Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1876 — THE “GAUNT AND HUNGRY WOLF.” [ARTICLE]

THE “GAUNT AND HUNGRY WOLF.”

Governor Tilden’s statement that “a wolf is at the door of every “house in the land, gaunt and hun“gry,” found a very frequent recurrence in the plea made in antagonism to the republican administration and party, in the canvass *now J overpast. The imagery is significant, and, as employed by democrats and independents, had but one interpretation; which is that indigence, distress and starvation were in every-house m the land as the result of republican rule. For a peculiarly specious purpose the figure was well chosen. It is also fruitfully suggestive of the cunning and deceit which was to charge the republican party with full responsibility for all of the distress and business depression prevailing throughout the country. No man could see more clearly than Samuel J. Tilden the importance of such a'delusion in view of the struggle essential to his election; and, evidently, few men among the millions could have pursued the labyrinth of intricacies that environed his footsteps with a keener sagacity. Trained in unscrupulous craftiness, and schooled by the experience in which be had accumulated millions of dollars by the wrecking of railroads and other corporations, he studied carefully every characteristic of the presidential contest. His insatiable ambition to reach and occupy the highest position in the gift of the nation awakened in him an almost frenzied zeal; and as victory at any and every cost was his only incentive, there was nothing too great or too small to be performed by himself or by the party which he represented. Viewing the wide-spread evidences of penury and want, be wisely reasoned that it was the habit of the masses of mankind, while perplexed with present cares and burdens, to be inconsiderate of the past, and, forgetting or overlooking the special causes which wrought their misfortunes, to seek relief in immediate change alone; and that, too, without questioning if there might not be dangers lurking of greater magnitude than those which they ware trying to avoid. This conception dictated tn effective policy. He declared that “a “wolf was at the door of every “house in the land;” that the republican party was responsible; and that the only deliverance for an overburdened, destitute people was an immediate change of the national administration. Charges of extravagance, profligacy, corruption, theft and plunder in every branch of the government were vociferated recklessly arid constituted the logic and aggressive argument of democratic orators throughout the land. Thus it was hoped to make oblivious the facts in their party’s history that billions of national indebtedness, the consequent oppressive taxation and vastly increased expense in administering the government, with all the want and woe incident to the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives, are directly attributable to a democratic rebellion, and to no other cause. But, graceless as was the assumption, they pretended thus to solve the problem of the people’s wants and burdens, and'co convince the masses that the democratic party was the embodiment of reform and the trustworthy friend of the Union. Never did partizan presumption find a more abundant and persistant exhibition. I In their plea no allusion was made to prevailing habits of extravagance, lack of industry, or providential destitution. Superabundant rains, imperfect tillage, noxious insects and untimely frosts were in no sense recognized as agents for such a result; but only the dreaded and hated republican party, which had saved the country from destruction in its hour of most fearful peril while Mr. Tilden and his compeers in the north were sources of aid comfort to armed and mur-

durous democratic rebellion in the south, was adjudged the cause of oppressive taxation and destitution. The republican party hAd sent the gaunt and hungry wolf to every door in the land! The conception was true to the purpose of its author. The point was well taken. The logic was clear. For certain it was in Mr. Tilden’s judgment that the party that had been honored with the administration of the government in all the years since the war for its fidelity to the principles and genius of the national union could never be hurled from its seat of honor and power but by the practice of such a delusion as should lead millions to believe that it had beeft the cause of great national distress and misfortune, and, therefore, was no longer worthy of the trusts of rule. Unfortunately it is true that the “gaunt and hungry wolf” of poverty is at many a door in the land, but there, too often, is also seen the empty sleeve, the crutch and wooden leg, the widow and fatherless orphan, and often is the story told amid sighs anef bitter tears how a husband, a father or a son hastened to the front of battle and gave his life to mantain the Union from the assaults of democratic rebels.

In vain was South Carolina O'errun by the bulldose plaa; In vain the wilds of Oregon We've search’d for a Tilden man; Florida alligators’ votes Scarce are worth a bummer’s d—n; We fear that Louisiana Will fail in the count for Sam; Indeed it looks to-day as though Hayes did bear the victor’s palm. We’d like to elide our Sammy in, ’Thout another vote, but can’t; Because of troops at Washington, Controll’d by Gen’ral Grant; Who says unless that vote is found, By Jackson, that we sha’n’t. We wouldn’t care so very much. But for our stamps in pool; While time ’tween drinks islength’nlng out, Aud weather getting cool. We take good wood on subscription. Democrat. We don’t. They promise,but fail.