New-York tribune., 1875-11-30
DFv0cRATS AND THE CURRENCY

DEMOCRATS AND THE CURRENCY
Certain Democrats are seeking ways and
means To escape the embarrassments of the
financial problem in Congress this Winter, ana
next Summer in the National Convention. Ihey
plead that the tariff question was RENTED To
the Congressional districts in 1872, and that
there is no more need now for decisive ma
tional action on the money question. lhey
mistake equally the situation then aud now.
The tariff question was not the leading one, or
even leading one, in The canvass OF 1877.
The battles of the tariff had long since been
fought and won. The time was approaching
when protectionists, having built up the chief
industries for which they had struggled,
were nearly ready for a reduction OF the
more obnoxious duties. Neither party had any
national policy on the subject. The Democratic
party in particular had been divided upon IL
for n generation, and had rarely adopted ma
tiopal platform about 1t which was not IN
tended to deceive. AS was plain then, ana rs
events have since shown it was not in 1872 III
any sense an issue which either party was
compelled to meet and dispose of. On the
other hand the money question is the vital,
controlling question of our present polltlcs' III
must be met and disposed Of. The battle over
il has not been fought and won. The issue OF
imitation or contraction is not in way OF set
Ting itself. The business of the country de-
mands some practical decision, and any party
which expects to control the country from
1876 to 1850 must he prepared to give that
decision
Neither party has earned public confidence
on the currency question. Neither has pursued
30, In tn
uncompromising advocates Of a sound currency.
But there is a remarkable difference III the
records of the two parties. The Democrats
treated the greenbacks, from the outset, as
unconstitutional weapons in an unconstitutional
war. The Republicans held that the war was
constitutional, that any measures necessary
20 defend the national existence were constitu-
tional, and differed only upon the question
whethcrthe gIeenbaCS was necessary. Hence III
1868. when the Democratic party boldly asSaied
the national honor by proposing to pay tiVe-
twenty bonds in greenbacbs, the Republicans
were able to show without difficulty that sncil
q nroDOsal could have come only from men
hostile to the war; to the greenDack, ana 10
the solemn pledges OF the nation made to It's
creditors i'm its hour of trial The people su'-
taineo fhe Republican policy, and even then
learned 10 distrust the Democrats as leaning
toward rcpudiation. Since that time they have
not removed this disrust. Solemn pledges
made by that party in 1872 were utterly dis
REGARDED in very many States only one year
later. Rampant reputation has controlled the
Democratic party in Ohio, Pennsylvania, ana
other important States. The tone oi Demo
cratic journals at the South has not been such
AS To convince Northern voters that repudla-
tion of the public obligations would be steiniy
resisted by those whose defeat the public
credit secured.
Hence it is that the Democrats cannot afford
ANYTHING but the most explicit action on the cur
rency question Any attempt on their part to
evade it will be regarded with suspicion. The
country knows that there are some rascally
dcmagocucs in the Republican party, and some
emincnt.y ignorant gentlemen VINO mean to do
right but are positively incapable Yet the
great body of Republican voters has always
responded promptly and with spirit when
called to defend the nations honor. The party.
in its national conventions. has taken a credit
able position on that question, even when 1t
has ci1ed on others. The Democrats have not
only rascally demagogues among them, but
have more than once permitted such dema-
gogues to commit the party, and given TO the'h
a general sympathy The Ohio campaign has
jmmeasurably increased public distrust Of the
Democratic party, and, if that party now at
tclupts to evade the currency question, every
man who cares for Il sound currency or the
national honor will feel that Democracy
deserves defeat