The Issues Of 1876

In the course of a recent speech at Clearfiold. Pa., Hon. William Eigler said : Instead of proapority we have natioual dopresaiou and bnsineaa disaster. Tlieae conelnsions are iinprossed npon uu. not only by what we neo aud hear, but by what o suffer in onr own affaiin. Wo are sufforers from the effect of bad govornment. As the producers of coal aud iron and lninber and brick, and as mechauics and laborera, we feel the p&ralyzing influence of an unwUo public policy that ha unduly slimulated industry at one time and crushed itat another, that haa alieuated tho peo - pie from caoh other rather than begotten good aud fratornity. The dopresaed spirits and evi] forobodiuge óf tbo masa of the peoplo indícate the procesa wo aro now nndergoing. We are not tho ttheerfnl and happy peoplo we woro a few yoars aiuce. Want of oniployment and Bubsistenco staro ine in the face, aud their spirits siuk. Aud vhat ia still worao, just now in the mjjst of the celebration of tho eyeut that brought the rcpublic into existence, the natioual prido ia brougut into tho very dnst by trials for bribory and corruption at tho seat of government, aud by daily doyelopmenta of tho evideuce of nmlfeasanco in high p'ace. And as if iutended to give special point to tuis national bumiliation, the President absented himsolf from the groat iutoruational colebration on the Fourth of July. The ceremonies were honored, novertheiess, "by the preBence of Sir Edward Thornton, tho accreiited Minister from Great Britain, and by the Emporor of Brazil aud by distinguished representatives from all tho principal Enropean govornments, and from the Asiatic and oriental countries. Why President Graut declined to take part in tho coremoniea I am not ablo to inform you. It ia yery probable that he wa nraoh ongagod in getting ready for his sporting trip to " Deer Park," on theAJleghouy mountaius, whither he went a few days thereaftor. 1 dou't know, gontlomen, how this showing may striko you, but it ocoure to me that an admiüistration that'hau acted in such utter disregard of the intereets aud feoliugs of the peoplo and tho honor and dignil.y of the nation shoald Beek ooncealmcnt rather than a new lease of power. I shrink from a praeutation of all the facts that make op this sickeuing picture, aud as for tho names of the guilty parties, I regret that thoy mr.st have a place iu the official and criminal records of the country ; aud what I rogret atill more is that it looks ás if tho Hat of delinquent would bo considorably cnlarged. From Bolknap down these politica! imposters are ontitled to jour cojitemüt, and that mueh they should have. lïut I ueed uot troublo }on with detailH to hustain thiB picture. No one will d?ny the general trutha of what 1 have allogod, and that is suliicicut for my parpóse. You know, cacli one of you, that tho instancos of malfoasauco and corruption aro unp;iralloled, atid yon lmow alao that the impoachment of a Cabinet ofticer for bribery and corruptiou, and the criminal trial of tho conudeutial aocretary of the Proftidout, aro thiugs unknowu to the past hiötory of tho country, and it i.t uo relief t'j say that liolkuap and Babcock have boeu acquiited, for men of all parties know them to bo guilty. If there be uot in theae thinga aullicient reason for ehanging an administration, how WOuM it bo posiúble to make up a conclusive case ? Burely all the teen that censtitute n administrfttion ere not to bo brought to sbame bofore won ior it coudemcation shall be defiffitKi B,i!ii,'ii.iit, J)ut ï way b scid tliat Grant is not a candidato for re-olection, and thereforo my argument doea not apply. Thig would be a very flimay plea, for while it i trae that Grant íb not peraonally a candidate, it Ís true that bis adminwtration Is ou trial, and ehould Gov. Huyes be elected, with ono voice the Grant dynasty would claim that result as an indorsement oí themselves, and insist that thereíoro t'oeír principies and prácticos must be contiiiu: at Bat tliere are otíiof tsaons for believiug that tho election of Hayo would be a virtual continiance of Grantitm. In the (raí pli;e Grant aud Huyes are of the amo wing of the flopublican party ; and in the next placo, Hayes is indebtad to the special friendo of Grant for Iiíb nominatioS. .Indsed, it is well kuowu that but for tho skillful management of the conveution by aTinember of tho Cabinel, Mt. Blalno would have been tho nominee. That Mr ■ Cwneron went into the coaveution to nomínate ono oí Qtantfa favoritos, ia conceded on all aides ; but the actioii öf the eonvention itaolf, by indorsing Grant in tho iSost sfoeping terina, is conclusivo on ibis poiut. Tho (ffm'ention presonted Hayes as the candidate, and (ifsnt'q adtninistration aa a model for his imitation shoüld he be lected. But atill more and worne, lest i'íaeí ah'wM got a litilo tasto of indopendence and, thereiorè, bêio'oe eomewhat self-reliant, Graut has the managötaeat of tlie cartvass placed in tbc hands of Mr. ChandlST, hi favorito Cabinet offieer. In view of theso fadts i it not