The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-06-10
The Republican Party and the Issues
" of the Future,


I, Various Northern journals are discus
sing the future of the Republican party,
and pointing out the necessity of meet
ing boldly, and with a united front, cer-
Jain prominent issues which are now
pressing upon it and threaten its disin'
tsgration. The NcD York Herald calls
upon the party, inasmuch as it has a
President of its own choice, and large
majorfties in both Houses of Congress-
to redeem its past pledges on the cur
/, rencyauestion, and to give the country
some adequate measure of financial
relief. The New York Times, one OF
the leading organs OF the party, calls
attention to the present condition of the
South, as standing reproacll to the
Republican party, and as one which the
I: nation will never tolerate, and which II
not redressed, will seal the fate OF the
z party.
TIE currency question is one of those
leading issues upon which the present
party organizations, both Republican
and. Democratic, seem to be hopclcssly
divided, each in its own ranks; and di-
vision here upon SO vital issue must be
fatal, to each existing party organiza-
tion. The Herald says:
II 1T Is futile and irrelevant to say, as
come of its apologizing organs have said,
that this division of the party on the
currency question does not impair its
essential unity, because the party was
formed and has been maintained onl
other issues, and difference on this
question IS eXtrancous to the declared
aims of the Republican organization.
To this excuse there arc two replies,
. either of which is sufficient. In the
first place, political party Which as
sumes control of the government isl
bound to prove itself equal to all emer-
ging public need, It's much so as the cap
tain and crew of q ship arc bound tol
navigate her safely in unexpected
storms and accidents. Unless the party
. in control of the government is respon-
..sible for the public welfare there is moi
real accountability at all, and the ship
..of State may drift upon the breakers
and nobody be held blamable for the
.ineapacity by which it was wrecked.
The second answer to this lame apology
rests upon the public declarations with
which the republican party won the
confidence of the country 1t is not
true that the Republican party, as pos
litical organization, has not promulga-|
ted any policy on the great question
which has agitatcd the country since
Nthe beginning of the present session.
The Republican party has, for more
than six years, held itself up to view
and courted public support rs the great
champion of q gold policy. 1t wrs on
this issue that General Grant was first
elected il 1865. The contest in that
case turned OH the meaning of the word
"dollar." a majority of the Western
democrats, led by Pendleton. coMtended
that the promise to pay dollars to the
sholders of the government bonds would
aDe satisfied by paying them the nominal
.,paper dollars called greenbacks. The
Tappblican party, with q manly honesty
which the country Endorsed, declared in
its national platform that this would be
.repudiati6E and national dishonor. 1t
correctly held that the only honest
fmeapipg of the word "dollar" was the
weight Of gold stamped with that name
cby public authority that the green
backs, like the United States bonds,
.were government promises to pay SO
many dollars TO the the creditors hold
ing them, and there would be equal dis
honesty and bad faith in rcpudiating
either. promise"
Unity here is doubtless essential to
the success of theparty, but what hope
is there of attaining it, when number
'less adverse sectional interests, present
nas many apples of discord, and threaten
1.-THE disintegration of old parties and the
formation of hew. TO us of the South
the Republican party is associated with
all that has brought ABOUT our present
i.abject condition, and we would have
lust cause to congratulate ourselves upon
sfhe formation of new party upon its
ruins, which ignoring dead issues,
should address itself to the living issues
of the future.
But whether the Republican party is
to remain in power or not, according to
1.-THE views of one of its own leading or
.gans, the Ncw York Times, the prosper
Fity Of the party depends upon correcting
misgovernmcnt at the South and exten-
ding relief to'its oppressed people. The
! Times says, in discussing some State
rights uttcrances Of Mr.. Eaton, the
newly elected Senator Of Connecticut: !:
! nNo doubt the system introduced rs n
.tswor measure into the South after the
wnr-chietly upon the advice of Senator
Skinner and Thaddeus Stevens-was
experimental; but can we wonder that
.neonle everywhere begin to ask how
sionr the experiment is to last? There
,.hoIld at least be somesigns of improve
.ment visible as time. goes on. Nine
Fvcsrs have passed since the close of the
war. and is South Carolina better gov
'erned than she was then? She clearly
ia not so we'll governed as she was under
a purely military rule. The same must
be said, nautdtis neutdndts, OF Louisiana,
Mississippi, Texas and Arkansas. Now,
lit is folly to suppose that the Kepuoiicah
lparty. as an organization, Will continue
-1nueh longer to look on with perfect
sat;sfactioII at this great failure. The
: headers of the present moment may not
nav auy attention to the subject; but II
fhev do not, other leaders will who
will see thpt Justice is done. Last week
we all witnessed the United States SEN
late engaged for about twenty-four hours
AT a stretch in passing bill for the ben
eft of the negro, merely ont of senti-
mental sort Of Difference to the wishes
OF q deceased senator. Respect for the
sdead is incumbent on us all--but leglsla-
,tion should be based on careful and
wise regard for the welfare Of the living,
not upon "mandates," real or fictitious,
of the dead. The negro has had a very
fair amount of protection, It's lmpor,
tant before going any further to find out
what use he has made of the freedom
given to him; in what way he has eX-
,>rl;ffnol with