Year: 1876

The party ana the country owe bne
st. Louis Convention deep debt of
gratitude. The man who cannot
give his support to the candidates OF the
Democratic party and to the plat
form upon which they stand is indeed
hard to please. Unlike their oppoT
nents, the Radical candidates, it needs
no heightened biographies to tell the
people what manner of men SAMUEL
J. TILDEN and THOMAS A. HENDRICKS
are, for they are already known. we'll
known throughout the length and
breadth of the land as true patriots
and experienced statesmen. No one
is forced to ask who is TILDEN or who
is HENDRICKS; nor have we any fear
lest some musty, half-forgotten record
shall be brought to light against either
of the gentlemen who have just been
so highly honored by our party. Their
lives can be subjected to no severer
scrutiny than they have already time
and time again undergone without
spot or blcmish being found.


Nor is there any doubt where they
stand. The declaration of prin~
ciples enunciated atSt Louis give forth
no uncertain sound. Bold, aggressive
and truthful, the platform OF the
Democratic party to-day defines,
perhaps more sharply the issues
between it and its antagonist than was
ever done by any party in any country
before. No man need be in doubt
which to choose, if he only he knows
whether he prefers constitutional
government, conducted impartially,
honestly and economically, to one
reeking with corruption, debauched
by personal favoritism and paralyzed
by incompetency and imbecillty IN Its
administr alton. But it is not only for
the principles of the platform, nor for
the character of the candidates that the
action of the st. Louis Convention is
to be commended. The soundest dis
cretiOn Ill other respects was manifest
from the beginning to the end, bring
ing about most happy issue out OF all
conflict, whether of principles, of per-
sons, or of sections.


70 insure success of the party
it was necessary to satisfy the East and
yet not to dissatisfy the West, and the
nomination of Tilden of New York
and of Hendricks of Indiana accom-
plished thatseemiDgIy difficult task. 1t
was necessary while seeking the sup
port of hard money men, not to drive
off soft money men. How we'll this
was done, the overwhelming vote by
which the money plank inthe platform
was endorsed plainly shows. The task
of retaining the allegiance of disap-
pointed aspirants when such men as
Tilden and Hendricks and Bayard and
Parker were contending in generous
rivalry was no difficult one. When
Tilden was nominated there we're none
to be found but Tilden men, and when
choice of the party for the Vice Presi-
dency was expressed, it was found that
not a dissenting voice was heard
against Hendricks.


We are satisfied. We are more than
satisfied. We are delighted. With
such a ticket and such platform and
with such an enemy, if we cannot win
the victory we may never again hope
for SUCCESS. The platform means fight
and the candidates mean fight and
fight means victory. Aggressive cam
paigning, bold and defiant, is now be-
fore us. But the task before us is no
child's play; it is work, and work for
full grown men too. A party with
good platform and good nominees is
like a farmer with his crop well
planted. Much has been done, and
we'll done, but not all. Let us all now
so work, work steadily. intelligently,
and with common plan, as that in
November we may gather a plenteous
harvest of good government.