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


feel that his selection is arbitrary, that
he has everything yet to do to justify
public confidence that he is the recip-
lent of IN "honor." He cannot act
with the assured independence ola man
who has advanced by well-earned steps,
to whom the Presidency comes as the
highest trust mt the end of a career, to
whom 1t is less an honor than Il recog-
milton and Il concession.
Mr.. Tilden's nominations was OPP
posed by all the worst clements of his
party, and was supported by as honest,
pure and intelligent men as ever led
in any political convention in this
country. They were many of them
young men, representing the hope,
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 4
more correct, detailed, statesmanlike
knowledge of the evil, the remedy ard
the 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 fit, and disapprove of any
concession on that point, in form or
substance, by Mr.. Tilden or anybody
else.
| put next in this canvass the mat
ter of administrative reform. Mr.. Til
den has been Governor of the State
which has led in the decentralization of
our politics since the beginning of the
century. He has had the hardest pO-
sition for beginning reform, perhaps,
which there is in the Union. He has
made the only positive and successful
steps toward it, at the risk Of his own
political fortunes, which | know of in
the country. The newspaper expos
ures of the Tweed Ring would have
made no more impression on that body
than the pattering of rain OH the hide
of n rhinOcerOS, and the members of
the Ring would to-day have been
Haunting their stolen wealth in the
face of the public, if Mr.. Tilden had
not reduced their guilt to an arithmet-
zeal demonstration, available to a court
of law. The Canal Ring fight is
known to everybody.
| have in mind, however, not only
these reform" efforts, but also admin
istratiye reform. | will take a single
case which Heated in Il paragraph
through the newspapers, OccaslOnlng,
so far us | ever saw, very little atten-
ton, but which had an immense effect
On my mind, and which have often
urged in private conversation.
1t was stated that the politicians OF
the Southern tier of counties Of New
York We're bitterly hostile TO Govern
or Tilden. The reasons were given,
! two in number: 1. Mr.. Tilden had
refused TO remove the Republican SUI
pcrintendent of the asylum at Elmira
IN order TO appoint n Democrat. 2.
Mr.. Tilden had removed, for cause,
the Corporation Counsel of Elmira,
who was a Democrat, although the
Common Council of that city was
Republican, and could elect a Repub
lican successor. These were good
grounds for the opposition of the poll
ticians, but they were an imperative
demand on me, if | was an "Inde
| pendent" and meant what l had beer
talking about for years, to give him
my full, hearty, and efficient support
if it ever came in my way.
| know that the sOft-mOney Demo
Gratis have claimed that Mr.. Tilder
has surrendered on the currency ques
ton, and the Republicans have
FASTENED to accept their authority a;
conclusive on that point. Mr.. Tilden':
opinions on this point are not new
nor were they first placed before the
public in his letter, but if he does nO
in that document lay down hard-mOn
ey doctrines, then language has nj
meaning, and | could not expires:
hard-mOney doctrine myself. Thu
soft-mOney men have, within year o.
two, begun to use some hard-mOney
phrases in forced, artificial and impos
siblc applications. They find thos,
phrases in Mr.. Tilden's letter, anC
that is the ground on which they
claim his surrender.
Mr.. Hayes has made very distinc
avowel that he will resist the repeal o
the Resumption Act unless somethin,
better is put in its place, and if he i
elected / shall certainly await witt
generous confidence n fulfillment O
that pledge. The difficulty is jus
the one which seems to me radical i
his candidature. Between two candi
dates, one of whom is recommends
, to me on the opinion of his friends
the other of whom has record of az
ton and achievement under IN
, knowledge and inspection, my mos
; rational expectation Of such perform
f ance rs l desire attaches to the latter
t That Mr.. Tilden is politician enOug
to be available is only an advantage
r since we cannot get an angel with
: flaming sword, and think that W
5 Independents have cast worse reprOac
upon ourselves than our most sarca
g tic critics, since we have failed to sei7
t upon chance which offered itself {
e our demand, and have chosen to tru.
: to groundless faith and hope fC
| which we cannot give a reason.