The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-07


elements Of calculation relating to the choice
of the Democratic National Convention.
The variable elements depend on the as yet
uncertain action of the Republican Conven-
ton next week. But there are other ele-
ments which will remain unchanged by any
thing which may be done at Cincinnati. 1t
is only these fixed points in the canvass that
we purpose to consider at present and their
bearing on the selection of the democratic
Presidential candidate. We do not offer pre-
dictions, but an estimate of tendencies and
possibilities-an estimate which is confess
eddy lame by the necessary omission OF that
important part Of the data which will be fur
nished by the republicans at Cincinnati.
No conceivable action by the Republican
Convention can alter or dwarf the fact that
there is o dangerous collision Of sentiment
between the democracy of the East and the
democracy Of the West on the money ques-
ton. This difference must be reconciled,
permit the selection Of hard money candi-
date. This necessity is inevitable If the
party is to succeed, because none but q
hard money candidate can carry New York,
and without New York the election of dem
ocratic President is out of the question
This being a necessary condition of success
the difficult part of the problem is to
soothe and reconcile the West. The infa-
tionists would more easily acquiesce in the
selection of an Eastern than a Western hard
money man, because they look upon hard
money democrats in the West as false to
their section and Of doubtful allegiance to
their party. Ohio, for example, ostracizes
Thurman, accusing him Of opposition to the
general sentiment of the party in his own
State, which has repeatedly bestowed upon
him the highest honors in its gift Every
prominent and genuine hard money demo-
crat in the West is regarded as traitor to
his Western constituency, and for this reason
the soft money democrats could more easily
accept an Eastern candidate They might
consent to Hendricks, who is hard money
man with soft money principles; butt would
be as impossible for Hendricks to carry
New York as for '.Old Bill Allen" himself.
Allen has the bold blunt honesty of o man
who stands by his colors and if the citizens
of New York could vote for an infationist ut
all they would prefer one who scorns to
wear mask. Hard money men who have
any sincerity despise Hendricks as a cow
ardly trimmer, and they would rather have
candidate like Allen, whom they would
merely feel called upon to oppose, to one
like Hendricks or Judge Davis, whom they
would loathe and detest. The Eastern
democrats will not give their votes to an
open infationist like Allen or Pendleton,
much less to an unreliable trimmer like Hen
bricks or Davis. Thurman might be &C
strong in his own State but with the single
exception Governor of Tilden there is no
hard money democrat in the United States
whom the Ohio democrats would oppose in
more resolute spirit.
Bearing in mind that no infationist or
that the soft money democrats will not con-
sent to the nomination of Thurman
or Tilden, let US inquire whether
any candidate can at the same time
carry New York and unite the party. There
is no Western man who can do both, but
there are two good hard money democrats in
the East who would command a full party
vote in all sections Of the country. These
two are Senator Bayard, of Delaware, and
Ex-Governor Parker, of New Jersey. If the
currency question were the sole issue there
would be little to choose between these
honest and popular statesmen. Senator
Bayard has wider national reputation and
ranks higher in the scale of abilities and ac-
complishments, but Governor Parker has
never been brought into sharp collision with
the infationists, as Mr.. Bayard was in the
currency debates in the Senate. There is
no hard money candidate on whom the
democratic party could be united with SO
little humiliation to the West as Governor
Parker who is perfectly sound and trust
worthy, but has never been called to do any
public act which is specially offensive to
Western sentiment Unlike Governor Til
den, he has not been charged with desir-
ing and seeking the defeat Of the
democratic party in an important cleo
ton in sister State. Unlike Senator
Thurman, he cannot be accused Of ingrati-
tude to his immediate constituents, who
have given him Office and honors. Like
Senator Bayard, his attitude toward the
Western democrats has been marked by per-
feet courtesy and candor, but he has the adj
vantage of Bayard in having been out of
public life during the currency discussions,
so that he cannot be prejudiced by quota
tons from his speeches. There is no genuine
hard money man on whom the democratic
party could more easily unite if the cur
rency were the only question involved in the
canvass.
There is another point on which it is not
necessary to await the action of the Cincin-
natl Convention before taking survey of
the situation. We know in advance that the