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The Situation

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Parent Issue
Day
21
Month
July
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Xow that the linea of battle have been drawu by both political partiuc, and the country has had timo for delibérate ohservatiou of the situatiou, we shal) undertake to state some of the features of the present political controversy, together with what we deern the growing sentiment of independent opinión. To better comprehend the exaot position of both parties, it is necessary to reflect upon the two conveution9 whose duty it was tö shape the policy and draw the dividing lines of the campaign. The Cincinnati Convention found itself face to fice with all that is most odious in American politici. It was composed of men representing a party which recent disclosures have stamped ets the most corrupt and demoralized i party which has ever presentod itself i for the suffrages of the people. At ] home all honest men of whatever sect or oreed have blushed to think of the depths of moral infamy to which this party has been sunk by the men wh represent it. Abroad the press and statosmen of all countries have commented with sorrow and surprise upon the woeful degeneracy of our politics and the infamy of our public men; and in it all they have profussed to seo the handwriting on the wall, telling of the incapacity of the people for self-governmimt and the ultímate downfall of our popular institutions. This party, meeting in convention at Cincinuati, with all its sins of commission and of omission hanging upon everybody's lips, was to make its choice as between good and bad government, was to approve or repudíate the policy and the administration of the men in. power who have brought disgrace upon the American name and the American system, was to select a man whose name should be the platform, and make its appeal to the people for the seal of their commendatiou. Now what did they ? They commended and approved an administration the most disgraceful known to the records of American politics. They indorsed Gen. Grant with his blunders that are bad as crimes. They rejpctod the only candidate preRented to them whose name was a guarantee of aggressive honesty and purity in politics. Thej deliberately turned their backs upoii the man whom they very well knew the better sentiment of the country was asking for at their hands. Mr. Bristow was unhesitatingly retired to private life, and the country was given to understand that the party had no need of the man who conspicuously and alone had dared to do his duty to the people and to the Amerioan name. Talk of " reform within the party," when the sole champion of reform within the party is unhesitatiugly ofí'ered a victim to appease the men upon whose toes he had been compelled to walk, in order to reacb or even attumpt to reach purity in politics ! Talk of ' reform withiu the party," when the man who beyond all the others in his party Btood up and did hia duty is deliberately rejected ! To hope for " reform within the party " when positive men who dare to do their dnty are not sustained, is to become the dupe of party blmduessTo stand up and allow wool to be pulled over one's eyes in thia manuur is to pay one's brains a Tery poor oompliment. Mr. Blaine, too, who stood as a representative of anti-Grantism was defeated. The friends of the adininistration, the the followers of Conkling and Morton, the opponenta of Bristow and Blaine, struck hands and noniinated Gov. í layes: an honest man but one with whom they knew they need not quarrel, as his character was negative rather than positive'. Let it be remembered who are the men to whom the nomination of Huyes is due, and not forgetting the negative character of the man, the folly of expecting through his election any needed revolution ia our political afïairs will be plainly apparent. Not that Gov. Hayes' intentions are not good, but that he will go into office surrouuded by powerful rings and men against whom no negative character can sucoessfully cope. It is said that " heil is paved with good intentions," and it is certain that good intentions alone cannot win a victory over the combined forcea that ara held together by the corruption and spoils of public office. Gov. Hayes' strength nonsists in his obscurity and is made up of negations. The Republican canvaBS, under the name of Hayes, is a repetition of the story of the Greeks at Troy and their wooden horse. The üemocratio party, meeting in couvention at St. Louis, looking around and seeing the danger which everywhere threatened our institutions, were of one mind as to what the situation called for. They saw that thorough reform was necessary, thut the times demanded an aggressive man who would neither quail nor waver in the onslaught against public vice. Such a man was Samuel J. Tilden, the man who destroyed the Tweed ring, incarcerating some of its members behind prison bars and driving others across the sea ; and afterwards broke up the canal ring, demolishing an organization growu rich upon publio plunder, and defiaut of publio opinión. The issue of the contests with those strongly intrenched plunderers seemed to very muny doubtful. But blow after blow feil thick and fast, and every one told upon that corrupt organization until finally it was compelled to go to the wall. Samuel J. Tilden, sitting in the executive chair of New York not yet two years, has demolished the corrupt ring and reduced taxation within that time from $16,000,000 to f8,000,000. He ia a poBÍtive man, a man of aggressive honesty, a man hated by thieves but respected by true men everywhere. He is to the Democratie party all and more thun all that Bristow was to the Republican. He is the man for the times, a man not to be turned to the right or the left from the line of duty. Hated by Tammauy, feared by the Canal ring, the reducer of taxation by one half, the staunch champion of hard and honest money, an exponent of civil service reform and purity in politics, Samuel J. Tilden is truly the friend of the people. He bas proved his fuith by his acts, and now let the people who have so long groaned under heavy and un necessary taxation, who have been plundered of millious wrought out