The New York herald., 1875-08-23
Wanted, A southern Policy.


seem to show, popular financial platform.
The democrats have committed a very grave
blunder on their part in committing them
selves in the same State to policy of which
it is not too much to say that it would bring
disgrace, dishonor and illimitable calamity
I upon the country, and especially upon the
laborers and the productive middle class,
while it would benefit only spectators and
adventurers. The evident reaction in Ohio
against imitation shows that the republican
leaders there were not only honest, but wise.
The people have compelled SO well known an
inAationist as Senator Morton TO recant his
errors, for fear of losing public favor. 1t may
be taken for granted, we think, that the re-
publcans next year will place themselves
even more boldly than now upon an honest
financial platform, and that they will thus
secure large share of popular favor.
But on a Southern policy they are still all
at sea- General Grant holds to one view and
the Vice President to another; Mr.. Blaine
probably agrees, in the main, with Mr.. Will
son; Mr.. Conkling and Mr.. Frelinghuysen
agree with the President What General Lo-
ator Morton believes he plainly spoke out in
Ohio, when he gave nearly the whole of his
speech to this question, which does not enter
into the canvass in Ohio at all, and on which,
there is reason to believe, a majority of the
republicans in Ohio fatty disagree with him.
1t is very plain that the republican leaders
have not yet settled upon n Southern policy,
and it is quite possible that they may fail to
do so, or that the extremists may succeed in
getting the upper hand and control. This
will be n grave calamity, not only to the
party, but to the country; for the American
people will hardly give their support to
party which looks to continuing the extreme
ern States which has been followed
up to the present time. Initiation threat
ems great calamities to the country; but it
may fairly be said that an initiation party,
if it were put in power, would find it diff
cult to tamper with the currency to any
dangerous extent without first going to war
with some other nation, or entering upon
an extensive and costly system of public
improvements: without in some way causing
the public expenditures largely to exceed the
income from taxes. 1t would certainly be
deplorable and uncomfortable thing to see
an initiation party at the head of the federal
government. It's victory at the polls alone
would derange and injure the public credit
very seriously but an imitation President
and Congress, if we could imagine such
thing, could not do very great harm. The
attempt to pay off the bonds with paper
would encounter an immediate appeal to the
Supreme Court, whose decision would not be
doubtful !. and for new and larger issue of
greenbacks there would be no occasion, in
the present condition of the country The
imitation leaders in Ohio and other Western
States are, in fact, committing a fraud upon
the people; they are playing confidence
game; for most of them have brains enough to
see that they could not do what they promise.
The Southern policy is, therefore, of more
real and vital importance than the financial
issue. And here while the democrats do
not promise any coherent and positive policy,
it is still certain that they would give relief
to the Southern States, and thus to the coun-
try at large We believe that they would do
this in a bungling way; for they would be,
in respect to the South, largely under the
/ control of Southern men, who are not always
wise, and who are naturally somewhat inca
! pable of a deliberate diagnosis of the dis
/ ease from which they are suffering. But the
/ democratic party in power would, at least,
/ put the South in the way of natural recov-
cry. The republican party, on the contrary,
at present, is still committed to repressive
measures. It's members last spring passed
the Force bill through one house of Congress,
and would have passed it through the other
had not every expedent of delay been
brought into requisition. They did pass the
Civil Rights bill, which is not only dead
letter in the South but has destroyed the re-
publican party in several Southern States.
Many of its most prominent leaders such
men as Frelinghuysen, Conkling Logan and
others supported the Presidents Arkansas
policy, which was only defeated with great
difficulty.
Now there are probably few voters in the
country who at this time do not rejoice that
the Force bill and the Arkansas message
failed. Everybody now sees that they were
dangerous projects, not in the least called
for by the existing state of things in the
South, and inexcusable blunders as part of
party's policy. Yet the party remains not
only responsible for them, but committed to
them. So far as action by the recognized
leaders of the republican party goes we
must believe that they would still, if they
had power, pursue this policy; and certainly
the administration has in nothing changed
toward the South. 1t is undeniable that the
present Southern policy of the administra-
tion has not the favor of the mass of tho re-
, publican party or of its ablest leaders but
no party declaration makes this known.