The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-07-20
SENATOR THURMAN AND TEE
OHIO DEMOCRACY.

Senator THURMAN, of Ohio, has been a
prominent object Of attack by the one
idea hard money press Of the country, on
the ground tual ne, Il nGe-long nara
money Democrat, showed Il lack OF moral
courage in that hr failed to dcnounce ms
party for adopting what is pleased to be
termed, an imitation plank in their plat
form. As We published yesterday, the
senator has lately been inflicted with an
interviewer, and has expressed ms posi-
tion decidedly on this troublesome ques-
ton. lie says that he is the same he has
ever been: that his record IN the Senate
b. before the country, and
that he has no intention of
saylng anything during the canvass
"to bring di,crcdit upon the convictions
Of life time" Now, with all due respect
To- senator THURMAN, both as man and
.s a Democrat, We thi.k that in this last
expression, "thc convictions OF life
time, he shows the weakness Of his posi-
tion. Ia the days when his convictions
were first forced upon him, hard money
was the only legal tender, and gold amt
silver circulated easily and readily
throughout the country. Ia those days,
war was made upon II national bank for
the same reason that Democrats feel in
cliurd To- hostility against national banks
now, because they are creatures of the
general government, and forced upon the
people of the States in - manner incon-
sistcnt with the rights of the States.
But when the national bank was
then defeated and State banks
enjoyed the privileges Of conducting
business and Issuing their own notes,
these notes were based upcn gold and
silver, likewise because coin was the
only legal tender known or acknowl-
edged.
Matters are very different now. The
legal tender act may be unconstitutional
and We are strongly inclined to think it
is, becauscit became necessary that the
Supreme Court Of the United States
be packed to prevent its becoming mop
crativc. Still whether it be SO or not it
has gone into effect; grcenbacks form the
only currency at present in circulation,
An are all that the people have to look
90. y resumption Of specie payment
then, by contracting the currency
must, apparently, inevitably lead, net
only to pecuniary and business disaster,
but indeed TO general bankruptcy.
Since those old days, debt has been
created and bonds have been issued,
PAYABLE principal and interest, in gold,
and largely held in foreign lands. These
bonds demand so heavy an expectation
OF gold abroad to pay their interest, that
coin cannot accumulate in sufficient
quantities to enable it to be used As cir
culating medium. This being the case
what can possibly be the result of con-
tracing the only currency we have? 1t
must either be reputation Of the
promises of the Government, pledged 10
tho payment of these bonds in gold,
or tightness in the currency
which must make itself most
iniuriously felt. Under these circum-
stances, the Ohio platform is eminently
wise. With currency issued by the
Government, and based not only upon
all the gold in the treasury; but upon the
vast resources of the nation besides, and
with this currency issued, not in dan
vrrnus or inflated degree. bat strictly