The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-07-25
FOR PRESIDENT,
WINFIELD SCOTT HANCOCK
FOR VICE PRESIDENT,
WILLIAM n. ENGLISH.
ISSUES or THE CANVASS.

rs OF 4 HE 'l.N ' iNr'
As usual the Republicans are first in open
ing the campaign, putting forward their most
adroit controversialists to sound the key
notes upon which their canvass is to he con
Quoted. This is good policy, for there is
much gained by making the first Impressions,
and the Republicans have extraordinary ad-
vantagcs ror keeping up and deepening such
impressions rs they create, through their |
control of majority of the press, their SUI |
pcliority in speakers, and their possession |
of funds for political purposes drawn indi-
recily from the public treasury hy the odious
system of assessing public officers. The most
noteworthy speech on the Republican side i.
that of Mr.. Secretary Schurz at indianapolis.
This may be said to mark ont the Repub
lican position before the country in the most
seductive light in which that position can
he shown, and Democratic writers and
speakers will do well 10 address themselves
c,lmly and dispassionately TO the task of
answering the statements of Mr.. Schurz.
This consummate master of expression knows
how to make his case read WELL but whether
it viii bear thorough analysis must depend
upon the facts and not upon the skill of the
partisan who states them. For example,
Mr.. Schurz in his opening defense of the
present. administration says
| think l am not eNaggerating when say that the
fair-mnded men of this country Will admit, and do
admit their hearts to-day, that, the whole the
public business has been conducted hy this Admins
uaton, far as 1t was in Its control honestly,
mtegen,ly, and successfully.
This general statement can only be
answered hy applying it to particular ex-
amples. We cannot agree that the public
business has been conducted honestly, when
the convicted criminals of the returning
boards have all been pensioned upon the
treasury, nor can the Presidential vetoes of
such measures as the bill to make the Fed
eral election laws non-partisan he success
fully defended, while the administration
of Indian affairs has been notoriously I'M
successful.
The same contradiction applies to Mr..
Schurzs assertion that this Administration
Has reformed many abuses in the public service,
infused u higher of duty Into Its different
branches, raised Its moral tJne increased Its eih
cheney, punished dishonesty, and kept the service
sulioi by the scandals arising from lax notions .
oihciil Integrity.
1t is true that no Belknaps or Sylph Me
Donalds have been caught under Messrs
Schurz and Hayes, but we know of III
grosser scandal or more lagrant ILLUSTRATION
of ''lax notions of official integrity - than i
furnished in the reward of the thieves win
stole the Presidency.
The unanimous nomination for the Vic
Presidency of man [Chester A. Arthur re
moved for misconduct from the most importan
revenue Office in the country is safer ind
cation of the character of the professions G
the Republican party than any assumption
Of Mr. Schurz can be. And We must remem
ber, in this connection, that Secretary SheI
man, in an official letter which could hardl
have been sent without the approval of tn
rest of the Cabinet, including Mr. Sohur'
said to Collector Arthur, now the unanimou
candidate of his party for Vice Presiden
al regard it my plain duty to suspend yo
"in order that the Office may he honestl
administered" and that he backed up til
statement with the following specific allsg
tions:
You have made the custom house a centre Of par,
san political management.
Gross abuses of administration have continued a
increased during your lucumbency.
Persons have been regularly paid by You who ha
rendered little service: the expenses of 80
once have Increased, while Its receipts have dimi
ished. Brides, or gratuites In the shape of brD,
have been received by your subordinates in seve
branches Of the custom house, and you haS. Ia
supported the effort 10 correct these abuses.
Undoubtedly Mr.. Schurz expressed /
concurrence in this damning language !
fore it became Il matter of public recor
And doubtless this was one of the most 90
spicuous of those acts upon which the Secl
tary claims approval of the course of "tl
" administration. Even if his claims q
to this extent well founded should not t
nomination of Arthur he fairly consider
evidence that the party managers prefer t
cooperation of the " machine " which Il
reviled Mr.. Schur2s ideas of civil service
form 10 the good will of the intellige
masses who really desire reforms in the pu
lie servicel But If there We're no other PR
Of the insincerity of all the professions
Republican leaders that they will hencefoi
abjure the sack OF spUls and live clean
has not their candidate for the Presidency
his letter of acceptance surrendered unc,
iitionally 10 the spoilsmen' Here is
formal recantaton and notice to COnkli
and Cameron that their henchmen shall
provided for;
40 select wisely from our vast population those
best hted iUr the many Uirces 10 lac hlled, rclu
an acquaintance fan beyond the range Of any one IN
The tascutios ShOutd, therefore, Sttk dad rec
Tie attenuation dHd assistance NJ hose Gi
k"oi0isdgs ~ tie communities Ia Which he du
are 10 be psrIormtd beet q"GiiGss thsm 10 ah
gGdkiag he i0istst choice.
MIR, Schurz wisely refrains from deal
with this Or any other of the ncOnyeni
facts which stare him in the face on ey
hand. He knows that the words alb
quoted directly contradict the former ut
ances of Mr. Garfield and convict him OF /
lack of moral purpose aud steadiness Of pl
cipie which is painfully apparent through
his whole career.
These are but examples OF many facts, wi
show how vulnerable Mr.. Sohurz's smo
sentences are, and they are freshin the pu
mind. We need only add at this time t
the German secretary's exposition OF
tendency OF parties, and his attempt at
alyzing the character OF the candidates is
wide of the real truth as his attempt
claim high share Of public honor and
sincete attempt 10 reform the civil service
the administration of which he is conspi
Gus member.
Ma. CnAuScrY 4. BLACK is preparing
camssign biography Oi General Hancc
The life v hich Colonel john w, Foney
writing is a private speculation by an en-