by the sweat of honest toil, let thetn see to it that the man who has shown himself the friend of the poor man and the sturdy champiou of honest administration, shall hear the invitation which is the reward of faithful doing, " friend, come up hither." The growing sentiment of the clasa Icnown as independent voters gravitates toward the Democratie party. It would be surprising if it were not so. The people know that Mr. Tilden is in ' earuest for reform ; they know that he i is honest, capable, and faithful ; that he has both the will aud the capacity to carry through whatever he undertakeB ; they kiuw that his election means reform, a reduotion of expenditures and f taxation, the civil service purified, and the government brought back to an honest standard of administration. They have seen him writing over the doors of the political temple a warning to thieves : " All hope of plunder abandon, ye who enter here ! " It is in consequence of these things, and because they know that the government is corrupt to the oore, and understand that the fundamental principies which should govern all political action is that the party in power is to be held responsiblo for its acts while in power, that the popular sentiment is drifting to Tilden. Thoughtful men, men like Charles Francis Adams, look upon the situation in this light and throw their iuiluence for Tilden and Reforin. ! w. The Hon. Henry Waldron arrived at hia home in Hillsdale on Saturday ' uing last, and will take a week to , look kis private business and look over i the political field. After tbat, that long promised letter (uot by Waldron), positivoly declining a renomination for Congress may be given to the public. Henry R. Watterson, of the LouisTille Courier-Journal, has been nominated for Congress by the Deinocracy of bis district and has filed his acceptance. It is given out that ex Secretary Hristow is to be pitted against him by the Republicana. ' In which case Bristow will como off eccond beat, as he did in his "mili" with Grant and the whisky ring. The Allegan Journal vies with the Detroit Tribune in ringing the changes on "crow," "boiled crow," "eating crow," etc Bob and sinker, line and plummet cannot sound the depths of argument there is in thase words : words just as appltcable to Blaine, Conkling, and Morton uien as to those Democrats who are not fortúnate enough to find their first choice in the candidates of the St. Louis Corivention. Grant gave "certificates of karacter" and testimoniáis of personal friendship to Tom Murphy, Boas Shepherd, Crooked-Contract Creswell, Landaulet Williams, Seoretary Delano, and Posttrade Belknap, and shed as heap o' tears when Babcock retirod from the White Houao. But nobody has heard that he exprenaed any regrets at parting with Secretary Bristow, PostmasterGeneralJewell, or Commissioner Pratt. OüR FELLOW CITIZEN Judge Lawrence is developing into a Congressional candidato, - renewing the aspirations of his youth. He has beeen written to by several Republican wire-pullers who don't think half a dozen candidates enough to go into convention, or who are not satisfied with either of the stock entries, and is inclined to favorably take the bait. We shall see what we shall see. In tue catnpaign of 1875 against " Rise up William Alleu " Gov. Hayes was eupported by Judge Stallo, Fred. Hassaurek, Chas. Reemelin, Emil Rothe, prominent Cincinnati Germans, all of whom now euthusiastio.allv port Til Jeu and Hendricks. intluenoe of suoh meu will sertously whittle down the tneager majority Oov. Hayes seoured, and may clmnge it to a minority. A Tilden and Hendricks Reform Club was organized at Ypsilanti on Friday evening last, with the following officers : President, F. P. Bogardus ; Secretary, Albert Crane ; Treasurer, R. W. Heinphill. The organization being completed the Club was addressed by Messrs. C. Joslin, Albert Crane, John Gilbert, and C. M. Woodruff. A " Young Men's R3form Club," with seventy-five members has been organized on the " East Side," and a third Club is to be organized on the " West Side." The Demócrata of our neighboriug city evidently mean business. At THE time ex-Secretary Bristow was before the House Cooimittee investigating the whisky frauda, and refused to answer questions touching conversation8 with the President or in Cabinet, he also diatinctly advised the cominittee that he would nut answer even with the permission of the President or the injunction of secrecy removed. President Urant well knew that this was the position of the ex-Secretary when he wrote bis recent letter giving his consent to a full revelation. It was a safe thing for the President to do, but savored more of the schemiug gogue thaii of conscious roctitudo or brarery. Knowing that Bristow wouldn't teil and couldn't bo uiade to teil, Grant says "You niay, I'H let you." Too transparent that. Our friend J. H., of the Delhi Mills Hiiys that he met " a tall gentleman in black " a few days ago, and was introduced to him as a prospectivo Congressman, with the suggestion that he (John) uiight wisli his services in regulating freights. John didn't catch the name but the " freight " dodge disclosed the Granger, and he went for him as for the veritable " heatben Chinee," said freights were too low now, that railroads were worthless property, that the stockholders were getting nothing on their investment, and that the Grangers were "wrecTers," plunderers, cutthroats, and other naughty riamos. And when John afterwards learned that he had been throwing hard-heads at J. Webster Childs he didn't seem to repent or relent worth a cent. John is an obstinate fellow. ■ - i i _ How happy mnny of the Republicans would be if they did not have to carry Grant through the canvass ? But they can't get rid of the burden. They are responsible as a party for Grantism, and only now that it imperils their chanoes of success are they trying to disavow it. It was the same thing four years ago and six years ugo that it ia now : yet when we and othere, like Siimncr mul Truinbull, told them so, ihey abused us roundly. But time and consequeuces open mauy eyes. - N. Y. San. President Grant Sbems to be denuding his administratiou of all the popular elements in it. - Botton Transcript.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus