Year: 1877




QUESTION


.Nortbern Democratic Senator has disclosed that
h,s marty would readily assent to the inaugura-
,,ou Of Gen. Hayes if they could be made to believe
,ha, he was fairly elected, the Presidency would
low he fatal to the Democratic party. Representa-
dive Crapo Republican member of the committee
,onvestigate the election in louisiana has returned
a. Washington and conversed freely i'll regard to his
;mpressous. 1t is thought that Judge Trumbuli


i be sent to the Senate from Illinois, and the Re-
nnhieans on the whole are not displeased. The re-
eurn of Senator Boutwell, from Massachusetts, is ex-
rected. The silver question occupied much of the
time of Congress yesterday The House decided not
20 permit the building of another bridge over the
Ohio River at Cincinnati


rsF OTHER PARTY TO TAKE THE PRIZE.
nvvoCRATs WHO THINK IT POLICY TO YIELD TO


HAYES DISASTERS THAT WOULD FOLLOW TO


EITHER PARTY II SUCCESSFUL NOW.


trEoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.}


WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-A Democratic Senator from
. Northern State expressed in conversation this
week opinions which, if entertained and acted upon
bv anv considerable number of his colleagues would
AZ once dispose of the Presidential dispute. That
fav men OF influence in both houses hold similar
views is certain. hut it is doubtful whether they
will seek TO enforce them upon the hungry poll
tcians of the party who look only to present sue
cess and care nothing for the future if they get
places Immediately at the public crib. give below
the line of argument pursued by the Senator, and
the principal points made during an hours talk.


If our leading men could be convinced" said ne,
that the inauguration of Gov. Hayes would not
make fair elections impossible in the future, and
would not fasten upon the country tie practice of
reversing the popular verdict by the tricks of can
vassers and returning boards, | think they would
NJ noliov In arr IN his
installation We should of course, make vigorous
protests and 90 as far as could under the COnst
tutOn and laws in asserting Gov. Tiden's right TO
the office but on the 4th of March we would accept
HAYES as the de tac;o President, and make our ap-
peal TO the country Speaking for myself, may say
that am fully convinced that the Democratic party
would be immeasuTably better of If it should fal
in its efforts to put the Government into Iudens
hands If we weld to the demands of our opponents
now under protest, of course we can destroy them
utterly within the next four years. We should stand
before the people in the attitude of patient, long
suffering much-abused, and law-abiding party, and
the revulson in our favor would be irresistible. My
own State which you know is very close, would be
carried by 30 900 majority. believe could even
carry heavy Republican States like Massachusetts,
The popular sympathy would be so Overwhelmingly
on our side that | doubt if the Republican party
would hold together after the defeats it would un-
dergo IN the State elections long enough TO make
another Presidential race"


Nov look upon the other side of the picture"
said l. after the Senator had developed this idea to
greater length. Suppose the Republicans yield
and permit you to place Gov. Tilden in the White
House Would he not be able to keep the South
solid for the Democracy and make il an enduring
basis of prolonged political power! That is what
Republicans are afraid of Apart from any desire
for future for their own organization, they
dread the effect upon the politics and destiny of the
country if the rule of party whose chief and only
trustworthy strength is in the old slave States is
once established. The habit of those States of act
ing together in national affairs has become fixed by
twenty years of experience in peace and war. II
they could control the Government by merely con-


nuing to stand together is there not every reason
10 expect that they would, for generation at least
form a solid mass into which opposition to the De-
mocracy could no more penetrate than could Oppo-
sition TO slavery before the rebelllonP


Il think you are mistaken about the South" re-
Piled the Senator. Mr. Tlden would find there the
most difficult element he would have to deal with
| mean the old Wing element. Just as soon as the
country is relieved from the rule of men whom the
people of the South have come to regard as inimi-
cal 20 their interests, this element will assert it
self II is especially strong in Virginia. North Caro-
lima. Georgia. and Louisiana, and it has accepted
the name of Democracy since the war with con-
slant mental reservations. believe it would be
found in open opposition to Mr. Tilden's Adminstra-
ton before b. had been two years in Office. Why,
even now some of the most conservative men we
have in Congress are from the South, and they are
the hardest men 10 reconcile to the policy of the old
Democratic leaders. Do you know how many old
Wings there are on the Democratic side of the
Senatei Just about half of the whole strength OF
the party. One question upon which this element
would place itself in antagOnism TO the old Simon
pune Democrats Is that of internal improvements.
The South wants Government aid for many import
ant public works and thinks itself entitled TO II as
offset for the hundreds of millions spent by the
Republicans in the North upon Pacific railroads
and river and harhOr improvements Mr.. Tilden
ard the Northern Democrats are opposed 10 all such
schemes. and they could perhaps control the old
Democrats at the South, but the former Wings
would break away.


There are many other reasons why it would en-
barrass our party 10 get control of the Government
at this time The distribution Of c.fcial patronage
would be z sersus source of weakness. One OF the
most eminent Democrats in the country man Of as
much influence as Mr.. Tilden himself, while talking
over the situation with short time ago, spoke
OF his dpprehensOns of the effect upon the party OF
filling the offices with is members. He said that OF
tie thousands who now expect TO get Office, only
comparative few could be satisfied, and the great
army Of he disappointed would become lukewarm
and dsaiiected Now they all work with "A will,
each hoping for reward. Ny own conviction Is
tina, Mr. Tiiden would no. succeed well in distribut
Ing the spos He is very stubbCrn and opiniOnated,
and # ,lould recommends man for postmaster i'll
my town he would be not 10 appoint HIM if he