the other to hold the old-time Democrats.

Mr. Tilden's letter of acceptance was directed chiefly to the state
of the currency and to the conditions and methods of resuming specie
payments. He had no sympathy with the soft-money ideas which dominated
so large a section of his party, but he was constrained to support the
demand of his own platform for the repeal of the Resumption clause, and
he undertook to do it by urging that a system of preparation was
all-important, and that the promise of a specific day was of no
importance,--forgetting that the Act and the date contemplated and
provided preparation. Though the letter was of unusual length it was
almost exclusively devoted to these financial questions, and only
briefly referred to civil service reform at the conclusion. On that
subject his utterances had the same defect of indefiniteness. He
described recognized evils, without indicating any practical remedy.
Mr. Hayes had been more specific. He had positively declared against
the use of official patronage in elections and removed himself from all
temptation by giving the voluntary pledge that if elected he would not
be a candidate for a second term. Mr. Tilden did not bind himself by
any personal pledge, but expressed the "conviction that no reform of
the civil service in this country will be complete and permanent until
the Chief Magistrate is Constitutionally disqualified for re-election."

The canvass was not marked by striking incidents. Mr. Hayes, who had
no inclination for political management, left the conduct of the
campaign in the hands of party leaders. It was throughout practically
directed by one of the most resolute and competent of men--Zachariah
Chandler of Michigan. Mr. Tilden was not an orator, and did not
follow the example of Mr. Seymour or Mr. Greeley in going before the
people, but skillfully and quietly directed all the movements of the
canvass. In spite of his personal fidelity to hard money, the
equivocal position of his party was used against him with great effect.
The fact that the Republicans had passed the Resumption measure, and
that the Democrats had demanded the repeal of its most important
feature, made a clear and sharp issue, and the pronounced record of Mr.
Hayes as the leader of the fight against the inflationists in Ohio,
emphasized the Republican attitude.

The Southern question, though treated as secondary, came into marked
prominence. It was brought forward by