Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-22
THE PRESIDENCY.
A Look Over the FieId-The Strong Zen
and the Weak on the Democratic
Side-Thurman and Bayard
COntrasted-WO
Either Do?
Either Mr.. Justice Field, or the United
States Supreme Court, or Mr.. >peak-
err Randall, would Carry the
Country Against any Re-
publican Candidate.

Washington special to the New \ ork San
"The Democratic party has started out wise
ly in making up the issues IN 1850. Inc
election of Mr.. Randall to be speaker ins1rs
a continuance of the policy Of rctrenchmt ~
in congress, and this, with the issues OF T.
sonal liberty and freedom ct elections, IN
yolved IN the repeal OF tine most infamous
features of the Republican election laws, will
make case upor which they cannot fail to
carry the country, If their candidates be
chosen with prudence. 60 not propo to
discuss the claims of the Old ticket, which was
elected in 1876. Mr.. Tilden might be dead
or disabled before 1880, and Mr.. Hendricks
might find himself split straight up TO the
chaps by the sharp edge OF the fence rail upon
which he has been sitting these many years
To whom then, would the colors pass, or to
whom, rather, ought they to pass? am not
now looking over the lust OF DEMOCRATIC states
men, to elect the greatest and best. The man
to be sought s the man who IS Mt once mt Tor
the office and available as candidate. Al
the last election it was the rare good fortune
of the Democracy to be abe to place at the
head of the ticket the man, who was, all
things considered, absolutely the fttest to
undertake the work of reforming the Fed
eral government, and cleansing 1t OF the foul
abuses of Grantism, because Mr.. Illden was
at the same time the man who could most
certainly be elected. But the events of 1876
laid many tall heads low, and many reputa-
tiOns shrank IN the severe ordeal OF the great
fraud The Democratic politician who was
false then, or unequal to the great occasion,
and thereby took upon himself any share OF
responsibility for the unparalleled political
crime of placing an intruder In the Presiden-
tial chair, will never be accepted a proper
candidate for that chair himself. In this cat
egory place MIR. BAyard and Mr.. Thurman.
To them the country looked with supreme
confidence in the hour of peril. They stood
at the head of the Democratic column of de-
tense when the shadow of the great fraud
was projected, and to their ward and Wis
dom the people trusted implicitly Tor delv
erance. Their united authority within the
Democratic party was great enough 10 have
guided ITS cCuusels to aim 1St any conclusion,
and, being constitutionalistso of the straIghtest
sect, it was expected that if they could not
avert the impending fraud, they would at
least resist it to the last. No one certainly
dreamed that they would draw that dreadful
calamity down upon US with their own hands.
Yet when the house members of the joint
committe TO devise 4 method OF counting the
electoral votes met with their brethren or the
senate, they found that they were not expect
ed to deliberate. but TO subscribe to bill al
ready perfected in the secrecy OF the senate
committee room Mr. Bayard and Mr.. Thur
man had accepted the fatal scheme concocted
by EdmuDds and his accompllCes, and their
colleagues from the house were also forced to
accept it. That was the moment when the
Democratic party came down from its vantage
ground and surrendered its just constitution
al control of the count Then it WAS that the
constitution was abandoned, the will o. the
people disregarded, and the thrustiDg OF a
defeated candidate lutO the Office OF Presl-
dent was made possible. The house commit
tee desired to amend the bill, so as to insure
the admission OF evidence to prove the fraud
ulent character of the certificates from Lou
isiaua and Florida. But even this
frowned d ,wn by MessTs Thurman and Bay
ard They had accepted the measure as a
whole. and they would not allow their follow
ers to tamper with It. Their Influence, ez-
erted with tremendous energy during those
few critical hours, passed the bill, and they
both took seats in the unconstitutional trIbu
nal which gave Mr.. Hlden's seat to Hayes.
