The Portland daily press., 1876-08-08
FOR GOVERNOR,
SELDEN CONNOR.
Gov. Tilden's Letter.


There is nothing in the matter Of Gov
ernor Tilden's letter of acceptance to justify
the preposterous length or The delay in its
publication. Its excessive quantity finds no
excuse in its quality, which is but ordinary.
All its writer had to say could have been
compressed into note instead of being ex-
panded into pamphlet. Gov. Tilden occu-
pies considerable space in calling for reforms
the necessity of which everybody acknowl-
edges, in deploring abuses which everybody
confesses TO be patent. With quite as much
felicity he could have quoted the moral law,
the proverbial length of which his letter
equals. He tells us that we must cease to
be extravagant and must begin to economic,
which we all knew before.
So long as he continues in this strain the
letter is commendable though it is not start
lingly original and is anything but vivacious.
But he soon changes his tone, and the docu-
ment which opened as a homily becomes a
campaign broadside, showing the unmistaka-
BILE features of that variety of literature, dis
ingenuousness, Misrepresentation, exaggera-
tion, tallacious reasoning. The business de-
preston and disorganization of industry con-
sequent upon abuses Of credit and other vio-
lations of economical law, which have hap.
pened more than once in our history and un-
der Democratic administrations, are attribu-
ted to 'excessive governmental consump-
tion." Here, it must be acknowledged, Mr..
Tilden holds consistent ground. There has
been Excessive governmental consumption. %
Great stores of property have been destroyed,
vast amounts of capital have been expended
in munitions of war, in commissary depots,
in food and clothing, all to be destroyed.
Nay, there has been more costly consump-
tion than these. The government has lavish
ly expended the blood and the lives of its
citizens. This all took place in the anxious
years from 1851 to 1865. During that period
Mr.. Tilden vehemently opposed that "ex-
cessive governmental consumption" though
he knew it was to preserve the life of the
nation. He regrets and denounces it to-day.
But the loyal people of the North, who glad
ly made the sacrifice, are not minded to join
the Democratic candidate in his lamentation
over the price we paid for the preservation
of Our national existence or over an "ex-
cessive governmental consumption" which
ceased decade ago.
Gov. Tilden's remedy for an Excessive
consumption" which no longer exists is for
the government to live within its income.
He forgets or does not not choose to acknowl-
edge that the government has lived within its
income and saved enough to discharge over
four hundred millions ($410,0OO, ,OO0) of the
interest-bearing debt, and to reduce the an
nual interest charge nearly thirty millions.
He forgets, or does not choose to acknowl-
edge, that for every year since 1868 the ma
tional Treasury has shown surplus of in
come over expenditure.
After dwelling at length on Excessive gov
ernmental consumption" and verbosely
claiming as his own the remedy which the
Republican party has been pursuing for
years, Gov. Tilden proceeds to treat those
questions Of supreme interest, the currency
and the civil service. Of neither is his
treatment satisfactory. In speaking of the
currency he apparently commits himself
to that incomprehensible Democratic dogma,
that resumption is an obstacle to re-
sumption, and bewilders his readers with
barren generalties as to "ceotralr. reservoirs ol
of coin," fluctuations of international bal.
ances," &C., leaving us quite in the dark as
to how and when he contemplates the estab-
lishment of our currency on gold basis.
His ambiguous presentation of the subject is
even more unsatisfactory than the dense Fl
nancial ignorance of Mr.. Hendricks. In favor
of contraction, of raising the value of oul
promissory notes by diminishing their mum
bers, he says not a word. His expressed
opinion of civil service reform is quite as
bewildering. After a few sentences which
have the appearance of meaning much and in
reality mean nothing, he declares that "the
public interest in an honest, skillful perform
ance of official trust must not be sacrificed tG
the usufruct of the incumbents." If this has
any meaning it is that sweeping removal o
ofice-holders is to take place in order to sat
isfy the army of Democratic spoilsmen. Nc
weight will be attached to his declaration
that he shall neither expect nor desire from
public officers any partisan service. That
is his profession. His practice was
shown at st. Louis, whittier he sent
his subordinates, the Lieutenant Cover
nor, and the Attorney General, and the as
sistant Secretary Of State, to push his claims
to the nomination.
The letter is divided into two parts:
homily, dull and decent, a partisan plea, dis
ingenious and misleading. In no respect car
it exert much influence.