The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-08-05
HOW 10 Talk and Say Nottingham
cocks Letter OF Acceptance.

cocks Letter OF Acceptance.
Some Of our contemporaries are greatly
disappointed at the emptiness Of Gen.
Hancock's letter Of acceptance. One OF
them, the Buffalo Express, thus speaks
oft:
General Hancock shows plainly either
that he has.no opinions at all on the pub
lie affairs OF the country, or that he Is
afraid or ashamed to express them. His
letter is compounded OF glittering gener-
alities and nothing else. We'knew moth
ing OF his views before reading it. We
know Just as little now. Weare prepared
to believe he wrote it himself. Certainly
Mr.. Tilden didn't. There Is more pith in
the little finger OF that dried up old man
than in the loins OF this military aspirant
to civil dignities. Why should General
Hancock quote to the country land quote
yrong) the clause Of the Constitution
which says that the rights not delegated
TO the United States nor prohibited to
the States are Preserved to the States
respectively or 10 Me people,? 1t
NAV be novel to him, but it is not so
TO ordinarily intelligent civilians, and
quoting it throws no light on anything.
Nobody has doubted its existence. The
question in dispute is as to its interpreta.
ton, and on this General Hancock has
not word to say. What rights are dele.
gated to the United States, and what pro.
hibited to the States? To what people"
are the inspected rights reserved? What
is the "lawful jurisdiction" OF the United
States, aud what Of the several States?
Are members Of Congress State officers or
United States officers? May their election
be regulated by National laws or only by
State laws? We know General Gartield's
opinions on these questions, but General
Hancock has apparently never so much as
heard of them. He would, he says, re-
sist any attempt to impair or eyaGe the
Constitution. Why, OF course he would.
Before he could take his seat he would
have to swear to maintain the Constitu-
ton. But why doesn't he let us know
what he would consider an impair
ment or evasion Opinions differ so widely
on these subjects that his general declara-
ton really amounts to nothing at all. So
with his statement that fraud, violence,
and incompetence are bad for a Govern.
ment. OF course they are. But why
doesn't he give US his new patent cure for
them II he has one? 1t does no good to
tell people TO be wise and do the right
thing and they will prosper. They must
be told what the right thing is-the path
OF wisdom must be pointed out-by one
who aspires to be ruler OF the people.
CivilService reform may be secured, he
says, by electing well.qualifed men to
office. But how are the people to cheoFe
out the well.qualiaed men from the mass
BY the caucus system2 Is it that, the most
corrupt OF our political elements, that is to
give Us reform? II is, why does not the
General exemplily its value by reCiting
his own qualifications for Office II he can
think OF any? We must manage affairs
wisely, he says. But how is wisely Is TO
have honest money or dishonest? Is 1t TO
encourage Chinese immigration or to dis
courage It? Is 1t TO continue to coin silver
or to discontinue it? We must extend
commerce and manufactures, both at once,
he says. But how? VIII high tariff or
low one work both ways ut once?
Should we have free ships or should those
Of foreign build DO excluded? To these
and all the other questions Of the day, it
can only be answered that Gen. Hancock
either doesn't know or he won't tell.
What an attitude for man who wants to
be President! The Sun was right. The
committee should have denied Hancock
pens, ink, or paper. They should have
put as close watch over him as there is
over Tanner. lie should not have been
allowed tc cut his throat with steel!pen.
II he had kept as still as an owl he might
have been thought as wise as one, but
when he began to sing his voice betrayed
him. He is OF the genus popiniay, and OF
the family ignoramus.