The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-30

marks it bears Of perfect unity of compost
ton. In point of fact it is the work of one
skilful hand-th of Mr.. Manton Marble
and was adopted almost precisely in tho form
of his original draft. 1t is framed with great
artfulness, especially on the financial ques-
ton, all the ingenuity of the author having
been exerted to give it the appearance of
compromise while making it substantially
a hard money declaration. Mr.. Marbles
refusal to servo on the committee was
diplomatic stroke for shielding the platform
from suspicion, and the protest signed
by Mr.. Dorsheimer and other Eastern
delegates was conceived in the same
intention of smuggling wooden
horse into the soft money Troy. Mr..
Ewing was astute enough to detect the arti-
fee, but powerless to Illustrate it. Behind
the concession on the Resumption act, which
was intended as mask, the platform COM
mits the democratic party to resumption
of specie payments. This is apparent both
on an analysis of it's artful language and in
the circumstances which attended its adop-
ton.
We will first consider its cunning phrase
ology It denounces s'the failure for the
past eleven years to make good the promise
of the legal tender notes, the non-payment
of which is q disregard of the plighted faith
Of the nation" This arraignment of the re-
publican party for its long neglect to redeem
resumption of specie payments has been too
long delayed and an indirect PRONUNCIATION
of the hard money creed. There would be no
sense or consistency in denouncing the re-
publican party for its failure to redeem the
greenbacks unless redemption is regarded as
sound policy. The platform goes on to
''denounce the improvidence which in
eleven years has taken from the people thir-
teen times the amount of the legal tender
notes without accommodating any reserve for
their redemption" This virtually commits
the democratic party, if it comes into power,
to accumulate reserve for paying the legal
tender notes; for if the neglect is reason
for displacing the republicans the democrats
Are bound to adopt different course. The
platform further proceeds to ''denounce the
financial imbecility and immortality of that
party which, during eleven years of peace,
has made no advance toward resumption"
These three separate denunciations involve
much needless repetition, the idea being
identical in them all and the rhetorical vari-
atoms adding nothing to its force. It would
have been holder and better to have said
once explicitly what is said SO often by i'm
plication. If the platform had unequivocally
pledged the party to begin at once the accu-
mutation of o stock of gold for the redemp-
ton of the Legal Tender notes, and to repeal
the legal tender act rs soon as this stock be-
comes sufficient, it would have established
more solid claim to public confidence But
in this courageous form it might not have
been adopted, and so wholesome medicine
is sugar-coated with the artful rhetoric and
diplomatic fnesse which made it more easy
is, nevertheless, very tolerable hard money
manifesto.
If there could be any doubt on this point
after an examination of its language the
doubt would be removed by the opposition
made to the platform both in the committee
and the Convention. The text both of the
republican and the democratic platform, re-
quires some commentary to fix its meaning
and the best commentary is found in the
action of the respective conventions. The
Cincinnati platform demands STEADY
progress toward specie payments"
but when motion was offered
to make this vague declaration more
explicit by committing the party to resump-
ton in 1879 it was voted down by a large
majority, which was an abandonment Of the
Resumption act. The democrats stand on
precisely the same ground although they
have reached it in different way. They
openly demand the repeal of the resumption
clause in that net and virtually pledge their
party to accumulate stock Of gold for re-
sumption. The opposition OF the soft money
men shows that in their view this is the real
DRIFT of the platform. Although the two
platforms are substantially alike on this sub
ject more praise is due to the democrats be-
cause st. Louis made an advance and Gin
cinnati retrograde movement in reaching
the same position. The republicans made
virtual retreat from the Resumption act,
whereas the democrats got better and more
united expression in favor of hard money
than they have been able to secure
during the session from their members of
Congress- Both parties stand on the same
ground. but it is more creditable to have
reached it by an advance than by retreat.
The question can have no effect on the canvass,
and Governor Tilden and Governor Hayes
being both sound hard money men there is
no reason to fear a revival of the soft money
craze let the election 60 as it will.
The only other part of the democratic plat
form which is Of any significance in the can
vass is the declaration on 1.-THE Heather
Chinee." st. Louis has outbid Cincinnati
for the vote of the Pacific States and the
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