Year: 1876

CHOICE muSt uOl De luIOWu lHlO tue hOuSe.


While such a result would satisfy the


Democrats, who have the House by large


majority, it would insure the defeat of


Republican principles. 1t would give the


control of the Government during the next


four years to the Democrats, and that would


be equivalent TO placing it in the hands of


the present ex-Confederate House. This


result the entire Republican party is agreed


would be disastrous in the exreme. 1t


must be securely guarded against


How can this best be accomplished


Given, as a first proposition, that


the Democracy, with its present tactics


and entire control of the political ma


chinery in all the Southern States, will be


able to command the 1873 votes of those


States, which now seems more than prob


able, they will require but Al votes from


the Northern States to elect their candi-


date for President. To what source do


they look with the most confidence for


these AZ votesf Unquestionably to Ohio


and New York. These are two of the


largest and most uncertain States. If they


can secure Ohio In October they feel


morally certain of carrying both it and


New York in November. The Republi-


cans, then, will feel it all important to


name candidates at Cincinnati who. can


bring out the entire strength Of the party


in both these great States. The moral ef-


feet of carrying Ohio in the State election


in October is something which cannot well


be over estimated. Such result will i'm


part confidence to Republicans In other


States, which will be the synonym of vic


tory everywhere in the North in Novem-


Der.


1t is not less important to carry New


York, which is now in the hands of the


Democracy. The politics of that State are


SO closely interviewer with those of the
adjoining States of New Jersey and Con-
necticut that it is nearly certain that the
vote of these three States will go the same


way. The 35 votes of New York, added
to the Z of New Jersey and of Connect
cut and the 1873 of the combined South,
would elect the Democratic candidates.
So it Is imperative that the Republicans
must carry New York or fail. With these
facts staring them in the face the delegates
to the Republican convention will meet in
Cincinnati.


Is it not obvious that the first question
that will confront them there will be the
nomination of candidates whose combined
strength will enable them to carry beyond
a peradventure the two great States of New
York and Ohio2 The Republican conven-
ton of New York has pronounced Senator
Roscoe Conkling the strongest man in that
State, and the Republicans of Ohio aver that
Governor Hayes can carry Ohio. They also
aver that these States may be ranked as
doubtful if the names of their favorite sons
are not placed upon the Republican ticket.
Will not these opinions be reiterated in the
consultations at Cincinnati preliminary to
the ballots for nomination. And in such
state of affairs is it not clear that personal
preferences must give way to party exigen-
cies! Admitting that all the favorites are
alike unobjectionable in other respects, is
not thus the complexion which affairs will
certainly assume in the conventionf But,
again, are there any other men prominently
spoken of in connection with the nomina-
tion whose records are clearer and whose
political fame is wider than those of Conk-
ling and Hayes3


This campaign is to be fought for the
supremacy of Republican principles, for the
perpetuation of that civil and religious
liberty which the Constitution guarantees,
and those human rights, both political and
personal, which were obtained as the re-
suit of the war of the rebellion and are
guaranteed by the latest amendments to
our organic law. The conduct OF the De-
mocracy in the Southern State Legislatures,
and of the Representatives from the South
in the present Congress, admonishes US
that all Of the above-nsmed rights, privi-
leges and liberties are in danger of being
subyerted if the Government passes into
the control of the Democratic party. The
people of the North demand that the Re
publican policy of reconstruction shall be
fully maintained in the South, and that the
rights of the humblest citizens shall be
fully recognized as first and paramount
consideration. They insist that such legis-
lation shall be had as will secure safety to
the life and property and the privilege of
the ballot to the negro citizens in the South
ern States. Upon these questions no man
of national reputation has a sounder record
than Mr.. Conkling. He has been equal to
every occasion, and prompt to defend
these cardinal principles of the party
whenever they have been assailed
in the great forum of which he has so long
been the ornament. The same may be
said of Governor Hayes both in field and
Cabinet. His circle of operations has been
more circumscrIbed, but wherever duty
has called him he has never failed in open,
earnest and pronounced support to the
cause of human freedom. These men will
have no extra weights to carry. They
will not be handicapped in the race.
Their advocates in the press and on the
stump will not be called upon to either
apologize for short comings on their part
or to explain knotty points in their records.
All the circumstances surrounding the
situation at present seem to point to the
wisdom of combination upon these two
names by the Cincinnati convention. If
events show a different conclusion to be
wiser, and other tried and proved Repub-
licans are chosen before these men, we
shall bow to the verdict of a multitude of
counselors, and do everything in our
power TO elect the men selected.