New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-09-01
MISSOURI POLITICS.
THE peoples MOVEMENT.


THE CURRENCY QUESTION
,rnov ruy SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNE.l
81. LOUIS Ang 24-"Our FIRST and greatest care is
70 redeem the State and set up capable honest,
economical government. and it is generally agreed
that the discussion of National politics. except as 1t
may arise in the several Congressional districts
where general issues must be more or less involved
shall be postponed for the present, was the expia-
nation given me day or two ago. by prominent
advocate of the Peoples Movement, In Missouri, OF
the apparent apathy had remarked In relation TO
tho currency question. the Senatorial succession, and
other matters which l had supposed would occupy
tbe public mind " Our Reform party he con-
tinued. "if il gains the popular support
we hope for it, mist be composed of three distinct
elements-tbe Administration Republicans, the
Liberal Republicans and the Liberal Democrats
and while they will be unanimous to the necessity
of overthrowing Bourbon Democracy IN this State,
each of them is divided within itself on the currency
question and don't believe there Is man IN the
State TO whom they would give united support Tor
the Senatorial succession. We shall, therefore. be
committed as party TO the support of no candidate
for the SenatorShip, and if our platform contains
anything regard to the matter of imitation 1t VIII
be very -committal Somebody may wish to put
into it one of those ambiguous resolutions In favor
of a sound system of currency sufficient in guam
a declaration which is neither fish, flesh nor fowl
and which may mean specie resumption in st. Louis
and imitation in the central part of the State"
The Peoples Movement has not been started, az
The Bourbon Republicans assert, for the purpose OF
returning Carl Schurz to the Senate. 1t did not
originate among his political friends. Those who
signed the Boonville call did not even consult him.
and TO this day be has given public assurance of
his sympathy with the movement. But no one who
knows Senator Schurz can doubt for amOment which
side he Will espOuse in a contest like the present
When was he ever found elsewhere than on the side
of reform. anti-monOpoly, and good government
Whether he has a chance of reelection to the Senate
or not the people viii find more able or eloquent
champion of their cause if it accords with his con-
victons and rather than put that in jeopardy
am assured he would withdraw altogether from
the candidacy.
But the success Of the Peoples Movement may
make Mr. Schurzs return to the Senate possible, as
it would not be should the contest be fought out on
the old issues with the absence of issues, by the
old party organizations. To Bourbon Democracy or
Bourbon Rcpublicanism he is equally Objectionable.
Should the former succeed, it would send to the
Senate some tool of the Ring, who would be willing
10 pay handsomely for his elevation, and the
chances are that he would be a narrow minded,
bigoted Secessionist. like Bo0y. One would natu-
rally suppose that among those who were enfran-
chised through the self-sacTicng efforts of Senator
schurz and his friends in 1870, many would be
found actuated by no small degree of gratitude and
anxious TO discharge in measure, at least, the
obligations they owe to him. And it is true that
among the Democrats of this State Senator Schurz
has not a few warm personal and political friends
who would be glad of an opportunity to show their
appreciation Of his high character and valuable
public services By giving him their support; but,
unfortunately. they do not control the party ma
chinery.
The Democratic party in ST. Louis, and to great
degree of the whole State, is managed by Ring of
s'Bummers as they are called-men similar in char
acter 20 those who surrounded Tweed in New-YOrk,
do the bidding of Cameron in Pennsylvania, or con-
trolled contracts a1d shaved appropriations under
Shepherd in Washington. They hesitate at nothing
10 accomplish their ends Last Saturday evening
they CLEANED out" the respectable portion Of the
party in nearly all the ward conventions In this
city and elected Ring delegates to the State Con-
venton. / attended the election in the Sixth Ward,
the strongest Democratic ward in the city, and
was a witness OF the shameless frauds by which
that ward was carried. The two tickets
were headed respectively by Col. Armstrong,
Chairman OF the Democratic State Com
mittee and StillsOD HutChins, the Boss" Of
the Ring in this city, In the first place, the regular
machinery OF an election dispensed with, and,
instead of allowing only those who were registered
70 vote. everybody who presented himself was al
lowed to put in his ballot. In this way the Ring
was enabled % secure the aid Of hundreds of men
from the adjoining wards. Then a set of tellers
nominated by Hutchins declared elected. FL
naly the tcllers took their stations at the door of
the rink where the convention was held, and each
As he passed out put ms ballot into hat. One
Il.
a man, when be presented himself to vote, TO
bold one ballot between the thumb and forefnger
and dozen more concealed in the palm of his hand
all of which he dropped into the hat Others after
they had voted, climbed IN at the windows and voted
a second II not third time. OF course the Hutch
ins delegation was overwhelmingly elected. l did
not remain to near the TesHlt of the ballot an
nounced. bud was told yesterday by a very prom
inent Democratic leader that the Hutchins ticket
received more votes than there are Democratic
electors in the ward. Such Ring this hates a
man like Schurz worse than the devil Is said to hate
holy water
Senator SchuIz has even less TO hope for from
the Bourbon Republicans The bolt of 1870 resulted
il the permanent overthrow Of the Administration
party IN Missouri and ever since the Custom-house
and Internal Revenue clique have lost no Opportu-
nifty to manifest their hatred tor him. And yet he
has, even in the Administration party, many warm
friends and supporters. don't know that he will
be the candidate of The 81. Louis Democrat, which
has BEEN as you know, the Administration organ in
this city, but no habitual reader OF it can have
failed to discover recently disposition on the part
of that journal to defend him from the attacks of
the BourbOns Of both parties. Administration men
of liberal tendencies would, l am assured, much
prefer Senator Schurzs reelection TO the choice of
any Bourbon Democrat.
Ru+ supDOse Mr. Schurz shOuld consent IN he a