Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-09-14

through tndt Oh clOleFd SOiile years
ago.
WHAT ARE THEY FIGHTING
ABOUT?
All the broad principles the Green
back National party is contending
for are those which the Democratic
party has been contending for
against the Republican party in
Congress for the last two years. In
some matters of detail the Demo-
Gratis move more cautiously than
their, rivals; necessarily so, for they
are in a position soon to become
practically responsible for the carry
ing out OF their principles. But the
salient features of their demands
are the positions assumed by Messrs.
Voorhies and Ewing at Washing
ton; that is, so far as they keep
themselves clear of the socialistic
and cOmmunistic solecisms which
their allies in some places insist
upon. Their platforms and resOlu-
tions and the speeches of their ora
tors are borrowed wholesale from
the words of the statesmen above
named, and they have never put
forward distinctive opinion on the
currency originating in their own
ranks. They only differ in the one
point of throwing overheard all
those precautions and limitations
which men who mean business are
bound to regard if they would avoid
the disasters that necessarily arise
from the hasty and precipitate carry
ing out of even correct principles in
a matter so delicate and sensitive as
that of experiments on the circulat-
ing medium.
Such being the case, is it unreas-
enable to put to any who propose
to join this organization, the ques-
ton what do you expect to achieve
by it?'' We do not put this ques-
ton to the politicians who are run
ming this machine; they have their
purposes affecting their own inter-
ests quite apart from any question
of greenbacks or national bank
notes; but we put the question to
the people, on whose votes the en-
gineers depend for fuel.
The Greenback party in Tennessee
knows well that outside of our two
great cities it cannot attain any
commanding position in this State.
The utmost it even contemplates,
the utmost it and the Radical party
together can hope to achieve where
they cOnsummate one of their Occa-
sional alliances, is to break down
locally the Democratic organization.
What effect is this to have, if any,
in Congress Certainly not to
establish there a majority of Green
hackers; the most sanguine in that
party does not pretend to that.
What then? The utmost it can
effect is to weaken the Democratic
party in its struggle with the Re
publicans. Is there any Green
hacker who thinks for a moment
that any purpose comprised in the
Greenback platform is going to be
advanced by promoting the predOm-
nance of the Republican party :?
To any reasonable man the question
must seem puerile, and yet it is a
practical question which every man
must in some way answer for him
self before he can in reason or con-
science vote for that organization.
Your answer, then. Is the Repub-
lican party going to replace national
bank notes with greenbacks ? Is
John Sherman going to pay the pa
tional debt in anything but gold if
he can helpit? Has not Mr.. Hayes
declared himself committed to hard
money doctrines. OF course such
questions are childish; but when
you have answered them as only
/ they can be answered, what motive
can a man assign for voting with
this separate organization Office ;
there is no other possible. Those
who are engineering this train can
do only one of two things-they can
either hitch on to the Republican
train and follow its track, or wreck
/ the Democratic train and with it
wreck themselves.
Still, we don't plead with the
| engineers. They have their purpO-
ses, which have nothing to do with
the principles we are arguing; with
them greenbacks is only a preteXt;
their motive is office; they have
one way or other failed to get it in
the Democratic party and are re-
solved to get it by this means if
/ practicable, but by any means to
/ get it. With them we have no ar
gument. We address the passen-
gers they desire to inveigle and we
say to them, if they really believe
the greenback theory to be true,
look at the schedule we have laid
down and consider whether that is
not really the direction which the
train you propose to get on is taking,
and if sO-had you not better think
before you get on it?
! DIR. +. V. WRIGHT of ChattanOo-
-, hoe GOT Nla ,,D,,,;n,4sy,,,