The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1876-09-27

from accepting the United States Sen
atOrship. | quote it as an instance
of what seems to me wrong reasoning
on these matters. If Gov. Hayes is
such q man as is now claimed, it seems
to me he is just the man we have sad
" needed in the Senate for the last
few years, and. if he refused to 90, he
turned his back on the call of public
duty. do not deny his right to re-
fuse, although in general | hold it
sound doctrine that n man of good
health and independent fortune ought
to serve the State when duly and hon
Orable selected; but if Mr.. Hayes
was ever to be candidate, he ought
to have pursued public career in the
subordinate places which opened to
him; he ought to have allowed us to
see him i'll those places, and he ought
to have made record on which we
could form judgment to-day, and
not be thrown on the say-sO of his
friends. If he is to be elected, shall
certainly not PREJUDICE him, nor allow
any prejudice to rise in my mind but
when | look back on former cases in
which the campaign enthusiasm has
surrounded an united man with halo
which has subsequently faded into
something worse than Obscurity, my
imagination refuses to act.
Another point in this canvass which
very deeply interests me is the con-
ditiOn and future of the South. The
campaign seems to be turning more
and more to that issue after all,
and it seems to be found that distrust
of rebels and the old war spirit are
still so strong as to be the best availa-
BILE campaign capital. If that is to be
so, then 1 must take sides against any
further administration Of the affairs of
the South by the North acting through
the general Government. | have had
occasion within year to review the
whole history of reconstruction. The
effect upon my mind has been shame
and blame to myself for the share
which |, as Republican, have had
in helping to build up the worst legis-
lation of the nineteenth century. l
have been shocked to realize by what
successive stages we have built up here
a system of restrictive and cOercive
legislation and of which, very few
Northern Republicans know, in even
its broadcast features, and can only
recognize in disorder, riot, misrule,
irresponsible official tyranny, indus
trial loss, the results which have fol-
lowed everywhere in history from CO.
ercive legislation enacted by one COM
munity against another. The Repub-
lican candidate for the Vice-President
devoted his letter of acceptance al
most exclusively to the Southern ques-
ton. He believes that the South
ern States are not civilized up to the
standard of the Northern States, and
he wants to bring them up. / agree
with him that they are on a lower
grade, but | submit that it is not his
business nor ours to civilize them by
= any political measures.
/ therefore desire now, as regards
this political question, that the South
be left to work out its own social prob
lens under no arbitrary political cOer-
ton, but simply under the cOnstraint
of social economic forces.
Finally, in regard to another matter
which | have very much at heart, but
: which is hardly an active issue in the
campaign, whatever hope there is fOr
: free trade, lies in the election Of
Tilden.
If, then, decision is forced upon
t me, l simply judge, on all the infor'
nation I possess, that Mr.. Tilden has
: more knowledge, ability, skill and
| will, to do what L want to see done III
: politics than Mr.. Hayes. Neverthe
less, l am called upon to bind OF
pledge myself in any way, upon my
5 self free to take any course which
, may, upon further information or re-
2 Election, seem best. However the
t election may result, | shall be guided
in my relations to the next Admins
D tratiOn entirely by the performance
5 in regard to the matters | have herr
3 discussed. w. G.. SUMNER.
New HAVEN, Sept. II, '76.