Year: 1879

didates.


New York Tribune.l


A Southern politician of some prom
inence, who objected to having his
name appear In print, said to q Tribune
reporter Thursday: ssYou areall wrong
as to the emocratic candidate tor the
presidency in 1880. These Northern
Democrats have got no sense. They
don't see the way the tide is drifting.
Now we may be rebels down our way,
politics closely. Fact is, we haven't
much else to do. Now what do we
see in the present outlook? Why it's
plain to us that the Confederate busi-
ness has been overdone. The old loyal
element in the North is bristling up,
and if we go on in this way 1t will
clean US out again In 1880. The North
is getting fighting mad because there
are SO many rebel brigadiers in Con-
gress, and such look of the old Con-
federacy about the capital. There are
a few bowling idiots in tho South that
have made matters worse by printing
war-whoops in the papers. Now what
have we got to do? Isn't it plain
enough? We must nominate some
Union soldier like Hancock, against
whose war record nobody could say
word. We can't carry Tilden through.
Pm rather fond of the old man my
self; think he's statesman of the old
school like to hear him talk about
Jackson and Madison, and all those
old buffers; believe he's shrewd, and
a good organizer, too but he's not the
sort OF a man to win when the North
is excited against the South. Hen.
bricks wouldn't do any better either.
Why, Pm told he did nothing during
the war but sit in the Senate and pick
flaws in all the war legislation. Thur
man is another of those peace Demo-
Gratis whom you used to call copper
heads. He Won'tdo.''


Here etheSouthern gentleman stopped
short, and, glancing in the direction
Of the hotel bar, suggested drinks.
His listener, fearing the thread of the
discourse might not be resumed if sub.
jected to a convivial interruption, de-
clined, and persuaded him to 60 on.
"Bayard won't do either. tell you
there's no use of talking about any
candidate who did not put in his best
licks on the Federal side during the
war. We've got to quiet this excite
ment which I see rising all over the
North. We must put up man who
was as good soldier as Grant, and as
strong q Union man, or Well be as
badly licked as we were in 1868, when
we ran Horatio Seymour. We in the
South prefer Bayard to any other can
didate. After him most of us would
take Hendricks. Our people don't
fancy Tilden, but if he could win they
recognize a logical fitness in nominal
ing him. What we want is to win.
We don't care much who the candi-
date is if he can be elected.


sNow you mark my words: When
we come to hold our national conven-
tion the Southern delegates will insist
on naming candidate that can win.
We shall be beaten everywhere in the
North next fall, and there's no help
for it. But by 1880 the storm will have
partly spent its force; the North will
find the Confederate brigadiers are not
such terrible fellows after all. Then
we shall nominate Hancock and say,
1T was all partisan clap-trap about our
intending to overturn the results of the
war. You see we have put up big
Union general. We don't mean any
harm. Come and vote for him. The
Republicans will run Grant. He will
be handicapped with all the faults and
odium Of his eight years. administra-
tion, while Hancock will enter the race
without any load to carry"