preposterous to pretend that Hayes is not viítually Gfant 1 JBtít it íb saift that Ooy. Hayes, in bis letter BeptftnSft hM declared for civil service reform, malntai'iiñ', tlmt the best men hould be eelected for pñllio tftfsts, withont mu oh ref erenco to their party ideníitj'. Thií is a lítele too transparent. It looks vory mxich h'Jíe an attempt to catch oíd birds with cbaff. What propoftlon of the appoinimonta do yon euppose (nr. Hayes would concode to the Democrats iu pursuiincfi tff thís letter ? Hot oue, and be will not iiow daré to pïoBri'je one. For such a coucession Chaudk r would deicnftd h bead, and Grant would send it on a cbargei'. Oot. Hayes may be at heart a rigbt good man, and I believo he is, but no oue thinks be is made np of tho mottlo to carry out the reform hipted at in hia letter. Ho ia really, in civil aftaira, ai tintiisd man. Hls civil record i barren - exCeedingiy bairon -showing him to havo been only a eilunt a"l söbmisslve observer of passing events. WboeYer livea to seo him President, as tho chosen man of the Kopubücan party, will ünd him practicing the principie that "to the victors bolong the spoilö," his tr to tho contrary HOtwithatanding. But the usual plea againrt cbanging the adminifltration i that tho DemocTirt nd Couaervatives would do no bettor, probably woibo. Jlnt thia ia not a manly response. For aixteen foara tho Repubücan party has controlled tho ' oteriimenti and tho country i in the midstof unparalleled diflofdei. What wonld you say to an unfaithful agent, who há bíouglit ruin upon your business and reputatiofl, 'ffiio should sot up such a plea as tbis ? I tbink yoU wonld ent him out, becauae no one couid do worse. And wó íia mt loaet this lattor goad reaaon for cbanging tho priiaeiít diíinistration. No administration cóuld do worsó. But for moutbs tbero has been a stíuggifl ín proaress at Washington that distinctly inarKs tbe differenco botween tho Republican and Democratie policy, and you can determino Which yol! profer. Tho House, beiug Demooratie, bas been insistini; on Governirent reförme, and eapeciallj' ou tbe reductiou of exJjensos, but the Jlopublican Senate ba contended for the old order of things. Tbe eiforts of th! Hotíse. I am happy to eay, havo Baved about $30,000,000 to the peoplo, and had tho Senate boen Democratie aud Tilden been President, $60,000, 000 or moromigbt havo boen saved. I muat uot take my aeat without referring to tbe high cbaracter of our candidatos. Beyond question they come up to tbe JofferBOnian standard of honcsty and competency. Gor. Hendrioks is a statesman of largo Oiperience. of marked practicability, pure in his lifo and eharacter, and uob!e and generous in all hiS imptUaeu -a fit man for any place undcr tho Goveininenf : For Gov. íilden I hafe a special liking, bocause of bis rare charatteriatitfs. 1 have known bim for many yeare, and have bcch sometbinf; of him as a lawyer and politiciau. lu M ptofpasion he ia noted for getting down to the bottoffl OÍ ,8tiy ñaue he undeitakes to investigHte. Aa a politiciáu h in e!iually noted for undorstanding tbe policies Knil n'vemeut of Ui oppouente as of those of hts ífio?1n. A rigid party man, ho bas nevertheloas alw7e h:Kl party purposos in subordination to wbai ho believed to be tho public good ; and bo bns had tbs eonrage, ae you all know, to repudiafe Corrupt Demócrata and accept the friend8bip oï good tiepubliean. Indeed, his public notortety beganttitb his relentlesa assaufta upon W. M. Tweed and bis (Wsoclatop, nominal Democrats, whom he detected carri Ing out etupendous frauaa upon tho people of New York. Having made up au issue with thia band of rascafe, he never let up until tbe entire gang was brought to justice. Slicwld he be President, I predict that tho first Democrat who plays tho thief or fails of duty will sharo the fate oí Tweed. Aa Governor of New York ho diacovered and broke up a band of pilferers on tbo Stato canals, composed of men of both paities, wbo had boon rebbiug tbe State under one or more of hia predeceasors, and one aftor another he hd them brought to justice. Ho may be vefy ulow to write letters, but the thievea of New ïerk tliink his vengeanee is awf ully swift, and tho murderers at Hamburg, S. C, would think the same tbing if he could reach them By hin stern rcforms he has already reduced the annnal expenses of his State from about í 15000,000 to $8,000,000. I ask you, gentlemen. Republicana as well aa Demodate, is not this the kind of man the times require in tbe Presidoütial chair ? I must say that wben I rond his letter pf acceptaueo I wasimpressed with the belief that if he hsd boen President with a friendly Congress, for tbe last oight yeare, tbe country would not be in its present sad coudition. To rodeein tbe oouutry from its present disordered condition is a responaibihty from whioh any one might sbrink, aud on this point Gov. Tilden saya : "If summoned by the sujfrages of my oounhrymen to attempt thia work, I shali endeavor, vrith Ooïx tmlp, to be the effleitnl irislrmnent of their will."