Year: 1876

false issues. The mistake commenced with Mir. Blaine, last winter. Instead of pushing the financial question and com polling the Democracy to take decisive ground for or against resumption, he al- lowed the winter to go by without deci- siye action. Hard Money stood on the de- fensive, and it was only when the Infa- tionists pushed the repeal of the Resump- ton act that there was any serious colli- sion between the financial parties into which congress is divided. Had MT. Blaine attacked the Resumptionists with little of the vigor with which he attack ed the Southern Democracy, there would have been such developement of the In- fiation position. as would have made the nomination of a soft money man like Hendricks, and hard money man like Tilden, on the same ticket, an impossibil- 1 ity. Instead, the ex-speaker undertook to revive Northern distrust of the South, and irritate the Southern Democracy into indiscretions, with the evident view of con- ducting the campaign on the Southern issues. Although himself failing of nom- ination, the Blaine spirit seems to have taken thorough possession of the Indiana and Ohio campaign. Its success has not been so great as to warrant the conduct of the Eastern campaign on that issue, even as matter of policy.

 The energy and pluck with which the Western Republicans, have fought their first battle have been admirable but we hope for wiser direction of that energy in the east

 AS regards the south, we have long been of the opinion that it is better that the white people of that section should con- trol thelr own local governments, than that they should be administered by the incompetent negroes, or corrupt carpet-beggers, as has been the case wherever the Republican party has Lad power in the South. We cannot but be- lieve, therefore, that such policy as that inaugurated by Mir. Blaine would be pro- ductive of vastly more evil than good if successful We do believe, however, that if we could be sure of a body of hon. est and competent Republican federal office holders in the south, it would be preferable that the national government should be in Republican hands. The terrible standardization of the state governments, while in Republicans hands, might lead to a violent reaction in that section, If under no fear of federal inter- ference, that would practically remand the negro to a condition of dependence On the other hand, with the federal ap- pointments in the hands of the Patter- sons and the Spencers, there can be no doubt that existing corruptlons will be continued, and that Republican ascend ency would be a serious damage to the South. Without some reform of our civ il service system, therefore, we are con- pelled to admit that it would be better fer the South that Tilden should be elec- ted.

 We shall vote for Mir. Hayes, therefore, not because we are afraid of revival of the old Confederate spirit in the South; but because we believe that his election will ensure us @ thorough reform of the oivii aarvice and a speedy return to specie payments. The present mode of appoint ment gives all the federal patronage to the Congressman of the successful party. This fact accounts largely for the disre- putable character of so many of the pres ent federal officers in the South. Such fellows as Kellogg and Spencer secure the appointment of men of like character to the federal offices in their respective states. Whichever ignorant electors send corrupt or incompetent men to Congress, under our present appointing system, these men corrupt and enfeeble the feder- al administration in their districts, by filling the federal offices with their cor rupt tools. It is precisely here that MT. Hayes promises thorough reform. He thinks it enough that the Senate should ratify executive appointments without ar- rogating to themselves the power of re- commenting those appointments in the first place. Yet this is precisely what politicians like Spencer have done. It is to be observed that MT. Tilden promises no reform of the civil service. It is fur ther to be observed that the Democratic party propose no reform of the corrupt old spells system. They take the ground that substitution of Democratic for Re- publican officials is reform in itself. No doubt in some parts of the South this will be the case; but will it be so else- wheres Will the influence of Senator Barnum on Connecticut appointments be ot reformatory character? The real statesmen of the country have con1e to the conclusion, long ago, that there will be no thorough reform of our civil service till there is different system of appointment, either by competitive examination or by some other mode of selection, that shall take away from politicians the control of appointments. The necessity of such a reform, but is not recognized by Mir. Til den. In short, in case of Mir. Hayes election we are promised an administra. ton on the Bristow plan of practical re- form. whereas the success of Mir. Tilden offers us no such hope. .-r

 Our second ground of preference for Hayes is his position on the question of finance. No doubt MT. Tilden is him. self hard money man, but how with the best of intentions is he to accomplish Resumption? He can only accomplish this result with the support of Congress, and what reasonable expectation is there that Democratic Congress will support any scheme of resumption? In the pres

 ent House of Representatives, two thirds of the Democratic majority are soft mon

 ey men. Where then, can Mir. Tilder