The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-05-10
The .xew Questions" Looming Up.

session Oh SOuSIcsb uaiS pIOuBut ooiue boou
to the country. In the course Of the often
fruitless debates the republican leaders have
slowly, and, as it seems to US, with too timid
steps, elaborated policy on which appar-
emily they are willing to appeal to the coun-
try. 1t is policy which has at least the
merit of appealing for support to all parts
of the country. and when it is openly and
formally promulgated the party will no
longer lie under the reproach of being Sec
tional. 1t will become at once and con-
clusively national party; its policy Will
obtain supporters among influential ana
honest men in the South as we'll as the
North, and it may even be that in the end
with this policy the republicans will be
able to carry more Southern States, by fair
argument and open discussion, than the
democrats.
I The policy toward which the republican
party is openly drifting and to which it's
leading men are more and more frankly
committing themselves is one which al
ways had large share of favor in the
South. 1t is the policy Of Henry Clay
and of the old whig party, which was
once potent in several Southern States
and numbered among it's supporters many
of the ablest men Of that section before the
slavery issue swallowed up all others 1t
will be stronger in the South now than it
was in the days of Clay's greatest ascend
ancy, because manufactures are springing
up in almost all the Southern States, and
because there is greater favor than ever
before for subsidies and internal improve
ment grants.
The republican policy is evidently to take
ground for distinctly protective tariff, for
subsidies to such enterprises as foreign
steamship lines and one or two railroads,
and for liberal grants in aid Of internal i'm
provements. Such policy is not new, as
we have said; it is the policy Of Clay and
the old WING party; it is policy for and
against which many of the greatest states
men Of the Union and of all sections have
battled and one in favor of which not only
can strong arguments be made, but what is
of great importance, one which will gain
adherents in oil parts Of the Union. Its
adoption will prove that the republican
leaders have not lost oil true grip Of
craftsmanship, and it is certain to
give their party new lease of
life, because these questions are ma
tonal and their discussion is endless.
They are, or at least they involve. the real
md legitimate grounds Of difference be-
tween political parties in this country.
Many signs show us that the party leaders
are ready to put forth this policy. and not
least among them this, that SO shrewd and
far-sighted a politician as Mr.. Blaine is
found the only republican and the only
Northern man on the Senate Committee on
Mississippi Levees.
The time is ripe for the declaration Of
such policy. The Southern question, on
which the republicans have harped SO long
and with such constant loss, is at last out
Of the way. It is o striking evidence Of
how little brains are nowadays given to
party management that they are so loath to
let 90 Of policy which has brought them
after eight years Of steady adherence to it
they have substantially lost both houses Of
Congress and could put in their President
only by acts which are disgrace
to them. The currency question is also
substantially settled. With Congress about
to adjourn, paper money within a fraction
of par of gold, and industry reviving, as
the increased revenues show, there can be
hereafter no important questions relating
to the currency mono ct least which will
not be settled by common consent If the
Silver act remains on the statute book this
country will be before 1880, as China and
India are, silver country its paper money
will be based on silver alone, and there will
be no currency issue. If, on the other
hand, silver shall prove too inconvenient
the Silver act will be repealed by general
consent Of both parties. In any case it is
safe to say that the currency question, on
which both parties are divided and which
is alike dangerous to both, will not be
dragged forward by either when resumption
is, as it will be, an accomplished fact.
With these two troublesome and danger
GUS questions settled, and tout of politics"
there remains nothing. in fact, for parties
to divide upon except just those policies on
which, as we SEQ. the republicans are taking
ono side, and on which, rs is equally plain,
the mass OF the democrats hold the oppo-
site For the republicans to appeal to the
country further on tho Southern issue
would be not merely rank demagogism-
it would be for them to faint themselves
with substantially revolutionary policy.
They would be seen to openly prefer Sec
tionalism to tho interests of the whole
country and with peace and good will be-
tween tho races confesscdly existing in the
South with prosperity and good gov
eminent established in place Of the
misrulo and robbery they so long
countenanced and, with President
pledged publicly TO local selt-government
and determined not to suffer the use Of
troops or limited States marshals in carry-