Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-10-06

NOMINEE-sAMUEL J. TILDEN'S GENU-
me CRAFTSMANSHIP,
&c., &C., &C.
Prof. W. G.. Sumner is Professor
of Political Economy, or the Science
of Government, in Yale College, one of the
oldest and highest colleges in rank among
the institutions of America. He is, per-
haps, the abest writer and lecturer we
have on the subject. He is committed, be
says, to no party. He looks from the
standpoint of plain facts and logical rea-
soning upon the the vital question Of the
administration of the government and the
happiness of the people. What he says of
Governor Tilden and especially of the his
tory Of reconstruction is worthy of careful
perusal by all candid lien. So far as he
has had any connection with party, Prof.
Sumner has heretofore acted with the RI
publicans.
(From the New Haven .'Palladium.)
[ observe that most of the public dis
cusslons turn upon the antecedents, the
acts, ard the characters OF the one party
OF the other. Those considerations have
no force at all for my mind. | know my
neighbnrS. One Cf them is Republican
by habit, and the other Democrat by
habit, and neither Ct them can define his
party name. When, therefore, read the
description that party newspapers and
party orators give Of the opposite party.
look around me fer the demons who seek
the national ruin, and do not find them.
find neighbors, some of whom are under
one banner and some under the other, but
In their general tone and Will and inten-
lions those of one party are just as good
and just as bad as those of the other. Es-
pecially when [ remember that the social
distribution Of the two parties in the
Northern States is exactly opposite to
what it is in the Southern States. it seems
to me that the national parties are very
equally adjusted in regard to the social, in
tellectual, and moral clements which they
contain. Now, an historian or a foreigner,
reading the accounts which the parties give
of each other, must infer either that these
accounts are all false, and that they simply
constitute a depraved method of electioneer
ing which obscures the issue and prevents
the people from really using sound judg-
ment, or else they are all true, in which
case the people Of the United States are SO
unpatriotic, corrupt, disloyal, unjust, muir
deruus, and venal that it makes little diff
ference what is the result Of any political
struggle
regard the good sense. sound patriotism
and correct intention of the masses Of the
people in either party as substantially
equal. l regard the evil elements in the
parties as substantially equal, and I turn
for my grounds of iud. ment to the con-
siderati: MS which think genuine. l find
these in men. [ cannot trust d party. L
can trust man. | cannot hold a party
responsible. | can hold a man responsible
cannot get an expression OF opinion which
is single and simple from party. [ can
only get that from d man. a party cannot
have character, OF conscience, or reputa-
ton. 1t cannot repent, nor endure punish
ment or disgrace l know very well that
we are in the habit Of predicating all these
things of parties, but | should think our
experience had offered the fullest proof
that we cannot properly predicate any Of
these things of a party, except in broad
half metaphorical sense, under which all
the sharpness and efficiency necessary to
practical politics are lost. The proof is,
at any rate, satisfactory TO me.
have no information other than what
the newspapers have given us all. From
their story [ do not see how any one can
feel respect for the candidature of Gov.
Hayes. 1t appears that Mr.. Cameron was
piQued because some member OF his
dition and did not throw the State vote as
a unit, and he therefore refused to give the
State vote as a unit for their candidate at
the decisive moment. The Senatorial as
pirants could not see the prize go to either
one of their own number. and agreed only
that it should no. go to Blaine. These two
things combined gave it to Hayes. 1, at
the time, expressed the opinion that this
| course of events, when one reflected that
the business in hand was the selection of
chief magistrate of the nation, was a
farce" l did not then, and do not now,
deny the possibility that Hayes may be the
man for the crisis. [ cannot deny the
| possibility that. if you shake up the names
Of eight million voters in "a box, and draw
one by one, you may get the one out Of the
eight millions who is best fitted for the
Presidency, but we are assumed to be IA
tional beings, making an election on IA
tional grounds, and [ think We did our
selves little credit on that occasion in that
point of view. Some of the gentlemen
there came home rejoicing and triumph
ing over the party machine. They defeats
ed the machine in it's first intention, but it
doubled upon them with its well-known
suppleness and activity. Mr.. Hayes seems
to be the creature of the machine, and to
have no other public claim to The Presi-
dency. He must feel that his selection is
arbitrary, that he has everything yet to do
to justify public confidence, that he is the
recipient of an "honor.'' He cannot act
with the assured independence of man
who has advanced by well-earned steps, to
whom the Presidency comes as the highest
trust at the end of a caret L, to whom it is
less an honor than recognition and con-
cessiOn.
Mr.. Tilden'S nomination was opposed by
all the worst elements of his party, and
was supported by as honest, pure and IN
telligent men as ever led in any political
convention in this country. They were
many of them young men, representing the
hore, strength, faith and purpose Of the
younger half of this generation, to which
turned long ago with all my confidence
for the national future.
The question of the currency, to me.
stands before any other 1t appears to me
that Mr.. Tilden has shown more correct,
detailed, statesmanlike knowledge Of the
evil, the remedy and tn process of cure
than any other public man who is eligible
[ am, of course, utterly opposed to the
repeal of the Resumption Act, or any part
of it, and l disapprove of any concession
on that point, in form Oh substance, by Mr..
Tilden or anybody else.
I put next in this canvass the matter of
administrative reform. MI. Tilden has
been Governor Of the State which has led
in the demoralizay ion of our politics since
the beginning of the century. He has Lad
the hardest position for beginning reform,
perhaps, which there is in the Union. He
has made the only positive and successful
steps towards it, at the risk of his own
political fortunes, which | know of in the
country. The newspaper exposures Of the
Tweed Ring would have made no mere
impression on that body than the pattering
of rain on the hide Of a rhinoceros, and
the members OF the Ring would to day have
been haunting t1eii stolen wealth in the
reduced their guilt to an arithmetcal de-
monstration, available i'll court of law.
The Canal Ring fight is known to every
body.
I have in mind. however. not only these