Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1876-09-07
The Tilden canvass Thus Far.


! in the minds of democrats. 1t would
be ridiculous to suppose that the par
ty in power can be displaced without
strenuous and aggressive efforts. They
/ hold the citadel, and without more
energy on the part of the assailants
they will continue to hold it. The
democratic party has been acting on
the defensive ever since the opening
Of the campaign. A party out Of
power can accomplish nothing so long
as it can be kept in defensive atti-
tude. Unless there is change very
soon the democratic r arty may as we'll
make up its mind to "hang its harp
on the willows and sit down by the
waters Of Babylon and weep
Some democrats are trying to So
lace themselves for the want Of life
in their campaign with the idea that
languid canvass is favorable to the
party, because full republican vote
is not Ikely to be called out when
the public mind is in state of apa-
thy. This reasoning holds good only
in what are called the "olf years.
A Presidential year always brings a
large republican vote to the polls,
even in the States whe.e republican
ascendancy is so assured that two
ffths of the voters might stay at
home without putting the electoral
ticket in jeopardy. Tae attempt oI
democrats to console themselves for
the fatness of the Tilden canvass by
reasoning which holds good only in
an off year involves fatal admission.
1t comedies chat the republicans are
a majority, and that they only need
to muster their full strength to In
sure victory. This is not an cleo
tion 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 a
Presidential year.
Every conspicuous thing which the
democratic party has done since the
St. Louis nominations has been ALI
act Of defence. Scott Lords well
known resolution, which President
Grant so neatly turned to republican
account, was intended to repel an ac
cusation. Mr.. Hewitt's widely pub
lished speech in reply to Mr.. Kasson,
printed with so much laudation by
tie democratic press, was an effort TO
rSpol attacks op41e charas ger of She
democratic nominee. Mr.. T!lden has
been put on the defensive in the
courts in relation 10 certain railroad
transactions; put on the defensive
before public opinion in connection
with lis course during the war; put
on the defensive by his trucking to
Hendricks on the great question cf
resumption; and even the statistics
in his letter Of acceptance have been
successfully aasailed. Thus far it
has been canvass in which the dem
ocratic party has had blows to take
but no telling flows to giTe. The
republican candidate has not been
thus called on to meeta constant sue
cesson Of charges. 1t is impossible
to damage him in public estimation
by aasailing President Grant. Hayes
is in no way responsible for the blum
ders of the present administration
not 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 successfully stabbed through the
sides of Grant. Hayes did not ap-
point Belknap; Hayes did not pro-
tect Babcock Hayes does not own a
summer cottage at Long Branch, has
not spent his time in junkcting about
the country, 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 the char
ges against Tilden, whether true or
false, are leveled at himself. They
have thus far kept his organs and
spokesmen 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 be-
tween the Presidential election of
1910 and that of the present year.
This is cool cucumber, indeed; a
very small vial will suffice for hold
ing the extracted sunshine. The Suns
parallel holds good in but single
point. 1t is quite true that the coun-
try is suffering from financial depres-
sion now as it suffered in 1910, 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 re-
spects the present situation is con-
trast to thai which existed in lS40.
We do not merely refer to the con-
trast in the state of public feeling,
-