Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-08-03
THE STATE ELECTIONS.

less important. But the memorable |
march of public events does not
allow of this; the convention is close
at hand which will in great de-
gree shape our political controver-
sizes for some months, and, after the
convention, the canvass. But a
short time is left us, then, before we
shall enter upon canvass in which
the struggle will be more vehement,
the animosities more heated, than
that which we have just passed
through. Is it not possible, that
this short space may be utilh ed by
rejecting, while we can dc so in
quiet, upon the political issues " iich
will be the subject of the new con-
troversy. 1t is obvious that both
National and State questions will
enter into this contest, for we have
to elect members of Congress as well
as of the State Legislature. Can we
conjecture what they will be? Let
us take Federal politics first.
Incredible as it may appear, it is
nevertheless evident that one issue
is to be the old one of maintaining
the Radical cause in the South by
force Of arms. This is the pro-
gramme of those Republicans who
are dissatisfied with the Southern
policy of Mr.. Hayes, and General
Grant is their chosen agent for car
rying it out. This will, however, if
advanced at all during the present
fall elections, only be put forward
tentatively, and the grand push in
that direction will be reserved for
the Presidential election of 1880
for one thing the Potter investiga-
ton has shown too clearly what sort
of men that movement would rein
state i'm power to make revival of
the caIpet-bagger a hopeful card to
play at present. We may safely
neglect that issue.
The greenback question comes
next, and will exercise a very pO-
tential influence on all parties; it is
worth while to give it serious if
brief consideration. We fear that
serious evil will arise to the country
from the three years continuous
agitation which has been kept up
on this subject. Three years ago it
was only a section of the Democratic
party within which this matter was
stirred now the whole Democratic
party seems to be in danger of being
committed indefinitely to advance
in this direction, besides which a
large and growing organization out
side of both parties, but formed
chiefly at the expense of the Repub-
lican party, makes this and this
alone the badge of its profession,
and even the Republican party is
exerting itself to make capital in
the same direction. Mr.. Eugene
Hale, Chairman of the Republican
Congressional Committee, has gone
TO Maine, his own State, with the
express purpose of gathering the
greenback element of that party in
to the Republican fold on the ground
that the Republican party is the
author of the greenback while the
Democrats thereon condemned it as
unconstitutional; that the Senate
voted the notes receivable for Gus
tom dues, while the Democratic
House failed to pass the measure.
Here is the perOartiOn of the green
back platform carried by Mr.. Hale
with him to Maine:
So far from being hostile to the
Republican party, the real green
back people throughout the country
will naturally support the party
which gave that currency an exist
ence, and which by law continues it
in existence.
Now, we do not at all recede from
the position we have maintained
since the st. Louis convention, that
the premature appointment of the
resumption of specie payment by
arbitrary enactment was most
unwise measure adopted for party
purposes and fraught with evils to
our commercial interests. On the
contrary we point to the present
stagnant condition of business as a
complete fulfilment of the predic-
tiOnS then made. But this was a
protest against a sudden contraction
of the currency; the danger now
before us is that of three political
parties competing with one another
in imitation; the adoption of the cry
that the more greenbacks you will
issue, the better man you are fol
the people. In short, we have ar.
rived ut the realization of that
danger which was predicted in this
paper two years ago, where a pro-
found and difficult problem in pc
litical economy is made the political
cry Of heated competitors for public
favor, and legislation connected
with it has to be dictated rather by
the eXigences of party than by
considerations of sound finance. We
fOresee nothing but evil as a result
of the Democratic party joining in
this scramble for greenback votes
and would rather see the embrOgliC
left for Radicals and International
and Independents of all classes tC
settle one with another. In short
we doubt very strongly whether
the Democratic party will do wei
to make further efforts to ObStruct
the execution of the resumption
bill. The pressure of such a meas
ure on business transactions is pros
pective rather than retrospective
and the evils of it have taken place
already. Monetic contraction has
gone as far rs it is likely to go as al
effect of resumption, and to inter
rupt the process now would creates
revolution which might become as
disastrous as the effects already eX