The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-25
The silver Controversy and Party
Politics.


| line between republicans and democrats.
In the heated currency disputes of former
period it was only necessary to inquire to
which political party q man belonged in
order to know, without further question,
where he stood on the subject of money.
During President Jackson's memorable
struggle with ''the monster the simple fact
that citizen called himself democrat
proved that he was an anti-bank man,
and if citizen called himself wing
that designation stamped him as sup
porter of the United States Bank. So
during Van Buren's Presidency all demo-
Gratis were, as o matter OF course,
upholders and all wings opponents OF the
Sub Treasury. High tariff men and free
traders were also separated In the same
way. although there were few protection
list democrats in Pennsylvania and Connec-
ticut. But at present there is no such con-
nection between financial questions and
party politics. The party line and the
financial line, instead Of running parallel,
as in the last generation, cut across each
other at right angles. We behold Stanley
Matthews and Dan Voorhees, on the same
side, Thurman and Bayard on opposite
sides Of the silver question. Hendricks
maintains an evasive silence and Blaine,
instead of standing on the fence, attempts
to straddle it. In this State the venerable
Thurlow Weed is Jealous apostle OF the
silver dollar Horatio Seymour, like a coy
maiden, bushes to tell his love, and our
two Senators, though Of opposite politics,
stand shoulder to shoulder for honest
money. Neither party, either in the Senate
or the House, could take decided ground as
party on the silver question and attempt
to enforce its decision by caucus discipline
without exciting mutiny which would
rend the party into fragments.
This is an anomalous and unnatural state
Of things. If the currency were subordi-
nate question, dominated by some para
mount question which took stronger hold
on the public mind, such state OF things
might continue for some time, just as many
anti-tariff men waived their views in sup
port Of the war and of the reconstruction
policy which followed. But the currency
is not subordinate question. It is the
only question which has power to stir pub
lie feeling the only question on which the
people have active, aggressive convictions.
All the rest is can't the empty shell of
issues that have died with the prog
ress of events. There is no longer
a Southern question to act upon, but
only the semblance of one to juggle with.
1t is pere trick Of political ventriloquism
which corpse seems to speak. But in the
currency question we pass from sham to
reality. It stirs public feeling to its pro-
foundest depths, and unless it is soon settled
it will shatter the two political parties into
slivers. We are aware Of the great cohesive
power of mere party association cemented
by long habit, but it cannot Withstand the
disrupting influence Of paramount live
question. In the progress Of disintegration
the country may perhaps be distracted with
one general scrub race for the Presidency
previous to new creation of orderly and
organized parties.
It is not difficult even at this early day
to trace the tendencies which point in that
direction. Among the most active agen-
cies is the plotting ambition Of rival Presi-
dental candidates Their first objective
point is nomination, since nobody will
vote for them unless some political organi-
zation puts them into the field as candi-
dates. Hence aspirants concentrate all
their efforts upon q nomination, often at
the risk Of weakening their political party
in the election. This perception Of Presi-
Dental candidates that all their chances are
staked on the possibility of nomination
explains the surprising attitude of some of
our prominent men Of both parties toward
the silver question. We pass Mr.. Hen
bricks without remark because his trim
ming non-committalism is perfectly charac-
teristic of the man. But the position
of Senator Thurman is surprising, even
in the light of his we'll known desire
for the Presidency. He has been regarded
some political sagacity. He should be able
to see that this embarrassing question can
be settled and taken out of party politics
only by the triumph this winter of the
advocates of honest money. If the ex-
pected veto is strongly supported we
shall have reached specie payments before
Congress reassembles, or at least be so near
resumption that it will be too late for mis-
chievous legislation to thwart it. Business
will thereupon steadily recover, and by
1880 the country will be so securely on the
road Of reviving prosperity that any politi-
cal party would be crushed that should
undertake to interrupt the experiment which
success had vindicated. The tendency Of
strong men like Mr.. Thurman going over
to the silver side is to keep the
agitation open and carry it into
the Presidential canvass. Mr.. Thurman is