The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-08-13

Representative from Illinois, and well
known in Washington as an intimate OF Mr.
Tilden and one of his strong Western sup
porters, has recently spent a day with his
chief at his country home near Yonkers,
| and in another column will be found his
recital of what Mr.. Tilden said to him on
political affairs. Mr.. Springer's report IS
very interesting. Mr.. 1ilden told him that
in his belief the country is entering upon a
term of remarkable prosperity, and that
whichever party carries the next Presi-
Dental election will be likely to get the
credit with the people for this revival
of industry and good times, and VIII
hold power for long term-ffty years, ne
mentioned. He thought the canvass next
year would be of very exciting character,
probably because the leaders OF both parties
would see what he pointed out to Mr..
Springer though we hope they do not take
quite the extraordinary view which Mr..
Tilden seems to hold. Neither party,
gaining next years election, is going
TO hold power for half GEN.
tury. That is a long period in tho
history of nation, in these days of rail-
roads, telegraphs and telephones, and more
tactical ability which is found among the
so-called statesmen of both parties, not one
of whom shows at this moment the capacity
to lay down policy which can last or is in
tended to last longer than perhaps day after
tomorrow.
Mr.. Tilden himself, for instance, who
ranks in some respects among the ablest
public men in either party, told Mr..
Springer that one of the principal reasons
why he desired the success Of the demo-
Gratis next year was that their preference
by the people would condemn the electoral
by the election of republican President
next year would, he thought, be "fatal
precedent" We do not mean to be need
lessly offensive to Mr.. Tilden when
we say that this is mere stuff
and balderdash. IF there is no
better reason why the people should elect
democratic President next year than this
assigned by him. the common sense of the
country will resign itself very easily to the
choice of republican; and when Mr.. Tilden
puts into the head Of one of his followers
such wishy-washy stuff as this he should
know that he greatly weakens his
party's prospects with the country. The
sents the mind of the average voter
on this subject much more closely
than Mr.. Tilden, condemned severely the
methods pursued by the republicans in the
election of 1876; but when the Electoral
Commission, created by the democrats with
the help of Senator Conkling and few
other patriotic republicans, and with the
full consent Of Mr.. Tilden, as q court to
arbitrate disputed election, decided in
favor of Mr.. Hayes, the HERALD at once de-
clared, what the country at once accepted,
that this was final and that Mr.. Hayes held
his office by as good title as any President
who ever occupied the White House.
The country is not going to fight over
next year the stale campaign of 1876. If
the democratic party bring forward no bet
ter reasons why its candidate should be
chosen than this given by Mr.. Tilden they
may as well hang their harps on the willows.
They will be beaten, and, what will be worse
for them, they will deserve to be beaten.
Surely Mr.. Tilden presents pitiful spec
tacle when, able man rs he is,
he shows himself SO beset and, as it were,
tudded with his own personal ambition
that he cannot present to one of his
devoted followers any better reason why
his party should be adopted by the Ameri-
can people next year than that very ridicu-
lous one on which his own Presidential hopes
are hung. There are several strong reasons
why the democratic party should carry the
country next year, but he seems to see
not one of them. He might have shown
Mr. Springer that it is not well, or even
safe, in free country to keep one party in
power too long; because too long a tenure
of power corrupts party, subjects its
leaders to the temptation of base and I'M
patriotic ambitions, and makes them, by
the very nature of mems minds, obstruc-
tives, the constant enemies of needed re-
forms. He might have shown Mr..
Springer that the republican leaders are
injuring the country by persisting in o
sectional policy, and show that they prove
themselves incapable of ruling the coun-
try wisely, by their rejection of Mr..
Hayes Southern policy and their constant
injection of sectional animosities into our
politics He might have shown Mr..
Springer that the democrats ought to come
into power, if only for single term.
because the country needs greater
economy in expenditures, a reform
OF many abuses which have grown up out
of the war period, revision and reform of
the customs and other tax laws all which
revisions and reforms the republicans have
resisted and continue to resist, though they
are urgently demanded by the general in
terests of the country. But to poor Mr..
Tilden. it seems, the main reason why the
democrats should come in next wear il that