The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-21
The Paramount Issue.

Ii is allowed by both parties that the re-
suit OF the next presidential election is with
a large body of men who have not inaptly
been denominated "the honest reserve,
This body of men has up to within year
acted with the Republicans, and thus given
to that party its national ascendancy. Its
members, dissatisfied with some of The acts
for which the Republicans are not unnatural
ly held responsible, last fall cast their votes
with the opposition. In doing this they did
not pledge themselves to oppose the gen.
eral policy of that party, which indeed they
favored and helped to form, nor did they
commit themselves to support of the De-
mocracy in the national contest close at
hand. They simply assumed waiting atti-
tude, and stood and stand ready to affiliate
with the party which offers the best candi-
dates and platform.
Since the campaign of last fall an issue
has come to the front which, on account of
its immediate claims, dwarfs every other
issue before the country. 1t is in fact the
question of moment upon which men are
called upon TO decide. The nation must
either commit itself to the adoption of a
sound currency, based upon the metals in
common use by the world, or it must accept
the pernicious theory OF initiation with its
attendant ills. 1t is unnecessary to ask the
people of New England to make choice,
for their choice is already made. They stand
ready to support that party which declares
in favor of an honest, hard-money currency.
Arguing the question is entirely needless in
this section of the country.
1t is to the 'honest reserve that the Re-
publicans appeal in the coming contest.
The thoughtful voters of the country are
asked to compare the records of the two par
ties and their position upon the paramount
issue, and then to make choice. On the one
hand the Republican party is committed by
its promises and professions and action to
the resumption of specie payments and to
the gradual contraction of the currency. Its
state and national conventions have re-
peatedly taken this position. II, OCCASION
ally, in the West, the declarations have been
OF uncertain sound, they have been vastly
preferable to the open utterances in favor of
initiation which have emanated from the op-
position.
On the other hand the Democratic party
has in effect taken the other position. 10
the East it has declared for contraction, in
the West tor imitation. But its strength is
thrown for an expansion of the currency.
II it succeeds in the next presidential CAM
pagn it must succeed by the votes of the
Western and Southern States, and that
region of the country, its opinion as shown
by its journals and conventions and the ut
terances of its representative men, is strong
and indisputably in favor of initiation. Its
national convention of 1868 declared for in
fation, and there are opposed to it only the
insincere pledges of 1872, pledges made to
advance the success of corrupt coalition,
and repeatedly broken since that time.
1t is evident to all that the drift of the
Republicans is toward hard-money, of the
Democrats toward imitation. The small band
of Republican indationists in the West is
daily growing smaller. Many. headed by
Senator Morton, have given in their adhesion
to hard-money policy. The others have
packed their trunks and started for the oppo-
sition camp. The Democratic infationists
are gaining strength, and are now so strong
that Senator Thurman and other hard-money
Democrats of the West no longer dare to
oppose them. 1t has come to be that every
Republican victory is a victory for sound
currency, and that every Democratic victory
a victory for imitation.