New-York tribune., 1877-03-09
PIFDG or Reform.

Rcpublican Senators who have commenced
war upon the policy of President Hayes have
evidently counted upon the defeat OF that
policy by Democratic consent. They expect
that the Democrats will rejoice to Illuminate
at the outset, q President whose election they
deny. Vindctive feeling, they feel sure, Will
deprive him of Democratic aid. Moreover, the
extremists believe that Democrats who have
steadily denied that Mr.. Hayes was legally
elected, will not 80 far recognize him as to
support his nominations. Possibly these expec-
tations are well founded but information from
Washington warrants different hope. In
deed, the Democratic party has not lacked
common sense in its hours of Illuminating de-
feat the recurring fOlles which have so often
brought it to deaths door have usually ap-
peared in its hours of actual or fancied tri-
umph. If defeat can chasien, If the sharp
school OF experience can teach, we may rca-
sonably expect that the Democrats VIII not
lust now MISS an opportunity to put their
opponents in the wrong.
TIE Cabinet formed by President Hayes is
on the whole the substantial embodiment ana
practical realization of his pledges. What these
nlcdges were on paper this Cabinet is in the
flesh. 1t is Jealous, resOlute, and uncompromis-
ing for reform, and for those very reforms
which both parties demanded in the late cleo
ton. Not a single Republican dared to say
before the election that he opposed the reform
policy to which his party was pledged by its
platform, and his candidate by the explicit
letter of acceptance. Not Democrat who
shouted for Tilden and Reform even pretended
l,,,A M xynp
not desirable. or that they were not precisely
what the country needed, but they claimed
and many doubtless believed, that he had not
the sincerity or the courage to attempt them.
But here those very reforms are embodied i'll
a Cabinet which proves that if President Hayes
fails to carry them out it will not be for lack
of sincere purpose or lofty courage. Moreover,
he is already exposed 10 assault from some
powerful leaders OF his party because he has
dared to attempt those reforms in spite OF threats
and protests.
This is the touchstOne Of parties. We shall
now see how much of honesty there was in
the pledges of either. For both parties were
most soemnly pledged, i'll platforms and in
the letters OF candidates and the declarations
OF leading men and journals. to the very same
policy IL respect 10 lilC CIVIL SufNlcc anu 'ilt
South. The Democrats insisted that the Re-
publican professions were false and fraudulent
The Republicans urged that the Democrats
could not he trusted to effect the reforms
which, as both parties confessed, the people
demanded Now we shall see which of the
two parties, and what leaders of each, tried to
cheat the people.
1t will open the eyes of the plain people to
the dishonesty Of party leaders when they see
that on both sides those leaders are amazed to
find President Hayes trying to carry out his
to their credit that very few managers of either
party had the slightest notion that such pledges
would be regarded. The Democratic leaders
have the less temptation TO prove themselves
devoid of honesty. They can vote to sustain
the most thorough and sweeping reform with
out that personal sacrifice of patronage which
some Republican managers contemplate so
reluctantly TO them nOn-interfcrence at the
South does not mean any loss Of party strength
TO them a non partisan civil service means
only that somebody else shan have less power
to parcel out public trusts in the payment of
private debts. If, nevertheless, they refuse to
countenancc an honest effort for reform, their
condemnation will be the greater because they
have not those temptations to dishonesty which
move some Republicans to treat all pledges
with contempt.