The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-05


the bill reducing the Presidents sal
airy was much more popular measure with
the sensible people of this country than any
act Of the present Congress. Let the econ
omy in the House be in an honest direction
in the reduction of the army and the navy,
in the management Of the Indians and in the
suppression of rings around the Treasury
and the Post Office. There is no people
who have less Of cant and nonsense about
them than the Americans, and no picayune
policy will ever be popular with them in the
long run.
their investigations in all directions where
there has been expenditure of money. Take
up the Mullett and Shepherd contracts in
public buildings. Go into the Indian sup
ply business Inquire into the Alaska fur
monopoly and the failure of civil service.
Investigate the Attorney Generals Office and
the moiety business Do not be led off by
republicans to investigate the suppression
OF the rebellion and the prevention of fraud.
The democrats might as we'll investigate the
battle of Gettysburg on the ground that
murders had been committed there by
armed republicans. Insist upon the negroes
in the South being treated with political
equality Do not let us have revolution
like that which upset the Kellogg govern
menttwo years ago. or the moral revolution
which drove out Ames from Mississippi--a
transaction which, we think, will have an
unpleasant prominence, so far as the
democrats are concerned, before we
are through with it. Let US have a
clear platform on the currency question.
Let the democrats take ground on questions
which the republicans on their part are
Sinking, and about which the country feels
a deep interest. Here is the one term
amendment which is very popular-an
amendment which involves fundamental
principles of the government. 1t was upon
this issue as much as any other that the
democrats won the 'tidal wave" canvass.
They cannot afford to drop it now without
giving the country an impression of insin-
cerity. Then, as to the church question.
Let the democrats take that manfully by ac-
cepting the plan proposed by Mr.. Blaine,
which ne threw out as firebrand, and which
wisdom would have prompted sagacious
democrat to at once adopt This is ground
upon which both parties can meet, and in
doing SO drive the religious question for
ever out of politics. Let some man be NOM
mated for the Presidency whose name will
be guarantee of patriotic and conservative
rule. Such candidate on a platform
like this-a platform liberal, wise,
prudent and, at the same time, bold and
progressiye-a platform of ideas like what
we should expect from the successors of JEFF
ferson, would win the confidence of the
country. The canvass is in peculiar con-
dition; the country is Disguised with the re-
publicans and at the same time afraid to
trust the democrats. 1t would change cap
tains tomorrow if it did not fear that the
captain might have a crew that would insist
upon his shooting Niagara. Let our friends
in the democratic majority carefully sup
press these Niagara shooters" and show
the country that it would be just as safe in
their control as in that of the republicans.
The result, we are convinced, would be
democratic administration. The way to do
this is not to give Morton a chance to say
to the country that the democrats mean to
punish him for his devotion to the Union in
its dark days, or to allow Grant to complain
that he is censured for suppressing the elec-
ton frauds of Tweed.