reason thatwe can
zee, except that Tlden is more promi-
nently connected with the question Of
Reform than any other democratic as
pirant ard that democratic success de.
ponds upon making the reform issue
the issue Of the campaign. Nov, we
admit that the Reform issue is vital
one and we give it a. our opinion that
Ti:den would prove himself exception
ally strong upon it. but unhappily for
Mr.. Blair's reasonings. there are 9TH
er vital issues, the currency and Sec
tional Issues, for instance, which, have
also to be taken into account in ally fair
discussion Of the question of availabili-
~. We do not mean to intimate that
Tilden is not as sound upon these is
sues as upon the Reform question, but
We say this, that in discussing the ques-
ton of availability heed must.be taken
Of more subjects than one. Four years
ago, Mr.. Blair's sine qua non was the
avoidance of war issues Then As now
he sang the praises of "rcform" as the
only trenchant issue to the exclusion of
all other songs, but every body knows
that the "war issues" would not "down"
at his bidding. Now, be admits, in his
present paper, that the adversary is still
struggling to keep alive these issues"
and whether he admits it or not, it is
notorious that the whole endeavors of
Blaine, Conklinc and Morton in the pre-
sent Congress have been directed to fir
ing he Northern heart by making ex-
hibits' Of the "bloody shirt" garment
aud of supposed Audersonville cruel
ties. Nor is this all. The Republican
State platforms, and the newspaper Re.
publican organs, have all been recently
tuned up to this key. Thus, whether
we would have it so or not, sectional
issue will again be thrust into national
politics. 1t never seems to have sug-
gested itself to Mr.. Blair that the Re-
publicans could make issues as we'll
as the democrats and that the force
of political issues is not always to be
measured BY their pertineucy. Besides.
the currency division in the democrat
ic party will have to be dealt with
That this will be bridged over, we can
and do believe, but We seriously doubt
whether the rigid finance views of Gov.
Tilden, and of speedy resumption and
hard-money people like him, will re-
ceive the endorsement of the St. Louis
Convention, and We are certain, wheth-
er this lie the case or not, that finance
and sectional, as well as reform availa-
bilitv, will be made factors in determ-
lining the nominee of that body. We
wish not to he misunderstood. We are
not writing at present against any body
or in favor Of anybody, our purpose be.
ing to show. that availability should be
considered from more points than one,
and that the inquiry rs to who is the
most available man from all points, is
still an open question, Mr.. Blair to the
contrary Notwithstanding. And with
this prologue, we submit the letter, of
Mr.. Blair to our readers.
WASHINGTON, March 1S, 1876.
DEAR SIR: l have your letter. re-
auestiug for publication the views ex-
pressed by me in n recent conversation
with respect to the pending Presiden-
tial contest. The sum OF them was that
we Ought to continue the contest as we
began in 1872, when we agreed to fore
go all other issues save that of reform
in the administration Of the Govern
ment. The adversary then struggled,
and still strives, with the help Of the
Hon. Ben Hill, 10 keep alive the issues
of the war, for the purpose Of prolong-
ing abuses which, however great, go I'M
checked, while sectional strife holds
the public mind. We did not carry
the elections in 1872, because we were
not fully successful in making the issue
of reform. But We made such be-
ginning that the victory Of our adverse
ries has proved barren one. We so
far succeeded that a show ADMINISTRATION
had to he made. The Credit Mobilier
fraud which, though well known before
10 all public men, could not command
public attention, now absorbs it. Spoil
alton was checked. j. Cooke & Co.,
who had largely advanced the money
to carry the elections, could not be re-
imbursed bs Congressional Endorsement
II