The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-11-07
WIEN AND now DEfEA TED-THE
REMEDY.

privately. The seeds of last Tuesdays dis
aster were sown III the spring of 1876. Han
cock was the desire of the country. especially
of the South, but Tilden and his "bar'l"
secretly undermined the personal and party
integrity of the leading men of the Demo-
cratic party everywhere. The circumstances
of the times were entirely favorable to Demo-
cratic success. The cvrruptions and crimes
Of Grants second term, the rogueries of the
Freedmcn's Bureau, and the financial trou-
bles that broke out in 1878 united in produce
ing desire for change. The nominations
Of 1876 came with Hancock and Tilden as
contestants for the nomination on the Demo-
cratic side, but Tildcn's intrigues and his
"bar'" were too much for men whose iinan-
cial circumstances placed them in a tempt
able condition. Tilden received the nomi-
nation at st. Louis, was faithfully supported
even by those who disapproved of him, and |
was elected. Then came his day of trial |
and temptations his, who had up TO that |
time been SO busy in tempting and trying |
others. Was he equal TO the occasion 7
Most assuredly he was not When z. Chan |
dler audaciously broke ground with his lying
bidHlthtt, lGutn anu HIS Chiet CVVh,
Mr.. Hewitt, had not word to say in contra
diction, but permitted the falsehood to eat
its way into the public apprehension and be-
lief until IL began to he really "A question
even with the strongest-minded Democrats
whether Hayes was or was not elected. For
days and weeks almost the ear of the peo-
pie was hungry and athirst for some word
from Gramercy Park, and the first indication
from that quarter came in an editorial in the
New York Sun, in the latter days of Novem-
ber, 1876, to the effect that Vice President
Ferry was right in his claim TO power of
determining between conflicting certificates.
| Then the hearts OF thousands of genuine
Democrats and lovers of the Just and the
true began to 81 nix within their bosoms,
and spectres of cowardice or treachery, or
both, fitted before their vision. About this
time Grant was gathering troops around the
Capitol of the United States. On the first
Monday in December Congress met, with the
House of Representatives having almost
eighty Democratic majority, ready to repair
by constitutional eNertion of its
prerogative any mischief that Repub-
lican trickery and deviltry might
devise. What use was made of the
double opportunity thus enjoyedf AS the
event showed, nothing whatever. On the
other hand, every inch of vantage-ground
was bit by bit abandoned, and the Demo.
cratic victory so long waited for and hardly
bought was at last transformed into a Repub-
lican triumph!
If it be asked how could all this have been
avoided, the answer is simple and easy. In
the first place, when, after Providence and
the people had put fruition within Democratic
reach, the impudence of Zach Chandler pro-
truded itself before the public mind, that
impudence should have been promptly met
r and repelled by the direct statement of the
| simple truth, that as Chandler's claim in
volved counting Louisiana and Florida for
the Republicans, such claim was wickedly
groundless and false. 1t should have been
instantly and publicly asserted that Tilden's
vote was 1876 to Hayes's l73, and that assertion
. should have been stood up to. The failure to
3 contradict Chandler and stand up to the
: truth was evidence to the Republicans o.
dreadfully week knees in the Democrat,
), leaders, and the Republicans grew boldel
and bolder every hour.
But Congress met, surrounded by armed
n troops. What should have been its cours,
k of action under such circumstances Boil
Houses ought, as a duty of the Legislator,
q of the nation, to have resented SO unprece
l. dented an outrage by insisting on nothing
less than removal of the troops, or sus
pension of all legislative proceedings till tha
was done. The Senate would not, probably
is have Joined in such a protest, but whethe
e it did or not the House should have beel
s. immovable and adjourned from day TO da.
till the menace was withdrawn, entering
upon its journal the reason for its course
" Some inquiry was indeed made of Gran
70 about the purpose of the troops, but his eva
e sons were accepted as gospel and the troop
IF were not removed, but continued and wer
Is increased, until the National Republican
&c the organ of the Administration, be
came SO insolent as to threaten arrest an
dungeon in Fortress Monroe for ever
~ member of the House of Representatives VIII
should join in faithfully executing tue trus
confded to them by the Constitution. Nor
thoroughly to intimidate and terrorize tn
l vi thc iiOusc VI
ss there was much parade Of soldiers in uniforr
connecting the Senate with the War Depart
ment and the troops at the Arsenal by tele
10 graphic wires, nor was the scheme an ur
., profitable one. The terror was driven home
'g the House was put into suitable conditio
OF TO accept the device of the Electoral Commis
n sion and denude itself Of its own Lawful
powers. Mr.. Hewitt, presumably or reall
representing Mr.. Tilden, made a speech
40 the most honied humbus about reunion an
ID restoration of love and affection all round
y and the Electoral Commission was a law
L. somewhat profanely but not untruthful,
or perhaps, characterized by member VIII
n united in passing it, as Z" a ID coward
, "surrender."
Armed with this commission, every rel
W difficulty was removed from the path of r.
OF publican retrieval of their defeat before Il
H. people and their minority in the House
in Representatives. Out Of it came the il
auguration of Hayes and new opportuniI
for his party to obtain another lease of powe
That opportunity they have made the vei
'o most Of Providence not withholding In
"a visitation of want in Europe and plenty he
nd which have proven so useful wherewith
ON befool and deceive the people.
os What then is the moral The moral
!, never TO throw away opportunities.
neglected, they may never return. The
required almost no special nerve in Mr.. T
an den and the Democratic managers of 1876,
lr- they had commenced TO act simply and nat
tn rally and with common pluck just after \
" Tilden's election. The first three days, CO
:. tainly the first week, was the time when
nail driven in the election should have be
'o' cinched, and had the President-elect act
on with the least courage and straightforward
m. ness he would be occupying the White IIou
1as to-day. Want OF common courage, neglect
lal Proyidentjally given opportunities, and
| ,,ora a.lC a, M ad N aaa In tba laadara than IA