Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-10-18

y
honest, brave, clear headed and singu
larly unambitious man, with not tn
least middle about his political opin
ions. was at his house soon after b
had completed his letter of acceptance
and he did me the favor to read tn
printers proof of it, which he had JUS
received when came to him. WLel
he had read nae the part relating tx
civil service reform remarked to hin
that he had there spoken will
such plainness as would be sure
to give great and perhaps unnecessary
offense to many prominent and very in
fuential men in his party, and that he
might thereby ilnperil his election
He replied. ssWhat I have read to you
is right, is it not2'' said, "Undoubt
edly." "Then," said he, ''it must
stand. That is what / believe. You
must not forget that I hold a peculiar
position. I do not need to be elected.
[ did not ask for or work for the nomi
nation, as you know. I can afford to
be defeated; but; if [ am elected, il
must be on this ground, which believe
right"
This reform has occupied his mind
Since 1866, when ne first entered con
gress, he has urged it in public speech
es and in several messages as governor
of Ohio; he has conducted his own ad-
ministration in Ohio upon the princi-
Piles he has now laid down; he has made
a thorough study of the whole subject;
and do not doubt that as he made
this reform the principal topic of his
letter, so, if he is elected, he will make
its contamination the leading object of
his administration.
The passage on civil service reform
did, as [ know, give deep and bitter
offense to prominent Republican politi
clans in Washington. Some of them
were s. exasperated that at first they
were inclined TO let the canvass in their
states go by the board, and in private
Governor Hayes was denounced in very
strong language. Tt now seems that
these people have determined on a diff
ferent course, they either, sink this
question entirely in their speeches., or
openly defend the present spoils sys-
TEN, which their candidate has de-
nounced, and meantime they substitute
the war and the Southern issue for the
real questions of the canvass.
But on this Southern question, again,
these men audauciously misrepresent
their candidate. Governor Hayes does
not believe in a new stirring up of
suspicion, hatred and strife. He be-
ieves that. misrule in the Southern
States has been too long encouraged
and supported by the interference of
Federal officers; that the time for such
interference has gone by; that those
states ought to be left to manage their
own local concerns; and while no one
holds more firmly to the justice and
binding force of all the constitution al
amendments, he sees that true states
muship demands Of the Republican
party that it shall no longer encourage
the misrule of the Kelloggs, Pack
ards and Spencers in the South.
IF he becomes President I am
confident that he will drop such
men, and refuse them and their allies
all support and sympathy, and endeavor
by judicious appointments to the feder-
al offices of the southern states to range
the old wings of those on the side of
the Republican party. His aim would
be to break the color line, and to secure
peace, order and >contentment in the
only way in which it can be given-by
constitutional government and by en-
couraging such re- formation of parties
in those states as would have taken
place long ago had it not been the in
terest of a set of political gamblers
down there, enjoying the support of
the federal administration to prevent it.
[ speak with some confidence of Gov
ernor Hayes opinion on the Southern
question, because [ have found him
surprisingly well informed as to the
nature of what has been passing in
those states, and concerning the charac-
ter of the prominent men of both par
ties down there. No greater calamity
could, in my judgment, happen to the
country than q continuance of another
four years of such Observation-Disclosures In
the south as has caused deep and
just discomfort there during the
past five or six years. I an confident,
from what Governor Hayes has said to
me, that he thinks thus also, and that
he sees the true remedy to lie in the
appointment to federal Offices in the
South of Southern men of character and
influence in their states, whom [ sus
pect he would select from the Whie
side; in rigid and thorough purging Of
the public service there so as to place
it into the hands of capable and honest
men, and In a non-interference by the
federal authorities in the local affairs oil
those states.
My belief, founded on long and
pretty intimate knowledge OF him, il
that Governor Hayes is the intelligent
jealous and courageous friend of civi
service reform, of sound currency, Of
honest government, and federal non-in
reference in the Southern States, and
of more liberal commercial policy fol-
the country at large. He is stlic
Republican as Governor TiIden is {
strict Democrat, but those who think
they can ''runn. him will make the same
mistake as those who fancied they coulG
''run" Mr.. Lincoln.
send you these particulars concern
ing the Republican candidate for the
Presidency, of course without his knowl
edge or permission, because that [ see
in various ways his character and 20