New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-12

Democratic leaders have practlsed so long,
Whether even Democratic voters can be thus
cheated any longer is another question. Inc
one thing absolutely certain is that RepuDl-
can voters will either form wrong opinions
and act upon them, if their leaders neglect to
present to them needful information and con-
vIncing reasons for a better course, or, form
ing sound opinions for themselves, will take
care to punish the party for unfaithfulness to
its pledges. In Maine, this year, some thou
sands deserted the Republican party because
they had formed wrong opinions. AT the
West, in many recent elections, thousands
have refused to support the party and suffered
it to go down in defeat because some OF los
candidates courted the favor of repudiators
or communists.
What may become of the Democratic party
is matter of little consequence. If 1t Is put
out of existence by the Greenback movement
nevertheless all chat makes Democracy dan
gerous will go into that movement
its ignorant and prejudICed voters, its spitetul
hatred of those who saved the Union, Its
INSCRIPTIONS demagOgues, and its blind ana
passionate fanatics. Resolutions do not make
a party, nor do candidates. The permanent
tendency of the mass of voters composing the
Democratic party is dangerous to the public
honor, the public prosperity and the public
peace. 1t will not be less dangerous If that
mass of voters goes into any other party or
takes any other name. The honest and intel
ligent Democrats, who want sound currency
and strict fidelity to public obligations, VIII
probably be balanced by such ignorant or DIS
honest Republicans as embrace Greenbackism
only because it is not above their moral ana
intellectual level If Democracy swallows
Greenbackism il will lose its best and worthl-
est supporters, but will gam few Republicans
IF Greenbaclism swallows Democracy, larger
body of Republicans may join 1t, but larger
body of Democrats will refuse to be transferred
to q party of repudiatOrs and communists.
In either case, the struggle must eventually
come between those who stand by the right
and those who demand the wrong, and the
former class will be mainly composed OF Re-
pubhcans while the latter will be mainly com
posed of Democrats.
In that contest it is the duty of the
Republican party to take position as an
organization, and to put forth all its power,
on the right side. 1t can live no longer by
dwelling on the past Indeed, its most sacred
Union is to see that the Union shall not be
dishOnOred. It's most sacred duty to the dusky
millions who became by emancipation wards
of the Union is to see that they shall not be
robbed by false money, and forced into con-
diton little better than slavery by the de-
structive warfare which Communism seeks to
wage against capital. The duty OF that party
to the country is to hold sacred all pledges of
the public faith, AMI to cOunt any man its
deadly foe who would barter of one of those
pledges, or neglect one, for any Office on earth.
It's duty TO itself is to keep sacred its own
solemn pledges, and to cast out OF its ranks
utterly and forever the men who would crawl
into Office by any betrayal of the plighted
faith Of the party 10 the country. 1t cannot
hope to prevail unless it begins at once the
task of educating public opinion, uprooting
hereses, and reaching the convictions and con-
sciences of men, as it did in 1854 and 1856.
Democracy can distance the Republican party
in trickeTy. Greenbackism can leave Republic
canism out of sight, in any race for the favor
of the ignorant or the knavish. But no other
party can win from Republicans the conf
denee of an honest and intelligent nation, pro-
vided Republicans are true to themselves and
true to their pledges and their duty.