New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-01
4 TRUE PICTURE.

General John NJ. Palmer struck some hard
blows during the war, and Democrats do not
seem to be in any degree better pleased with
him now than they were then, though he con-
trolls Democratic organ. 1t is his misfOr-
tune that he is not a fool, and cannot believe
in the efficacy of unlimited greenbacks, nor
rebel and cannot join in an attempt to destroy
the public credit, and these things disqualify
him for usefulness or success as an Illinois
Democrat In his testimony before the Butler
Potter Committee, Palmer made himself very
disagreeable to the fraudulent shrickers about
fraud, and his brief remarks to a correspond
ent of THE TRIBUNE will not be read with
enthusiasm by the Democrats of Illinois. A
man who does not believe in the sanity charac-
ter of White Leaguers of Louisiana, nor in the
practicabllity of getting rich by swindhng public
creditors, and printing more dishOnOred prom
ises to pay, is evidently not person to
please the Democrats Of Illinois, according to
his own estimate of their character and pur-
poses. For he frankly admits that the infla-
tionists captured the Democratic State Con-
ventiOn," and passed very foolish resO-
"lutionn which General Palmer denounced as
undemocratic that the paper money people
" have really had control of the Democratic
"party since 1874" and that "the entire
movement against hard money is a relic of
" the COppeTheadism of the war-that it grows
" out Of a desire to iniure the credit of the
Government and destroy confidence in it."
This sort OF thing will never do. A man who
holds and utters such opinions In Illinois has
no business to be leader, an organ-grinder,
OF even a member of the Democratic party Of
that State.
In sad soberness, General Palmer's scathing
arraignment of his party must be accepted as
true. There are in the ranks of the party
hard-money men, honest-payment men. and
loyal men, but only a minority of its votes
can be commanded by either or by all. He
admits that they are in a minority in Illinois,
but it is the plain truth that they are also in
minority in the Democratic party Of the cOun-
try. The Solid South, while ready 20 do any
thing or profess anything "in order to beat"
is, at bottom, more anxious for the success of
Southern jobs and the payment of Southern
claims than for anything else, and it well
knows that unlimited greenbacks must be
issued if unlimited claims are to be paid.
The Democratic party of the North has never
failed to sneeze when the South took snuff.
Moreover, very large share of its voters are
in precise agreement with the majority of Dem
ocrats in Illinois, as Governor Palmer describes
them-eager for reputation, crazy for unlim-
tied greenbacks, and essentially Copperheads
now, as they were during the war; What hon
orable or patriotic result can any intelligent
or Union-loying man hope to attain by acting
with such party?
With such party there is no future of
honor, usefulness or emolument, for any man
who will not sell his convictions and his fidel-
ity 10 the Nations honor. 1t will play with
him as a cat plays with mouse. OF use him
as workman uses tool. But he will never