National Republican., 1883-07-19
EDITORIAL OPINIONS.
The Comments Of Leading Papers Of the COun-
try on Various Themes,
The, TpriG, Democratic Investigations, the
ohio Campaign and MIR. Tildcn.

That any surplus in the public treasury arising
from a redundant revenue should, after paying
the national debt as fast 8s its condition permits,
be distributed from time to time to the several
states upon the basis of population, TO relieve
them from the burdens OF local taxation and pro-
vide means for the education of their people.
In the course of its remarks on this plank of
the republican platform in Pennsylvania, the
Tribune says: go Reduce the tariff say the
democrats. But mere reduction of duties
might easily cause larger revenue and
larger surplus. II would be moro sure and
more easy to cut down revenue by raising
duties to the prohibitory point. But neither
that nor any other change of the revenue
laws is precluded or opposed by the reso-
luton quoUed Make what changes you will,
there must still be some surplus unless the
government is subjected to danger of bank
ruptcy. Then the question comes, what can
be done with il? II the people who howl at
the Pennsylvania resolution would only try
TO explain what they would have done with
surplus after no more debt could be paid,
and no other proper objects of public expend.
iture remained, It would be more refreshing"
Quoting from the Nashville american,
democratic paper, which warns its party that
there is not much to be made out of scandal
hunting investigation in the next congres,
the New York Times says:
" That is very true. OF the investigations
of the last democratic congress the only one
of much public value was that undertaken
into the condition Of the Navy department,
as an ultimate consequence of which MIR.
George NJ. Robson is now insured n long
term of retirement from the cares of public
Office One of tho worst results of the OK
istenco of rings is the suspicion it induces that
every public work is job, and there has
probably been at least as much harm done
to public morals in this country during tho
last ten years by job hunters as by iobbers
The business of q statesman is not exactly the
samo as the business of "a detective, nor Will
the qualities of the latter compensate for the
absence of those of the former. OF course, we
do not mean, nor do we understand our Ten
nessee contemporary to mean, that suspicious
circumstances should not be thoroughly
looked into; but only that what are aptly
called " smelling committees " should not be
organized solely on the remote chance that
they may nose our suspicious circumstances"
The Now York Herald has this to say about
joint discussion of the issues of the day
between the leading candidates in the Ohio
campaign.
Republican journals are reminding Mr.
Hoadly, the democratic candidate in Ohio,
that he has not yet invited his opponent, Mr..
Foraker, to a joint discussion of the questions
which enter into the canvass. These journals
do not propose that their candidate shall in =
Vite Mr. Hoadly to joint discussion, nor is
that necessary, in our judgment. Mr.. For
aker is ut liberty to do so, of course; but II
he does not the republicans may say that such
public debates have not commonly been
favored by them, and are of democratic rather
than republican origin. We should like to
zee the announcement of q great public de-
pate between Messrs. Hoadly and Foraker.
Such joint discussion, held in Ohio by the
two chief candidates, would attract very wide
public interest. 1t would do very much to
instruct the people, not of Ohio only, but of
other states, ON the leading and important
political questions of the day. 1t would oblige
the candidates of both sides to deal frankly
with the people. We still hope to hear that
Mr.. Hoadly has invited Mr. Foraker to u
public debate and that Mr.. Foraker has con-
vented"
In an editorial under the caption of
'Tilden Redivivus." the PHILADELPHIA Press
pys:
Mr.. Tilden is to-day the best stalking
horse that was ever provided for an ambitious
group with no man of distinguished ability
among them. Just as Jackson in the gather
ing weakness of old age, furnished, in 1882,
the cover under which Martin Van Buren, ad-
vanced ON the presidency, so Mr.. Tilden to-
day, with his crotchets and quavers about his
sacrifices and his place in history furnishes the
"Tilden men," in every state in the union
the preteXt and justification for gathering q
force which, If it does not nominate the old
man." can put the actual nominee under decI
obligations or, possibly, name some man moi
yet widely mentioned. With events taking
this course 1t is easy to see how good or
Ranization can be made to control the demo.
uluJiC WltHuuu cNbl uCSlulIS uu'
ell the convention meets whether Mr.. Tidon
means 1t this timo, or who is the second
choice of the Tlden men. AS the democratic
party is running the campaign on the com
pendious platGOrm-as democrat would say
that it is u long time between drinks and high
time u share of the offices were given thu
democrats, this shadowy campaign Of Tildor
in doubt whether to make 1t sure enough
resurrection this time suits the needs of thC
party, it will not strengthen it,"
The New York SIN has slightly modified
its war cry of turn the rascals out" and
winds up several of its editorials with tn,
republicans must CO." 1t finds fault will
republican officials for leaving Washington
for few days now and then during th
summer in this fashion:
"Absenteeism has grown to be an evil o
great and dangerous magnitude. The people
who are heavily taxed for tho support of {
standing army of one hundred and twenty
five thousand Ofiiceholders are Mt least enti
tied to fair labor for the large compensation
they pay. The people demand that tho Pres
ident and the heads OF departments shall stay
at the seat of government and perform thei
duties.
"The republican party must CO."
The Philadelphia Times, in the course of q
long editorial entitled "The Blind Leading
the Blind" thus counselS the leaders of ii
-, party in the Pennsylvania legislature:
"If the democrats would command popular
respect for their just claim in the apportion
ment issue, they should stop fooling, stOI
wasting public money, and adjourn the legis
lature as speedily Us possible, The repubi
can vote of the senate has been east soliC
against any further concession to the demo
Gratis on appOrtionments, and the issue ha
thus been squnrcly mndo up by them; but !
democratic tomfoolery is to bo continued fo
weeks in the Legislature, at an enormous cos
TO the state, tho people will be quite easil.
reconCied to as few democratic districts u
possible in the apportlonments. The bliut
are leading the blind in democratic circles a
Harrisburg, and the sooner the sensible demo
Gratis of the legislature cut loose from stup
organs and stupider blathcrskites and ad
iourn, the more democratic fragments ther
will be TO gather up in the future"
In commenting on Mr., Tildcn rs a demo
cratic candidate the Albany EcrliRg JOuTHo
says: "Mr. Tildcn was measurably success
full in posing as a reiormer in 1876. rh
existing state of politics furnished a back
ground by contrast with which he seemed /
many eyes an attractive figure. But eigh
years have worked great change Durin
that period the dominant forces in tho Tepul
liCan party have carried the iden Of admins
trative reform so far forward and lifted tn
standard of party management to such
plane, that the Tldcn Of 1876 seems no'
nothing more than n keen and capable pol
tican Tho ceaselcss march of Improvement
4 l.