New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-21


that the peace OF country aud basis for iu
ture DEVELOPMENT these constitutional amendments had
Coming down 10 more recent history. when tho Re
pubcaas ia Congress had passed the Resumption Act in
e , M"s 3, w. ,e 80 zee pnehoI, ,honbI e.
smart thne TO declare that the very act passed
FOR bringing specie payments was an impednent IN Us
wat aho nust pe repealed Anu VINO IS ln,fe 20 us
now that had the act Dcen repealed uDoer the pressure
OF all the iu6atioD eiemenIs in the country the con
fusion OF our financial Icy necessarily ensuing wonu
have prolonged the evils Vf IN iuodeemabie paper cur
rency under which We were then sunetingf lhttu hV'
accumulate further 10 show how incapable the
Democrat party proved itself 10 understand and ap
preciate nos Only the immediate requirements Vi the
time but facts that had neen virtually accomplished
and how its greatest efforts directed TO me end q
obstructing thugs that lad become ineVitaole. anu
which 1t aerward found Itself compelled to admi us
And now in this year of $780, when the issuc are
firy behino when by its Ooneiliaory spirit and ts
strci OF INSTITUTIONAL priucipes the GOV
ernmcrt has renewed al the elements OF d'seord DC
tween the sections which II IN lis own power 20
remove; yhen aidei BY wise aud success III hadncai
policy, general prosperity i again blessing thr io9'
aud when he people look above al tIhSs iOr eng" u
practical siatcsmanshp That well uiderstAnd tae
questions deal with 10 foster and develop that
prosperity; now the Democratic party knows h0tEhg
better 10 do than 10 set aside ali It's statesmen OF known
sHd f. nominate for The eSidency Ma]Grdehela ol
thc regular Amy professional soldier who has pever
been Enytring eise but that aud who iron tae very
nature an necessities OF MS profession has waysstoou
aioOi from she management OF political questions.
ter General Hancock aud the great services which he
has rendered 10 tue country He Is OF lIfe
sec any eaort made discredit. as solder he has
shown signal bravery and sz ~ the hind ing o. iro9s
with Of the most splendid achievements OF the
But the question is not whether sha honor dcserv
ing General. The question Is whether that deserving
General womb be the Kind OF President the country
needs President who can be depended upon success
fu,ly 10 solve the problems of s,aesnansp whh are
now before us; 10 preserve the good things already
done and improve upon them.
II not be forgotten that this Government Is no
longer the simple machinery IL IN tie early days
Republic. II
The ipteTes the Government has to deal WIN are no
longer tho>e OF small number ~ agricultural c0lnnunl-
ties win Eere and there commercial town. They are
The interests arly fifty millions OF people spread
an immense surface, VITA occupations, pursuits
aud industries endless variety and great magpitude
srge with elements OF population scarcely known
here la sue carry days, and All Nese producing aspHa
tions and Interests So pushing powerinl ana conpi-
Gated in taelr nature and so constantly apYesihg 10
the Government i'ghttniiL or wrohgui, ,hat the re-
qure mens Of siatesin hshp Demanded In hs age are
far different from those which suffice century ago.
Ii is believed by many that IL Is easy task 10 per
foi tne the President Of the United States
that the only thing he has to do is to form programme
of policy which he desires 10 carry OUT ana TO cal good
and experienced Into his Cabinet TO attend 10 the
detail of t3e business, without NEEDING himself with
its intricate complications me experience nave
gathered personal observation not OILY as mem
oonvuced me that thus is great mistake speak rom
experience when that most OF the good things that
merit ae respective Cabinet ministers may deserve for
them. less due to the cearbeaded ana faithful
with which President Hayes stood behind them by ward
ing OF the cpposition II is for such reasons ~ nes
himself should have had the experience OF active work
in egislntys bodies agd IN The Gogress OF
degree OF that in;uiive genius with winch but very few
century are endowed TO make his Administra-
ton successful without That experience.
HANCoCK's TOTAL LACK OF CIVIL TRAINING.
Now put for the sake Of argument, in that most try
ing position, General Hancock any trained
cusvely the walks of army life OF which he is so
conspicuous an Ornament-I mean man not endowed
with that intuitve genius which have spoken Of, and
and IL
not General Hancock What has there been IN
the school of his past life 10 hit him for it, AS boy he
was accepted by the Government rs a cadet at West
Point and that his college and university have
high respect for that military school Every branch Of
military science is taught there have doubt, with
knowledge. skill and The principles Of military
honor and the great law of command and obedience
inculcafed the guiding of the future lie of the
student. The affairs OF ordinary human existence out
side OF the military profession, and the problems 1t has
10 deal WITH necessarily treated matters of
secondary moment have heard 1t said hundred
times by who had spent the best part OF their lives
in the regular aud then were thrown upon their
own resources to make aliving in ordinary pursuits,
that life had uuted them Tor the every day
tasks Of society They found themselves multitude
of cases utterly bewilGeIcd by the competition they had
TO run with those who Lad trained civil pursuits
How Is possible 10 assume that men who have spent
the part of their hives who have Old III that
exclusive atnOsuhere should show particular fitness for
the most complex aud confusing of all duties The high
est civil Office the landl II be sand. therefore,
without eXageeraOntAat In hundred cases to one by
takns old regular army officer who has never been
anything else. and putting him INTO the highest and
most difficult political position you nav spoil an excel
lent General III making poor President There he Is
with honest intention 10 do right aud 10 serve bis
country. Problems of financial policy suddenly rise up
before hm-ques1ons OF revenue, OF commercial policy
princi les, but in the mysterious shape
Of practical problems to be applied TO a
where the interests Of the public and OF the ary are
crousIy together in bswildelng confusion. The
man at The mead Of affairs means 10 do right let Us
sume his cabinet Officers mean the same. But nov
host of Senators, Representatives, prominent political
hiu Having never he'd any practical contact with the
wor If financial or commercial systems, having
stood alooi from the nticacies OF political management
u the head OF the Government is the objective
s o. m and tey are all enttied to bis re-
gard he has heard OF tbeIn all as prominent men en-
itlet to credit aud he discovers that their opinions
clash and that their aims are different and contradictory
Scores OF them besesching him with their urgency 10
maze HIM believe nat tie cabinet minister trusts b.
things he attempts 10 carry out is Jurng the party
upon permaeico the life, at least the welfare
OF the Republic depends. And VIII n he has gone
through this for weeks months and his head begins
bitions entirely him. and lac feels himself in many
things he has done or left nndone under pressure CIV
instead of being the director OF ngs, he VIII then
clude ta pulse OF the erces onset at the btlU
Gcttysburg and the taking OF the angie OF intrenc
nents In the Wilderness glorious feats OF arms, were
after all very simple things compared with THIS.
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
The picture have drawn is which every man of
experience in political affairs Will recognize applca
bic to every novice In politics placed IN the Presidential
chair even under ordinary and favorable circumstances
But Ia is likely happen TO such elevated to
the Presidency with such motley host upon his back
as the Democratic party is to-day
The party as now constituted is indeed wonderful
mixture OF elements. Thus find there the hardest
hardlnouey hand in hand with the wdcs OF inna
tioniss OF freetraders and the stes of pro-
teclloDists we find them in their platforms declaring
for the re toraton OF specie payments to satisfy
part and the repeal the Resumption Law in the
sentence satisfy the other part of the Organization
We nnd who would the idea OF faihlessness
10 our Natioual obligations in the closest alliance
cooperation with those who Iepudiaed their debts in
their States and who would not hest