National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-17


the present will continue at Tenth and D
streets, at which place all persons having buE-
ness relations with the paper will call. Due
notice viii be given Of the removal Of the
business department to the new REPUBLICAN
building. e.
, ANOTHER INDICATION.
Some time ago, before the Capitalization
of the anti-railroad movement in California,
the readers of these columns were warned
of the near approach Of the combination
which resulted in the choice Of Governor
Booth, of that State, to be United States
Senator. The contest preceding the cleo
ton was based upon principles SO plain as
to be readily understood, and to show that
the conflict was between the people on the
one side and giant monopolies on the other
Cotemporaneously with this movement
and subsequent thereto, the political sur
face of the country was and has been agi-
tated by similar demonstrations of disquiet,
and we have been inflicted with perfect
avalanche of so-called reform projects,
ranging from the dignity Of National
Oranges to the insignifcance of local meet
ings of peddlinG demagogues, whose efforts
to elevate such defunct politicians as John
Pool, of North Carolina, into prominence
are simply laughable. With the burden Of
chaff of which this disquiet is composed
some kernels of sound grain are to be found.
The demagogues sometimes bring these
kernels into notice as they sift and shift
about for topics with which to attract the
attention of the public. Thus they pirate
about the wrongs Of the laboring men at
one time, the oppression of the farmers at
another, and now we are threatened with q
non partisan national finance mass meeting
in New York city. The cali for this meet
ing contains the announcement that leading
men, of greater or less political vitality,
have been invited to deliver addresses
at Cooper Institute. Charles Francis
Adams and Lyman Trumbull are the first
two individuals mentioned as among the
invited, while the names of Governor Dix,
Mr.. Evarts, the Hon. Francis Herman are
added to the list-as attractions, we sup
pose, to overcome the distressing possibility
of the presence of either of the first-named
persons. OF course, A. T. Stewards name
is appended, with those of Cullen Bryant,
VIM. E. Dodge, and Messrs. Chittenden
Low, Opdyke and Jafray. No meeting of
the kind at the Cooper Institute, or at any
other place in New York, would be COM |
plete without these names as appendages to
its announcement They are the chronic
godfathers of all kinds of public gatherings, |
and the list of their names should be stereo-
typed for constant use in every well-regu-
lated printing Office. 1t is not expected
that they will attend, although they may
be present IT, accidentally, they are not
otherwise engaged at the time of the meet
ing. But their names add dignity to the
call wherever their constant use is not fully
understood, and the result will be in this
instance, as 1t has been in others, that gen.
cral attention will be attracted, through the
agency of this old and oft-repeated trick, to
the performance of individuals whose per-
sonal merit would otherwise pass unnoticed
or whose acts would be accepted as preju-
diced.
The truth is that the question of the |
finances is among the paramount issues of
the hour, and if this proposed so-callcd |
non-partisan meeting in New York were to |
be held with an honest intent of developing
the desires of the people, it might be pro-
ductive of great good. But its results ore
already mapped out, and the resolutions to |
be adopted by it, if not already framed,
have been decided upon by pretentious
managers, and their character may be &C.
-cepted as foregone conclusion. Whether
they will favor contraction or expansion is |
q matter easy of ascertainment, and what |
ever the result may be it will not weigh q |
feathers weight pro or con unless it be in |
favor of the interests of the monopoly rid |
den people. 1t may serve no direct pur-
pose, when many of our leaders are 80
needless Of the plain indications of the |
times, to report that the people are aroused
against the entertainments of monopolies of
any kind, and it may appear monotonous to
repeat it SO often; but nothing can be lost
by it, while everything may be gained.
We assert again, then, that this proposed
meeting in New York will prove to be una
vailing unless it is really non-partisan and
its action is unprejudiced by the interests of
monopolists. The participantsma be great
importers, attorneys of great corporations, |
or simple minded people laboring under |
the delusion of especial theories, the
verdict of the interested masses will
be all the same. But we must accept |
the fact of the call for the meeting as
another indication of the great impor-
lance of the question involved, and 1t is the |
duty of the leaders of the perty to remem- |
Der the California movement as Q precedent |
which may be followed under circumstances
of more powerful significance. In these
times it is dangerous to tribe with such
questions, and still more dangerous to delay
acton upon them. Congress has now been
in session more than three months, has
spent at least one-third of that time in idle
debate of this identical issue, and has &C
complished no other result than to frightcn
the public with an exaggerated belief that
the condition of affairs is actually worse
than it is. This fright adds to the danger
Of which we speak. In short, the people
are In such mood - to render them amen
able to influences which, under other cir
cumstances, would prove unavailing Such
things a. temporary upheavals in politics
have occurred with less provocation, during
which the natural equilibrium Of parties
suffered serious disturbance. While the
election Of Senator Booth msy not be prop
eriy characterized q the result Of such an