The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-08-07
THE SAME PRINCIPLES. .

The campaign Of 1880 is to be the old
contest between two citizens for the Pres-
dency. 1t is to be Il question of parties,
not of persons. Back of and behind each
of the nominees stands Il political organ
izaton, with wcll-detined principles, pol
icies and purposes. The success of the
candidate will be the success Of the par
ty; his Inauguration will be the seating
i'll the places of power of the party which
he represents and which stands behind
him.
General Hancock is gcntleman-that
does not entitlc him to the Presidency
He was gallant soldier, that is no suf-
iicicnt reason for entrusting the govern
mcnt to the hands of the Elen against
whom he fought We must look beyond
his handsome face and his martial figure.
We are more concerned about the policy
his party will pursue. We are more in
terested to know to what advice he will
listen and by whom he will be dictated
to. And above all we are anxious to learn
what the principles are Of the party which
seeks to gain power under the mask of
his uniformly hat are its tendencies, its
spirit, its record AMI its acts.
General Garfield is an honorable man.
for that reason alone he should not be
placed i'll the chief office of the nation.
Who are behind him? What principles
does he represents What is the record of
the party which has presented him for
the sul1rages of the people? These are
the considerations and the questions.
And the vital one is one not OF personal
ability and responsibility but of party
characteristics and aims
However much eager partisans. anX-
ious for the spells Of office, may declare
that ''political principles are not involved
i'll the pending contest, every thinking
man recognizes and well knows that they
alone are at stake. The triumph of one
man or of another is IL small matter
The pregnant and the living issue is what
policy shall rule.
Still, if it were 4 mere matter Of per-
sonal qualification, the Republican party
would not suffer by the comparison. It's
candidate is a man who has risen by his
own efforts from the tow-path of a canal
to the proud position Of a Representative
and Senator i'll the Congress of the Unit
ed States. For more than twenty years,
in many places of public trust and honor,
he has exhibited the highest qualities of
head and heart, has adorned every station
i'll life in which he has been placed and
has left upon record in the archives of
the nation he has served enduring testi-
monials of his worth and of his states
manship. Against him is pitted Major
General of the regular army,-a soldier
who has done noble service for his couu-
try on the field Of battle, but whose whole
no known opinion upon any subject now
uppermost i'll the national life. SO that
We say, if the contest were simply one of
men, there ought to be no reasonable
doubt in the minds Of intelligent voters
for whom they should cast their ballots.
We reiteratc however, that it is not
question of men,-it is a question of
measures. The issue presented is one of
principles and of policies. Furthermore
it is the same old issue which has been.
first in one shape and then in another,
before the American people for the last
twenty years. Call it blood -shirt-
ism or sectionaIism, if you please.
Call it what you may. 1t is none the less
the same old question of loyalty and dis
loyalty We use the words i'll their
broader sense. The conflict is between
ii party whose animatin9 motives are loyal
ty to law and love of freedom and a party
whose animating motives are disloyalty
to law and disregard Of human rights.
Scratch the Republican party and you
find patriotism; scratch the Democratic
party and you find treason.
Fortunately, we are not forced to 60
far to learn what is meant by Democratic
success and what is involved in the effort
to achieve it. We do not ask that Cen