Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-31
lamraster frltelligellcer.
SATURDAY EVENING. JAN. 81, 1890
What is Very Strange.

What is Very Strange.
1t seems very strange to us to find that
Horatio Seymour is made the object of
adverse criticism because lie will not
get absolutely out of the way of aspiring
presidential contests by making solemn
declaration-they would like to have it
under oath, no doubt, and guaranteed by
a bond Of million dollars with good Sc
curity-that he will never, under any
circumstances or by virtue of any solicl-
tatiOn from any number of Democrats.
however numerous, unanimous, entiluSl-
astic and persuasive they may show
themselves to he when in convention as
sembled, consent to become their candi-
date for president. These men who un-
dertake to condemn Mr.. Seymour be-
cause he does not say this, and does not
on the other hand announce himself
as a candidate. but rests upon his
repeated declaration that he does not
want the place, think that they are very
wise and very virtuOus; but to lis neither
their wisdom nor their virtue is conSpic-
uous. That Of Governor Seymour is. In
our judgment he acts precisely as he
ought to act. 1t is his duty now simply
to explain to his acknowledgements the
state of his inclination on the subject of
his own presidential candidacy. This he
has done and they perfectly understand
it. They know he does not want the
nomination, and they do not propose to
give it to him unless they need him.
Just now it looks as if he would he
needed If it should SO seem
when the convention meets he will
be nominated. Then it will be for him
to consider whether he can accept and
it will he his duty to accept, unless there
are facts within his own knowledge that
his fellow Democrats do not know which
forbid him tOido so. Every public con-
sideration in the matter having been can
vassed and decided by the convention, its
candidate ought not to attempt to re-
verse its determination. Governor Sey-
mOur is too good Democrat and too
virtuous a man to seek to do this. If he
IS nominated with unanimity he must
become the candidate. He would do 4
very foolish thing to say now that under
No contingency will he do what in acer-
tain contingency he must do: and the
men who expect him to so stultify himself
are wiser in their own conccit than
in anybody elSe's.
The New York !Su, has Washington
correspondent of this stamp who has not
the courage to sign his name, but whom
the Sun honors with loaded type. The
New York Times has another of the
same kind. Howard Carroll. HoratiO
Seymour does not suit them. The San
man thinks he wants positive quail
ties - and we thank God that he does.
He lacks all the positive qualities he
should lack, and has all that he needs to
have to make him to-day the most es-
teemed citizen of the republic. He lacks
the positive quality that so abounds
in the presidential candidate whom his
critics affect and which leads that candi-
date to seek the presidency by laying
pipe the country over and striving and
contrivinS in every hour now to do it. The
nobility with which IIoratiO Seymour
stands aloof from the presidential strug-
gle. properly declaring his wishes while as
properly forbearing to declare his irrevo-
cable purpose. is in most striking and
grateful contrast to the conduct of Mr..
Tilden in losing the state of New York
to the Democracy by eager grasping at
the presidential nomination, and in seek
ing to set the Democracy of the Whole
country in an uprOar by his persistent
imposition of himself upon their unw.ill-
ing hearts. We say that it is time this
thing should be stopped. 1t is time that
it should be understood that the Demo-
cratic convention is to be left untram-
meled to select the best and strongest
candidate, and that it is at equal liberty
to pick him from those who do not and
from those who do seek the place.
Mr.. Howard Carroll says that those
who are using Governor Seymour's name
against his known wish do not belong to
g the most reputable wing of their
party" Probably not according, to Mr..
Carroll standard of reputability but we
do not envy Mr. Carroll his standard or
his company. We feel much safer in
our own associations and on our own
ideas of political prOpriety. We have the
old fashioned notion that it is good
citizens duty to place himself at the SER
vice of the people, and that the presiden-
cy especially is an Office which is not to
be declined, while it is not to be sought.
But the time for accepting the nomina-
tion for it comes only when it is tender
ed; and it is the height of improperly to
demand that Mr.. Seymour shall declare
his purpose to take it or refuse it before
he gets it.
\ WRITER in the Examiner wants
light on the question why Franklin and
Marshall college is exempted by the
county commissioners from taxation on
forty-nine thousand dollars worth of
property? 1t is not exempted by the
commissioners at their own instance but