The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1868-09-15
DEBT AND TAXATION.

MI Seymour complains that the editors OF
Democratic journals do not keep the financial
Issues sufficiently prominent. In other words
he says they must push the debt and taxation
question upon public attention" We think
ourselves that they have been rather remiss
IN this business, and doubtless for obvious
reasons, which must he apparent 10 all re-
necting people.
When the Democratic party, through the
agency OF the TSmmany convention, launched
its candidates and its platform upon the politi,
cal sea there was such acontrariety of opinion
as to what constituted the leading issues that
the editors were for a considerable time in a
quandary, not knowing what twas best TO do.
Frank Blair, the candidate for Vice President,
boldly, several days before the convention
met, put forth his revolutionary doctrines in
his letter to Col Broadhead, and these doc.
trines at once took the convention, and North
ern and Southern delegates Joined hands and
hearts upon these pronounced opinions OF
Blair 1t was the Democratic rallying cry
and wstchword, and all else "was leather and
prunella."
As Mr.. Blair himself said, the financial ques.
tion was as nothing tin this was settled and
tho reconstructed State Governments in the
south were put down. This doctrine stag
gered and Frustrated a portion Of the Democ.
Tacy for u time, and those who could not In
dorse 1t were not only silent upon this subject,
but dumb and COMPOUNDED upon all others.
The Northern editors knew not what TO do
In the South Wade Hampton, Wise, Toombs,
Forrest, and Others were ubilant, and triumph
Antly exclaimed that the "lost cause was not
lost; that they had won. At length, the
Northern editors began to indOrse and defend
t!Ie Blair doctrine, and they have had so much
to do in that line ever since that they have
really found no time to obey the behest OF Mr..
Seymour, and push the debt and taxation
question.
Mr.. Seymour now directs that this be done
Let US, therefore, see how he himself stands
upon the financial Issues. We are not at all
surprised that his editors fight shy OF the
financial question, when they look at Sey.
mour's record upon this subject
Dir. Seymour himself now appears 10 have
adopted Mr. Pendletous grecnback theory,
which coca 10 the extent Of paying the ma
tionai debt in currency, and which leads inev-
itably to population. This change in Mr.
Seymour does not change the contradictory
views in the PARTY, for while the Western
Democracy would pay oil In greenbacks the
Democracy in New York and in Massachusetts
especially, and throughout Now England,
would stick TO gold and silver. Hero then 10
the trouble.
Let us see what Mr. Seymour said some
time back, because as his editors do Lot push
this question, we must try TO do 30, al hope
to do II to his aLG the pArty's satisfaction. AT
any rate, we think the country should know
just where the foremost statesman" stands.
inst observe the Inconsistency of this can
didate Of the Democratic party, not only his
shuiiiiug in respect TO the nomination, but
upon this very question OF finance. Just before
- In al 10 1a,ln NI,N l. ~
ment securities were held, in the main, not by
capitalists, but by 1.-THE laboring members Of
society,"" and their destruction, he said
would make widespread ruin aud distress
which would reach into every work shop and
every home, however humble" He affirmed
that In order to make any saving b. giving
the bOndholder a debased or worthless paper,
we must bring upon ourselves disaster and
dIshonor, which will cost a hundTed-fold what
we can save"
Now, mark man who can talk like that,
and then turn over TO the Pcndleton theory,
and call upon his editors TO push it. But
what better could be thought OF one who, with
all his wealth, boastr that he never owned a
dollars worth Of United States bonds
Let Us look at this mans recorded words
which he threw out In the dark days Of the
Republic. In speech which he made in 1854,
In Philadelphia, against the reelection OF
Abraham Lincoln, Horatio Seymour said:
1.-THE bonds of the United States have sold
Tor but forty cents On the dollar In Germany,
while bonds Of the Confederate States have sold
there for sixty cents on the dollar And whyi
Because he confederate Government, tChthCUcr II
has issued RCW bonds, has JOrifCd them With Tan.
glbic securities, WHILE WE GAVE NO SECURITY
NIT Our PROMIsEs.'
There you have it, loyal men Of this nation
wan you vote for this man for President who
stood up in the city of Philadelphia and thus
glorihed and praised the COnfedeTacy, while
he maligned and iHlsifed the position Of his
own Government
We want his editors to push the financial
Issues They shall have pushing enough be.
tween this and November to satisfy his most
ardent lOngiBgs.