The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1880-08-05


proachable private character, which I
Shall be sorry to see any effort made to dis
credit As soldier he has shown signal
bravery and skill in the handling of troops
under difficult circumstances, and his name
is identified with some Of the most splend-
id achievements of the war; For all this
every good citizen will honor him. But
the Question is not whether we shall honor
deserving general. The question is
whether that deserving general would be
TIE KIND OF A PRESIDENT THE COUNTRY
NEEDS,
Il president who can be depended upon sue
cessft,lly to solve the problems of states
manship which arc now before us to pre-
serve the good things already done and i'm
prove upon them. To lead battalions of
brave men against Il fortified position or to
win a campaign by a dashing maneuver is
one thing; to regulate the finances of the
! country in such way that the blessings of
a sound currency may be permanently Sc
cured to develop our commercial oppor-
tunities; to organize the civil service in
such manner that it may conduct the
/ public business upon sound business prin
ciples, is another; and, in the latter case,
the brave spirit and ability which storms
hostile batteries and lays low the invading
hosts does not appear in the first line of
| Importance. When such difficult civic du-
ties are to be performed we shall, as rca-
| ssnable men, inquire whether the brilliant
! captain who appears so glorious at the
head of his columns is also familiar with
the complex interests which in official sta
ton ne would have to serve; whether his
knowledge. training, experience and men,
tai habits tit him clearly to distinguish on
the political field good from evil, not only
! in the abstract, but in the confusing mul-
tiplicity and variety of forms in which
things appear in reality; whether he will
be sufficiently equipped to penetrate, re-
strain, and battle the wiles of political in
trigue and the conflicts of faction among
the friends, which always surround the
chief mag istrate of agreat commonwealth;
whether he will show himself fitted to
move on that field of civil action and duty,
where forces are handled and directed not
By mere rule Of command and obedience,
but by finding the just measure Of tlrmncss
and moderation in the pursuit of great OBJ
jects and resistance to evil influences. I
cannot impress it too strongly on your
minds that there can be no greater differ
eoce than that between the handling of
troops in q campaign and the handling of
the political forces of a great people and
the handling of the political affairs Of
great government.
What have we to expect from 4 demo-
cratic victory? Is it the maintenance of
our public faith? While there are promi-
nent opponents of reputation in the dem
ocratic party, it is a notorious fact that all
the elements hostile to the constitutional
discharge of our national obligations, have
also gathered under the same banner
Nearly >all, if not all the states that have
repudiated or speak Of repudiating their
own debts, are democratic states, with
heavy democratic ma orities, furnishing
democratic electoral votes and congress-
men. Who will tell me that it is certain
they will be more conscientious with re-
gard to the national debt than they
showed themselves with regard to their
own? Have we right to expect sound
! financial policy? While there are many
good, sound money men in the democratic
democratic party has irresistibly attracted
to its fold a very large majority of the
greenbackers, inhationists and tiat-money
men. 1t has, indeed, in its national plat
forms of late declared for sound money;
but in 1876, while it pronounced for re-
sumption it demanded at the same time
the repeal of the resumption law. ask
what would have become of resumption
had the resumption law been repealed?
But while thus speaking of sound money
in their national platforms, is it not equal
ly true in large number Of the states the
most prominent infationists are put for
ward for the highest honors followed by
the masses of their party? So General
Ewing, in Ohio, so General Butler, in
Massachusetts,, SO Mr.. Landcrs, in Indiana,
while in Maine democrats and green
hackers fuse, in cordial embrace, and while
in many Of the western and most of the
southern states the democrats almost en-
masse represent unsound financial ideas.
Is it not true that, to the very last, re-
democratic congressman? Why, when
General Hancock was nominated the at
traction for the greenbackers seemed to be
so strong that the venerable Peter Cooper
and Generel Sam Cary, of Ohio, were
among the first to pay their devotion and
wish him success.
Now, can anybody foretell what will hap
pen in these respects
IN CASE OF DEMOCRATIC VICTORY?
In fact we do not know whether the advo-
Gates of the public faith or the repudi-
ationists, whether the hard-money men or
the intlationists, are the strongest element
in the democratic party throughout the
country, and which of these elements will
control its policy. appeal to you as bust
ness men, am / going too far in saying
that all this is dark, and that in voting the
democratic ticket you will take gambling
chance, and that chance being rather
against you? Are you prepared, ta1-pay-
ers OF the country, to take that gambling
chance under such circumstances?
But one thing is certain, that the demo-
cratic party, in its fashion, will reform the
civil service. That it will certainly do; it
will do it according to an old democratic
principle, ito the victors belong the
spoi!s." That principle is of democratic