They took the sponslbily, and on their
heads it rests. But there are others reasons
why Mr. Thurman nor Mr.. Bayard would
prove an available candidate. They are TO-
tense rivals, and the sectional jealousies Of
east and west would operate very strongly
against either. AF. Thurman has trimmed
his sails on the financial question so as to
catch the soft money eaptui irom ONO. and
to lose the hard money trade wind that Ia GIT
have driven him safely IN. Mr.. Bayard has
been consistent on tie monty qlesti0 lus
he has net always co-operattd heartily with
his patty in the house, n its efforts toward
economy and reform. | pat them both out
of the list of avaiables. Then /! nlden,
with Hendricks, Thurman and Bayard, Is out
Of the field, who remainsP There are no
other candidates vita any considerable fol-
lowing. The next national convent on will
undoubtedly be disturbed and the election
endangered by Tho same sectional rivalry
! which has divided the Democracy since 1868.
| New York and New England will IL all
| probability present solid front against OHIO
| and the gronp cf Pendletoniz III States in the
west, az has been the case every four years
| since Governor Seymour was nominated TO
compromise n mi,ar situation. Ohio and
| Indiana, with their respective candidates,
| will present local friction enough, as
| they always do; but as against eastern ideas
| and eastern men of the Iiden kind they
will stand together. The read to success,
| therefore, might be found 10 lie over some
middle ground. The big State of Pennsyi
vania Is geographically midway between the
contending sections. She belongs 10 neither,
and her Democratic politics are u sort OF COM
pound--and not very credltabie one, either
of the ideas Of the two factions. lake the
eight hundred deputy marshais out OF PhlJa-
delphia give her a candidate of her own, put
the canvas into the hands OF men who have
no connection with the Pennsylvania railroad,
and no motive TO sell out, and Pennsylvania
is Democratic Stats. She has one citizen
who, while thoroughgoiug Democrat, tow
ers up as practical reiormer much as Mr.
Tilden did in New York four years ago. Mr.
Randall has been three times elected speaker
and the last canvass was as severe a test Of
| the popular strength OF the policy he repre-
sents as could possibly be. He was not per
sonally popular among the representatives
His iron will and dominating tempe biz
} firm adherence to fixed principles, anC
his stern refusal to deviate IN the
slightest for the accommodation Of any
, man or faction, were not calculated to make
! him friends among his associates IN congress
All men respect him, bad men fear him; bu
few or none are really fond of him. Or tht
seventy-dve men who voted for him in eau
e Gus there were not ten who would not hav
, felt greater pleasure in hono.Ing some on
else. They voted for HIM because lii hIn
' there was present safety and sure promis
of the future. The people were for him, anC
g the independent press was for him. He wa
# fercely antaa onized by all the corporation
n and all the corrupt influences from his owl
State; these opposing powers only served t
strengthen him, ga they have on previous oc
casions. His election to be speaker was
. | party necessity, from which there was
escape but in certain disaster. May not hi
nomination for the Presidency become ne
: cessity alsop Mr.. Randall's retrenchment Q
:. forty million dollars IN the appropriations, a
the long session of the forty fourth congress
ranked with Mr.. Tlden's reforms in Nev
IS York; and these achievements of Mr.. Ran
d dali and Mr.. Tlden were the two rocks upo
s which the Democratic victory of 1876 wa
,. built. His nomination would not involve
surrender of New York, Indiana or Ohi(
&c With him each or all of those States mIgt
10 be carried as easily as with a citizen OF the
l. own; and, under the conditions name
"a above, he might also carry Pennsylvania. I'll
sectional difficulty was disposed of in 1877
by Mr.. Hendricks acceptance of the secOn
If place on the ticket but in 1880 it will hay
# to be met in some other way. unless the oil
= ticket is renOminated without dispute. NJ
Randall, | am informed-indeed, have res
g son to be assured-is not n candidate; bat
If time and events shall convince his Democrat
q ic countrymen that with his na ne alone the
can conquer, he would hardly refuse to lea
them But let the Democratic reader loo
= away off yonder to the Pacific coast, beyon
4 | tba hopudarv of all our financial contrOVn