New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-09-16
POLITICAL MOVEMENTS.
IDEAS THAT NOW AFFECT ELECTIONS.

! lyRou THE REauIAR CORRESPONDENT or THE TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON. Sept. 49," Why don't you write .
letter of Presidential gossIpY suggested friend VINO
holds an official position and whose room In the Do
partlnent had entered in my daily round OF news
hunting. II were to spend week at Saratoga Long
Branch, or the Virginia Springs. might 30 So" was
my reply" but how to gather any political gossip hero
in Washington during the month OF August, Isl PROD
lem am unable to solve. The President has been
here only once since May and then he did not stay
over night; the Cabinet Is scattered TO the four
winds-not one Of them is at his post; the poll
ticians avoid Washington as though it was infected
with epidemic cholera or yellow fever instead OF
being one of the healthiest and peasantest cities on
the continent for Summer residence; if Senator or
Representative is driven in here By stress OF any
kind he either knows nothing or talks for effect on
the Ohio electi0n-which is worse than not talking
at also that the correspondent is reduced to the
dire necessity of writing his own conclusions arrived
at under difficulties, pumping such men as you or
remaining silent Now, you suggest that
write letter, just tell me what you know"
"Well, don't know much, that's a fact" he said
"but Pve been thinking matters over of late, and
have received some private letters from men in
whose Judgment you and both have confidence
and have reached one conclusion, and that 10 that
the New-York hard-money plank won't form part
of the next National Democratic platform"
"How do you arrive at that conclusiOnp
"In the first place. ! take il that the Democratic
will carry the Ohio election. have neverthought
that our chances Of success were very good there,
and | find now that this opinion is shared by many
of the leading Republicans of the State. OF course
they don't say it out loud, and they don't let the
newspaper men know that they believe the chances
to be against them, but it is ali the same. Our
folks made fatal bunder; they allowed the Demo-
tn INFO no field abouf weeka ahead Of
them, and TO lay out the plan of the campaign.
Really this Falls election in Ohio ought to have
turned on the school question and on the NAL
administration OF the Democrats in the State. Had
they been forced to go before the people on these
issues, should easily have whipped them. They
understood that, and. by their superior tactics,
forced the Republicans to accept the currency issue,
and will win upon it,"
Then you think that initiation is popular with the
| people of Ohio" remarked.
IHE FARMERS AND INITIATION.
"Well, if initiation is not popular the idea Of
forcing the country back to specie payments within
any given time is, am convinced, very unpopular.
If going the stump and had to confne myself
to the discussion of a single question, would want
no better one which to win votes than this same
currency question believe that it is generally con-
coded that stump speeches affect very few votes IN
the cities, and that if election is lost or won BY
the efforts of tine party orators the votes that are
brought ont changed nearly all polled in the
country. Now the farmers like the rest Of rs, are
experiencing hard times and 1t Is very easy To con-
vince them that this is proper time 10 increase
their burdens States. counties, towns, and indl
viduas have been very extravagant during the LAST
fifteen years. The States have, in many cssss.
granted very liberal aid to railroads and many Of
the counties and towns have followed their example.
Public improvements of every kind have been nads
faster than they have been needed and faster than tho
people could afford them. and very rarely have they
been paid for in cash. While the people pros
porous and credit was easy the burdens that
lated we're not noticed, but now when their credit
is gone, and money hard to get, taxes and Interest,"
form no small part of the farmers annual obliga-
tions and when you propose to increase these bur
dens fifteen per cent, you do by bringing the
paper nouoy of the country in which they pay
able 10 par with gold the farmers to rebel
Returning TO specie payments has only one meaning
for the farmer; il means that he will have 10 give
more wheat more corn, more pork more beef TO the
men who hold State and county bonds and his notes.
while his farm products i'll be worth more than
they are now since the prices Of them now fixed
by their gold value in the European markets Now
you may say that all this Is sOphstry, but it ss
sophistry you will find that will take with the
people"
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY's POLICY.
Butt uggested, the Democrats are not united
in favor of infaton."
NO." was the reply, and they don't need TO 10.
4 Democrat in going on the stump IN Ohio, does not
need advocate any increase in the paper currency
Of the country, bat simply to attack the Republican
policy shown In the compromise bill of Last $50
sion of Congress-, which received the almost unani-
nous support of the Republicans. heard the other
day that Gov. Hendricks intends to take the stump
n. and hat IN Ina ha 0is fof
speeches: 'Fellow-citizens, while may diiler On
these abstruse questions of the currency, on one
point, I presume united. The Republican
party proposes 70 resume specie payments IN 1873;
ara YOU ready TO resume in 1871 Are you ready to
say now that in 1879 you will pay SIP in gold for
every 800 in gold that you OF your State or your
county now owesf That's what the Republicans
propose to do-tO scale all your debts II per cent
between now and 1879; to enrich every man who
holds bond note payable in legal tenders, while
your property or your means of paying will not be
increased a cent Now such arguments those, il
they can be called arguments, sure 10 win votes
"Well, suppose Ohio goes Democratic this FALL
what then ~
"As said before, that will make an end OF the
New-York hard-money plank in the next National
Democratic platform. If those Ohio Democrats win
a victory this Fall they'll he prancing over the coun-
Try with their heads and tails up. Heretofore they
have been rather meek, but If Allen be elected they
will feel their importance and will insist on having
their peculiar ideas incorporated in the national
platform, and am not sure but that they viii have
a majority"
CANDIDATES AND PLATFORMS.
do you believe that the Democrats of the East,
the Pacific coast, and Of such States AZ Minnesota
and Texas will submit to having the OHIO imitation
platform rammed down their throat n asked.
THAT don't know. II they do not, there viii