The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-09-28
TIE CAMPAIGN.

:
are conspicuous: one, that the candidate
who is urged as The great reformer is en-
tangled in endless explanations; the other
that intelligent mon every where are ask
ing for the evidence that the Democratic
party has shown itself to be essentially
changed. The is! ues stated in the plat
forms and discussed by the orators and
the press are three: the finances, the
South, and civil service reform. But
they all spring from the war, and the
Democrats can succeed and Mr.. Tildcn
be elected only by the virtually solid
South" Thus VIC have precisely the sec
tional aspect of an election that we
had before the war; and the Democratic
proNosition is that the vital issues grow
ing out of the contest shall be settled by
the Southern party. Dcmocatic reform"
means simply-to use words which are
well understood, and not for needless
offensc-a union of rebels and copper
heads for the administration of the gov
eminent Which was saved from their con
v,
stitutional amendments which they des-
perately opposed and denounced as rev.
dictionary and void.
Before cntrusting the national govern
ment to such hands, however, intelligent
ami patriotic men will long and carefully
deliberate They will hardly find in the
fact that Belknap was a dishonest
Secretary of War sufficient reason for
putting Wade Hampton in his place, nor
because of the ofienses of the Whiskey
Ring will they think it wise to fly for
refuge to Ben Hill, or Tucker. They
will, on the contrary, ask whether party
Of which these, with others, are the chos
en- representatives,, party which really
wishes Horatio Seymour and him only II
New York, which replaces Schurz with
Cockrell in Missouri, and Ferry and
Buckingham with Eaton and Barnum in
Connecticut, is in any sense whatever a
party of reform, or any other than the
old familiar Democratic party which for
sixteen years American patriotism and
intelligence has spewed out of its mouth.
To this question they will find but one
answer Nor Can single good nomina-
ton here and there change the general
impression.
The real drift and instinct of the Dem
ocratic party were shown in the nomina-
ton of Mr.. Seymour in New Yok, not in
that of Mr. Adams, in Massachusetts.
Mr.. Seymour was the resistlcss and en-
thusiastic choice, overbearing all the can
ny and crafty plans to impose another
name as prctense of reform. Mr.
Seymour is and las always been a
Democrat and the representative of what
the country most profoundly distrusts in
Democracy-the apologist of slavery, the
Comprehend of the war, the candidate Of
reputation, and the foe of the amend
ments. This was the natural, ardent,
instructive Democratic choice. and the
choice reveals the spirit and tendency Of
the Democratic party. But Mr.. Adams
was in no sense the earnest, natural, in
stinctive choice of the Convention that
nominated min. The managers did not
pretend it. They asked his nomination
for effect elsewhere. They pleaded for
il because it would give to the party
which idolizes Mr.. Seymour an air OF re-
form. It would enable Democratic news
Dapers to declare that the nomination
Was proof of change of heart. In other
words, it was proposed and carried rs n
sraGd. IT WAS n trick to carry an cleo
tom. like the nomination of Mr.. Greeley
at Baltimore. We DO not believe that
there is single Intelligent voter in Mas
sacliusctls who believes t that Mr.. Adams
rcnresrnts the Democratic party in that
state. C: in any other, in the same sense
that Judge IIoar represents the Rcpubli-
cans. lie is put upon the ticket TO catch
tile dissatisfied vote. He docs not stand
for reform within the Democratic party;
for If that 4cIe the spirit of the party,
il would not have taken candidate who
is not now and never was Il Democrat,
but it would have nominated one OF its
own members. 1t did not do it, because
there is no conspicuous Democrat in Mas
sachusetts who represents reform either
in or out of the party. The nomination
CT Mr.. Adams merely shows that when
the Democrats wish 10 prove that they
arc reform party, they must select a
candidate who is not.a Democrat.
All these facts are duly weighed By the
people, whose Intelligence the DEMOCRAT
ic leaders underrate. The consequences
involved in change of party control OF
the government at this time are very
much more momentus than those OF an
ordinary election. However indignant a
man may be with instances OF dishonesty
in public position. he will reflect that to
bring in the Democratic party is to DO
great deal more than change the officers.
Not only will a change not necessarily
bring reform, but change would neces-
sariy bring somewhat into question and
doubt the settlement OF the war. IL