The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-08-26
tn. Tnden Canvas. Thus Far.

lodged without strenuous and aggressive
efforts They hold the citadel, and without
more energy on the part of the ASSISTANTS
they will continue to hold it. The demo-
cratic party has been acting on the defensive
ever since the opening of the campaign.
party ont of power can accomplish nothing
SO long as it can be kept in defensive atti-
tude. Unless there is change very soon
the democratic party may as well make up
its mind to chang its harp on the willows
and sit down by the waters of Babylon and
weep"
Some democrats are trying to solace them
selves for the want of life in their campaign
with the idea that languid canvass is favor
able to the party, because full republican
vote is not likely to be called out when the
public mind is in state of apathy. This
reasoning holds good only in what are called
the 'of years" A Presidential year always
brings large republican vote to the polls,
even in the States where republican ascen-
dancy is assured that two -fifths of the voters
might stay at home without putting the
electoral ticket in jeopardy. The attempt of
democrats to console themselves for the fat
ness of the Tilden canvass by reasoning
which holds good only in an off year in
wolves fatal admission. 1t comedies that
the republicans are majority, and that
they only need to muster their full strength
TO insure a victory This is not an election
; which can be carried by what Mr.. Tilden
| used to call "a still hunt" inasmuch as the
great body of the republicans never fail to
vote in Presidential year.
Every conspicuous thing which the dem
ocratic party has done since the st. Louis
nominations has been an act of defence.
Scott Lords well known resolution, which
President Grant so neatly turned to republic
can account, was intended to repel an accu-
sation. Mr.. Hewitt's widely published
speech in reply to Mr.. Kasson, printed with
so much laudation by the democratic press,
was an effort to repel attacks on the charac-
ter Of the democratic nominee. Mr.. Tilden
has been put on the defensive in the courts
in relation to certain railroad transactions;
put on the defensive before public opinion
in connection with his course during the
war; put on the defensive by his trucking
to Hendricks on the great question of re-
his letter of acceptance have been sue
cessfully assailed. Thus far it has been
q canvass in which the democratic party has
had blows to take but no telling blows to
give. The republican candidate has not
been thus called on to meet constant
succession of charges 1t is impossible to
damage him in public estimation by assail-
ing President Grant Hayes is in no way
responsible for the blunders of the present
Observation-Disclosures more responsible for
them than General Dix is less responsible
for them than Secretary Fish is and yet
nobody thinks that Dix or Fish can be sue
cessfully stabbed through the sides of Grant.
Hayes did not appoint Belknap Hayes did
not protect Babcock; Hayes does not own a
summer cottage at Long Branch, has not
spent his time in junketing about the coun-
try, has accepted no presents, smokes no
big black cigars and has no immoderate
fondness for pups" Hayes is not hurt by
these staple charges against Grant, but tho
charges against Tilden, whether true or
false, are levelled at himself They have
thus far kept his organs and spokesman on
the defensive, to the great detriment of his
canvass.
The most vigorous and efficient Of all Mr.
Tilden's supporters in the press is trying to
'extract sunbeams from cucumbers' by
parallel between the Presidential election of
1910 and that of the present year. This is
cool cucumber, indeed q very small vial
will suffice for holding the extracted sun
shine. The Suns parallel holds good in but
single point. 1t is quite true that the
country is suffering from financial de-
preston now us it suffered in $780, and also
true that the financial stagnation now, like
the financial stagnation then, is largely
owing to arrangement in the currency.
But in all other respects tho present stua-
ton is IL contrast to that which existed in
1910. We do not merely refer to the con-
trast in the state of public feeling, which
was as hot and blazing in 1910 as it is
apathetic now, but to the different attitude
OF the popular mind On the question of
remedies The whig party of 1910, like the
democratic party of 1876 was party seeking
power by exposures of the existing admin
istration and by appeals to widespread
sense of suffering. But in that canvass the
wings had definite and ineligible remedy
to propose. and were thoroughly united in
recommending it, whereas the democrats at
present offer no tangible remedy which the
party agrees in indorsing. A United States
bank was then thought by the wings
TO be n sovereign panacea for the
existing disorders in the currency, but
nobody can tell what remedy the
democratic party proposes to administer in
the present conjuncture 1t is ridiculous to
expect that the country win have any conf
dence in doctor who tells the patient that