New-York tribune., 1874-08-04

| terests would permit Honest men when they
have promises out due or coming due' 10 say
nothing of those that are overdue ana pro-
| tested give themselves no rest TIL they nave
redeemed their word; between them ana the
disbonored obligation, or the possibility OF dis
honor. no consideration of expedency, or pol
icy. or ANYTHING but absolute fuhllment Is al
lowed to come. There is the same obligation
resting unon Government. There should be
| the same fine sense of honor with regard TO 1t.
| The honest American statesman OF to-day, IN
! his consideration of the question OF hnance'
sees nothing but protested notes and bro
ken nromises: and between these obligations
and their redemption allows no consideration
of anv sort to enter. That is the immediate,
nressinp question; and whoever talks around
| il or palters with it, or does anything but
walk boldly up to it and look it in the
face. lacks both the intellectual capacity and
the moral fiber that these dangerous times
demand. There are sensitive souls in Congress
| who, because We have called the advocates OF
specie resumption and the anti-infiationists
"hOnest currency men," nave seZed upon
the implication that they themselves are dis-
honest currency men, and worked themselves
into fine fever of Indignation over 1t. we
are quite content that they should take thelr
own definitions and christen themselves. Par
ties are only individuals in aggregate Ihey
may lie in resolutions as individuals q" IN
conversation they may be dishonest III politics
as men are in trade. The man who with
hundred dollars in his pocket goes by the
door of tho holder of his protested note for
that amount, to invest that sum IN trade or
speculation, may fatter himself and fool his
creditor with the idea that he Is honest anu
wants to pay cash when his business interests
will permit but that man and that sort OF
men are not to be trusted. No more Is a
government that does it, nor are the men who
ayow their purpose to administer government
upon that principle.
The deception and tricl;cry of the Indiana
resolution are perfectly obvious. To these
men asking popular confidence and seeking
Office and power, the people hold up the paper
promise OF the Government to pay dollar
and inquire, "What will you do with this if
eve intrust you with the conduct OF Affairs Y
What can they say except that some time they
will see that the promise is fulfilled But
stop a moment. All around these PLATFORM
makers are men of the debtor cllSs-men who.
owing a thousand dollars. would find 1t much
easier to pay the debt should the volume Of
irredeemable currency be expanded and the
prices of their products increased, and much
more difficult were the promises of Govern
ment fulfilled, the notes retired, and the coin
currency of the world established. Business
"intcrests," they say. And then with the
strange infatuaton of the politician that the
people never disapproye of anything by which
they put dollar in their pockets, they add
to their resolve that the paper promise shall
be paid, the qualifying phrase " aS soon as the
business interests OF the country viii per-
emit" And then they wink canningly at
each other as though they Ind fooled some
body besides themselves, and 90 away. They
know, if they know anything, that 80 long as
money can be borrowed and debts incurred
there will always be this debtor class that it
will be increasing always with the expansion
of an irredccmable currency. and that there
can never come a time upon their theory when
mt the resumption of specie payments. What
the country needs more than anything else is
a nucleus of able, earnest men, with but one
impulsc-that of hOnesty-and one idea-that
of payment Around them honest men would
gather and make party which would not
only shame the trcksters OF both parties by
the purity and sincerity of their purposes, but
would very shortly drive them to the wall by
the overwhelming force Of maOrities. The
people are honest. WHAT they want is honest
leaders.