The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-08

tunity.
Governor Tilden ut the present moment
occupies better position than any other
candidate whose name has been mentioned
in connection with the ST. Louis nomina-
ton. He has certainly managed his canvass
thus far with shrewdness and judgment, and
he will probably 60 before the Convention
with greater positive strength than that OF
any competitor. Calculations at Washing
ton carefully made give him two hundred
and lightweight votes mt the commence
ment Others are expected to turn to him
after having cast one vote for their favoritcs
or in accordance with instructions, so that
he is said to be likely to lead in the subse-
qucnt ballots. Although good share of
guesswork necessarily enters into these cal
culations we see no reason to doubt the con-
clusion to which in this instance they lead
A position mt the head of the balloting IS
unquestionably an important advantage to
gain, especially as the South is well known
to be prepared to go over in body to any
candidate for whom the Northern States may
manifest decided preference. 1t has been
frequently alleged that the South and the
West would act in concert and agree upon
Western candidate, but rs yet there is no
indication and there appears to be little
prospect Of o voluntary concentration OF the
Western States on any Western name that
has heretofore been canyassed. Indeed, q
union Of the conflicting elements in the
West seems more likely to take place on a
candidate from some outside State than
upon one Of their own aspirants, or if a
Western candidate should eventually be sue
cessful it is probable that he will be one
who will be taken by the hand and led
into the front rank by influences outside
his own section. Hence, at the commence
| ment of the struggle for the prize OF the st.
Louis nomination, it seems tolerably certain
that, with the large vote of New York to
back him, Governor Tilden will take the lead
in the ballots.
But where q two-third vote is required
to nominate the candidate who leads in the
early heats does not always win the race,
and it is essential to the success of the de-
mocracy that the nomination at st. Louis
should not be forced upon the Convention
by sheer strength, but should be made in
manner to inspire public confidence and
to harmonic and consolidate the party all
over the Union If the democratic candi-
date be one who can carry unanimity Of
action and something like enthusiasm into
the Convention, and whose personal quail
ties commend him to the confidence Of
the people, he will in all probability be the
next President Of the United States. The
people are fully alive to the necessity of
checking tho progress ofthe corruption that
is eating away the life of the nation but
there is still want Of confidence
in the democracy owing to the folly and
indiscretion Of some Of the representative
men Of the party. 1t will require much
wisdom and entire honesty of purpose in
those who will control the action of the
ficulty. We do not doubt that it can be
overcome by prudence on the part Of the
delegates and self-denal on the part of some
of the candidates. The people would rather
seek reform through IN entire political
change in the national administration than
trust to the chance of securing it through
mere transfer of power from the hands Of
President Grant to those Of some other re-
publican. But they will require, not only
that the democratic candidate shall be ac-
ceptable on the score Of established honesty
and capacity, but that the Convention which
dominates him shall give proof Of its own
sincerity by the harmony with which it acts,
~. AZ ho11 10
vass with the prestige Of a united party to
aid him in the contest Everybody knows
what characteristics are demanded in
nominee ut this time. Governor Seymour,
Senator Herman and Mr.. Adams haye ex-
pressed in substance, and each in his
Presidential candidate who will fill the
popular idea must be one who will bear
upon his forehead his platform of princi-
pies, who will BIO personally known to the
people as the possessor of courage, honesty
and brains courage to destroy with a
strong hand the evils of the past honesty
to insure a pure public service in the
future ''brains' to reconstruct out of the
existing ''chaos' a government that will be
respected ut home and abroad. No one will
question that Governor Tilden can claim all
these qualifications yet his nomination
without harmony and unanimity in the Con-
vcntion would be valucless. He must carry
his party with him and be its free choice. or
his defeat would be as certain as would that
of an improper candidate unanimously
chosen.
1t will not do for Governor Tilden to
ignore the fact that there is powerful ele-
ment opposed to him in his own State, and
that it may be difficult to conciliate those
democrats from Ohio and Pennsylvania who
believe that their defeat at the polls last
November was mainly due to the efforts of