Year: 1876

power leads them often into courses which
defeat the purposes they have most at heart.
The eagerness with which political leaders
of both parties are now struggling for sue
cess is q striking illustration of this truth.
The democrats are wild with desire to get
into their own hands the reins Of govern
ment but to thoughtful man it appears
quite certain that if they should now be de-
feated and should accept their defeat with
loyal good nature they would be far more
certain of lasting victory four years hence.
The truth is the fruit is not quite ripe for
them yet If Mr.. Tilden shall prove to
have been chosen his party will enter on
the administration under great and almost
disabling difficulties. It does not possess
the confidence of the country to the
degree requisite to make its task any
thing but most difficult. The DEM
ocratio President and Congress would
have to contend on the one hand, with
rash, impetuous and foolish persons in their
own party, full of crude and ill-digested
projects and OF schemes repugnant to the
public will and interests, and they would
meet on the other side popular suspicion.
frequent misinterpretation Of their motives
and a powerful and skilful opposition.
They would find imposed upon them tasks
Of the most difficult kind; for they would
bo required to bring the country back to
specie payments to maintain absolutely
and their security in life and property ; to
reform the civil service and to frame such
wise measures as would raise our industries
to renewed prosperity. Every proposition
they brought forward would be rigidly scru-
tinized, not only by their opponents in
Congress-, but by the people at large, and
they would need almost superhuman wis
dom and prudence to conduct their admin
istration in such o manner as to win the
public approval and reelection in 1880.


II, however, the democrats shall have lost
the election, they will still have strong in
fuence in the country. which can be i'm
paired only by their own blunders. With
strong representation in both houses of
Congress they would be able to take advan-
tage of every mistake Of the republicans.
The responsibility for currency, civil SER
vice and other reforms would rest with the
latter, and if these failed to redeem thoir
pledges, if they continued to suffer and en-
courage misgovernment in Southern States,
or continued their corruption of the civil
service, or paltered with the currency ques-
ton as they have done for SO many years, or
omitted such measures As are needed to
bring us back to prosperous times. the coun-
try would undoubtedly in two years give the
democrats majority in both houses, and in
1880 put them in the executive under con-
ditions which could hardly fail to give them
long and secure lease of power.


Take now the case of a republican victory
and we have only to reverse the picture If
Governor Hayes is elected he will begin his
administration either by trying struggle
with some of the most skilful and deter
mined leaders of his own party, who are
opposed to the reforms to which he is
pledged, or he will have to surrender to
these, in which case the reforms he has
promised, and on the faith Of which he has
been chosen, would be abandoned. But in
that case he and his party could look forward
only to humiliating defeat in 1880. If the
republican party succeeds now it is almost
certain that it will fall into disintegration or
into public disfavor before the next Presi-
Dental election, but if it should now prove
to be defeated, nothing is more likely than
that, purified and strengthened by four
years of adversity, retaining all its skill and
ability, hut disembarrassed of its camp fol-
- r. - koI -
retain power for a number Of terms there
after.


In fact, there is scarcely doubt that the
party which shall succeed now will be over
not probable, that it survives SO long. But
it is equally certain that the party which
fails now may expect to succeed in 1880,
and, if its leaders are men of only moderate
wisdom and prudence, may hold power for
q number of years.


OF course we do not expect either party to
give up its chances on any such considera-
tions but in what we have above written
there are suggestions Of comfort for the de-
feated side which will commend themselves
to thoughtful party men. The truth is
that the Office of President for the next
four years will be one of the
least comfortable places in the hab-
table part of our planet. Unless Mr..
Tilden prefers deliberately to sacrifice the
favor of the country to the demands Of his
party he will have to give deep offence and
dissatisfaction to great multitude of his
supporters from the very start. and viii
arouse such a storm about his ears as viii 90
far to disintegrate his own party, while We
believe at the same time it would rally to
his support the best men Of both parties in
defence of true and necessary reforms We
have confidence that Mr.. Tildsn, if he were
President, would attempt just this course,