The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-09-04


The Eianton Duncan Convention
Charles O'Conor's letter and His
Views Reform.
The Blanton Duncan Convention met
yesterday at Louisville, and, although small in
lancy of its delegations, went through the
formalities of such meetings with due gravity
and decorum. Blanton Duncan, as in duty
bound, called the Convention to order, and
naturally seized the opportunity to make
speech. a privilege to which his arduous
labors in the cause fully entitled him. Levi
S. Chatfeld, very old politician of New
York, who figured years ago in State politics,
was chosen temporary chairman, and Judge
James Lyons, OF Virginia, who is sold to be o
brother-in-law of Henry A. Wise, was made
permanent president. Lists of vice presidents
and secretaries were reported and adopted, and
the organization was declared complete.
The first and most interesting business trans
acted was the reading OF communication
from Mr. Charles O'Conor, whose name had
been mentioned in connection with the Blan-
ton Duncan nomination for President. MIR.
O'Conor's letter is o political disquisition.
which probably astonished some OF the dele
gates. and especially portion of those from
this city. The gist of it is that he rejects the
action Of the Baltimore Convention, repudiates
the nomination Of Mr.. Greeley, leans, as
choice of evils, towards the support Of Presi-
dent Grant, encourages the Louisville move
ment, declines to accept the nomina-
ton Of the Convention if it should be offered
to him, and declares his unalterable resolve to
remain in private station. Mr. O'Conor's
views Of government will of course meet with
some approval and with much dissent A total
prohibition Of those powers which cannot be
regulated by law; no government intermed-
ding with those concerns Of society which
may be left to individual action; the absolute
annulment Of the power OF borrowing money
On the public credit, either by paper issues or
otherwise, whether by federal, State or NUM-
cpal governments, down to tho smallest civil
division; the abolishment of all the deceit
full and fraudulent methods which have
been devised to draw money out of the pockets
of the people without their consciousness of
the imposition, including duties and excuses
for revenue; the imposition only of plain,
visible and palpable taxes; the raising of all
revenue by taxation at the moment OF expen-
diture or before it; in fact. pure ready
money, pay-as-you-go government, restrained
within the limits of absolute necessity. This is
Mr.. O'Conor's remedy for all our existing
evils and, as he believes, "the last hope of
our Republic" Above all other Americans
Mr.. Greeley is the recognized cham
pion of the reverse Of all this, and
hence Mr.. OConor cannot accept him
as candidate for the Presidency.
Precisely how this great revolution in govern
ment is to be brought about by the politicians
Of the Blanton Duncan stripe is not clearly ex-
plained but MI. O'Conor evidently does not
hope for entire success at this time. He takes
a more practical view of the present contest
when he draws comparison between the two
evils Grant and Greeley-evidently to the ad-
vantage of the former; and there we have no
doubt all sensible men who think as he
thinks will follow him. Sa' -
We do not propose at this time to review
Mr.. O'Conor's positions. His policy of gov
ernment if put into operation, would stop all
progress and public improvement. Under it
we should have had no Erie Canal to build up
the Metropolis and no Central Park to i'm
prove and beautify it. "Credit," says Mr..
OConor, furnishes the aliment indispensable
to war, and without it that most shocking of
oil national crimes and calamities would be
impossible" Even if defensive wars be
necessary evils the power of borrowing
money should not be conceded on that
account Such wars should be paid for
in ready money raised at the moment even as
they are fought by men raised ct the moment
and while the young do the fighting the old
should do the paying. 1t is little puzzling,
however, to conceive where the money would
have come from to pay down con the nall"
as the saying is, the everyday expenditures
rendered necessary by the Southern rebellion.
To arm, equip and feed the Union army for
ready cash would have been something of o task.
But Mr.. O'Conor will probably argue that but
for the power of borrowing money and obtain
ing credit we should have had no shoddy
contractors, no bogus muskets no wholesale
plumber Of. the public treasury, and that our
expenses would have been kept down to rea-
sonable rate. Nevertheless, under the most
favorable circumstances, Mr.. Lincoln might
have been puzzled to put down the Southern
rebellion on the principle of 'pay as you Co."
If we are never to have honest government
until this principle prevails we fear we shall
long be the victims of knavery.
Mr.. O'Conor's letter, says the general report
Of the proceedings, "failed to elicit any
response" and was referred to the CON-
mittee on Platform but one indiscreet
individual from Kanfrnlr afio. Il had