The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-10-09
What If the Tail Breaks? Z?

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From time to time, as General
HancOck's campaign letters and tele. |
grams have have made public doubt.
less the shrewder heads in his party
have felt inclined to repeat tn him
the New York Suns advice to shut
hissRouths and thr0w ahia pen away.
His congratulation Of Plaisted on the
Greenback success in Maine was
most maladroit outburst, and his
recent "rebel claims" letter will not
heighten the Generals reputation for
political shrewdness. The great cause
of Southern disaffection for TiIden-
and to this General Hancock owes
his own nOminatiOn-was the for.
mer's letter on war claims, published
in the campaign four years ago. But
persons who regard party principle
and public honesty as more impor.
tant than the spoils of Office will have
their respect for the General increased
BY the bluff, s0ldierly frankness with
which he speaks on the subject.
There is nothing doubtful in the tone
of his utterance. He is squarely or.
posed To paying rebel war claims,
and will veto all bills proposing such
payment. Yet. nevertheless. it is a
fact that there are Southern claims to !
the amount of upwards of $500, ,OOO,-
ono pending before Congress and in
the departments. 1t is not to be pre-.
sumed that the people Dreferring
these claims made them up and pre-.
sented them without expectation of
ever getting anything in satisfaction
of them. 1t is not to be supposed
that people would make business Of
acting as the solicitors of such agents
unless there was something in the
business, and finally, Mr.. Tilden's
letter of four years ago and the letter
of General Hancock's, just publish
ed, recognize the subject as one on
which the public has a right to de-
mand assurances. General Hancock
advances to the front, salutes the
public and says: Eyes, we know
that it is 50. but / give you the word
of soldier and gentleman, that l
will veto all such bills" The situa.
tion recalls an incident in one of the
stories Of Hogg, the Ettrick Shep-
herd. Two Scotch.nen were out hunt.
ing. when one of them entered the
cave of bear. Before he could get
out the bear got back, and the other
hunter, who had remained outside,
had only time to grab him by the
tail as he was disappearing through
the entrance. The ScOtchman inside,
seeing the light suddenly cut off
from him, shouted: "Sawney, what's
the matter His comrade, too much
occupied to talk, pantingly replied:
"If the tail breaks you'll find out
what's the mattsr!" The nation, al.
armed by the cutting off of the sun.
shine of prosperity by tho huge mass
of Southern prstsnsisns. asks for
some assurance of safety, and Gener-
al Hancock can only say that he will
faithfully hold the party pack by the
tail. But what if the tail breaks?
The hopes Of persons whose preju.
dices are in favor of Democratic sue.
cess while their better judgment
makes them aware that the true in.
terests of the country lie In the main.
tenance of specie payments. the
national banking system and in the
protection of industrial interests from
revolutionary tariff changes. are all
based upon the strength of General
Hancock's grip on the tail. But may
not the leaders of the party find
ways to grind his knuckles or 10 soft.
soap him that the tail will slip
through? And what Of positive good
can come from an administration
whoses functions will simply be to
hold back against tho party? Un-
fortunately the condition of affairs Is
not such that it will be sufficient for
General Hancock to surround himself
with able cabinet officers and success.
fully obstruct bad legislation. The
value of the greenback has been
equalized with that OF. gold ; but the
greenback problem is not disposed
of. While tariff revolution has as
yet been prevented and may still be,
yet the duty of tariff revision re-
mains. We have splendid national
banking system, but in few years
the majority Of the charters will ex-
Dire. and the banks will stand in
need of certain reliefs before they
will multiply to the extent which
some sections of the country require.
There is a deal of work to be done
calling for affirmative statesmanship,
and General Hancock, who can speak
only for himself and not for the