Year: 1876

The letter of Governor Seymour conveying
to the Chairman of the Democratic State
Committee his absolute and definitive refusal
to stand rs q candidate cannot be considered
rs entirely his own. That part Of it which
AYERS his insurmountable determination to
reject the nomination thrust upon him
against his wishes and pressed upon his ac-
ceptance with persistent importantly is un-
doubtedly his own, but the residue of the
letter. consisting of long concio ad popnluna,
or pastoral address, to the democratic hock,
is the joint production Of Mr.. Seymour and
the party leaders who surround Governor
Tilden. When it was found that Mr.. Sey-
mour was inexorable to all entreaties on the
main point it was suggested to him that in
stead of bald refusal he should write
letter calculated to lift the party out OF Its
embarrassment and restore its shattered con-
idence. He readily consented to do anything
which was asked except to take the nomina-
ton. He accordingly made the first draft
Of letter in the sense suggested, and sent 1t
to Albany by Mr.. Magone for examination
md revision by Governor Tilden and his
confidential advisers. We have no means
of knowing what changes, if any, were made
in the original draft. 1t was taken back
from Albany to Mr.. Seymour for completion,
and was put into its final form and given to
the public yesterday afternoon. Aside from
Mr. Seymour's firm rejection of the Saratoga
nomination the contents Of the letter are of
doubtful paternity. 1t is not probable that
tho public will ever have an opportunity of
comparing the first draft with the completed
letter and knowing what amendments were
made in Albany. But we may safely assume
that it presents Mr.. Tilden's canvass in the
light in which he thinks it e1pedient to have
it put in this conjuncture.


Now, the main argument of the letter is
not that the democratic party deserves to be
trusted, but that, if it succeeds in this cleo
tion, it will be 30 curbed and restrained as
to render it incapable of mischief. Mr.. Sey-
mour points out that the democratic party
would only have the President and the
House Of Representatives, and that the re-
publican Senate would be o complete check
on the passage or repeal of any law subvert-
ing the recent policy of the government
The success Of the democratic party he says
"will not enable it to pass or to repeal laws
without the assent OF its opponents in the
Senate. The largest share of power and
patronage will still be left in the hands of
the republican party" This may be q
sound argument, but it is a singular lower
ing of democratic claims. Mr.. Seymour
assures the country that it will be safe to
elect Governor Tilden, because he can do
nothing without the permission ofhis political
opponents. In other words, we should have
q democratic President in republican strait
jacket. We imagine that the country pre-
fers sanity to straitjackets. Ifthe democratic
party deserves public confidence it would
be safe to intrust the whole government to
its direction if it does not deserve con-
fidence why should it have control of any
branch of the government? The kind of
argument which Mr.. Seymour puts forth in
his letter is confession that the country
distrusts the democratic party and requires
some other guarantee than its own character
for it's good behavior in Office. Mr.. Sey-
mour finds this guarantee in the republican
Senate, which can block democratic legisla-
ton and reject every appointment of
democratic President. Mr.. Seymour even
goes so far as to intimate that President
Tilden would remove no republicans from
the civil service. "On our part" he saws,
1--WE offer our candidates for the Presidency,
Vice Presidency and the majority of
the House to represent the democratic
party in its efforts for reform. On
the other hand" he continues, ''let
the republican Senate and the great array of
officials represent their organization" Are
we to understand him to mean that 'ths
great array of officials would be left undis-
turbed by Governor Tilden? The country
would prefer to have this assurance directly
from Governor Tilden himself on his individ-
nal responsibility. But inasmuch as the Ten
ure of Office law does not permit the President
to make removals (only temporary suspen-
sions) without the consent of the Senate,
Mr.. Tilden might safely make virtue Of
necessity, and declare that he will make no
removals for political causes This would
be step in the direction of civil service re-
form which could not injure, although it
might not help him.





"Danicl Derondn."