Year: 1876

A Presidential year is always one in
which business suffers from the preoccu-
patton of the people with the gravest
concerns of politics. Men expect that,
and lay their plans accordingly, hoping
that the subsidence of political agitation
which will follow the election will give
freer course than before to the move
ment of trade.


In the canvass of this year, there was
partisan talk of the damage to the ma
tional credit and the consequent injury
to business which would follow the cleo
tion of Mr.. Tilden, but not even the
utterers of it can really have believed
what their zeal led them to prognosticate.
Though no man could doubt, whatever
his political affiliations, that Mr.. Tilden
stood at least an even chance Of success,
that his election was at least very prob
able, no holder of governments sold them
out through fear of the prospect,
and no merchant provided for the
disaster it was declared would fol-
low the event. Everybody knew that
the business interests of the country
were safe in Mr.. Tilden's hands, and the
more far-seeing discerned the promise in
his election of the prosperity which
would signalize the withdrawal from
agitation of the cause of sectional ami
mostly and encouragement which have
tended to dampen business enterprise for
several years past.


All the business men, therefore, looked
hopefully to the revival of trade which
they anticipated would follow the public
decision. They bore the Interruptions
of the canvass without anxiety, deeming
that the two months lost would be more
than made up by the renewed and in
creased activity which would succeed the
excitement. After six months of poll
tics, they reasonably expected four years
of prosperous business. The South was
stalking all its hopes on the result. The
West was one vast political meeting, and
in the East public anxieties diverted at
tention from private undertakings. 1t
was well there was limit to such mon
opoly of the citizens attention by the
demands of politics.


But so far from reaching an end of the
agitation on election day, it has happened
that we are only plunged into the middle
of it, with distractions ahead far worse,
possibly, than those through which we
passed during the summer and autumn.
And to whom do we owe this blow at
business hopes? To miserable set of
fellows who for ten years have kept three
of the richest and most fertile States in
the Union in constant turmoil. To a
lot of adventures who have manipulated
the laws of those States to further their
depredatory purposes, and who now keep
the country in alarm and anxiety while
they proceed to count in such candidates
as they wish to see elected, including
themselves.


If any further argument were. needed
in support of the position of the honest
men of the South that their political
peace, social harmony, and business
prosperity all depend upon the over
throw of these corrupt rascals, and the
establishment of an Administration to
which such creatures could not look for
naval and military support in their
rascality, we have it now. A score o1
political scamps against whom are
arrayed all the capital and enterprise Of
three states, and who profit by
the adversely that surrounds them
have succeeded in blocking
the business of the country
and harrassing with uncertainty
all mercantile calculations. 1t is thus
brought home to the people of the North
that the scandalous abuses which have sc
long retarded the recovery and deVelp
ment of the South affect them also, anc
that injury to the prosperity of one Stats
is injury to all. The damage has beer
going on for ten years, but now we fee
it in its full weight and know just whom
to hold responsible for it.


There can be no permanent peace ant
security for the country until these ad
ventures are driven from power, alon!
with their allies at Washington.