New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-31
ILLINOIS POLITICS.

/
HOLD THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE LEGIs-
LATURE-THE PRESIDENCY AND CANDIDATES
FOR CONGRESS.
| IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.l I.
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j., July 30" Oh. there is
very little to be told about Illinois politics yet"
said Governor Palmer as he watched the breakers
rolling in upon the shore in front Of Congress Hall,
the other day. "The campaign can hardly be said
to have opened yet, and though the National party
has been active, it seems in measure now to have
subsided.D
Don't you think that the new party is growing
in your State 7" asked the correspondent Of The
TRIBUNE.
mo" replied the Governor; a." on the contrary,
think it is not strong it was some months ago.
The Democrats have been laboring with the Ma
tonals to convince them that the Democratic party
is as good National party as any organization
can be- majority of the Democratic nominees for
Congress who have thus far been put in the field,
are in sympathy with the Greenback movement, and
some of them are pronounced Nationals. / might
instance, as examples Josh. Allen, who is the cand
date in the XVIIIth District and General Single
ton in the XIth Quincy District. Mr. Springer
will also be renominated in the Springfield District
without opposition"
"Then it is true" said /, "that the InAationists
have really captured the Democratic party OF
Illinois,"
"Well, it must be admitted" was the answer,
"that our party has become very badly demoralized
OH the currency question. l think the imitation
sentiment is stronger among us even than in the
Democratic party of Ohio. The Greenback men cap
tured the State Convention, and. as you know,
passed very foolish resolution, which is satisfac-
tory to many of the Nationals. Perhaps ought to
explain TO you my own position. About year ago
obtained control of the leading Democratic news
paper of our State-Tke Springfield Register-and it
has since been published as an uncOmpromising
hard-mOney journal. do not edit it myself. but ]
do determine what its policy shall be, and OCCASION
ally / write editorial article for it. On the morn
ing of the last State Convention republished
the hard-money resolution adopted by the Dem
ocratic State Convention of 1874. and the next day
we denounced the Greenback plank undemocratic,
and declared that it was not binding upon any
Democrat who still believed in the doctrines for
merly profeSsed by the party. There is strong
hard-money element in the Democratic party of
Illinois, but it is in minority"
"How do you account for the growth of the Green
back sentiment in the Democratic party of your
Statep asked II witnessed the fight over the
currency resolution in the Springfield Convention
of 1874, and when it won by the advocates of
honest currency, they thought they had committed
the party for all future time to sound theories in
finance. Now they seem entirely to have lost their
grip What has caused this reyOlutiOnp
"It seems to me-" said Governor Palmer in reply,
chat the entire movement against hard money is q
relic of the cOpperheadism of the war-that it grows
out of desire 10 njure the credit of the Govern
ment and destroy confidence in it. Then, besides
this the Democrats have been out of power so long
that many Of them ready to seize upon anything
which promises to bring them success. The paper
money people have really had control of the Demo
cratic party since 1874. The bone and sinew of the
hard-money element was furnished then, as you
know, by those who had been Liberal Republicans.
The same is true to-day. In 1876 the Liberals or
independents as they called themselves. held aloof
expecting that the Cincinnati Convention would
nominate some progressive Republican whom they
could support. They finally voted for Mr. Tilden.
although the financial resolutions of the st. Louis
Convention were not as strong as they would have
been pleased to have had them. Taking the Inde-
pendents out of the party as an active controlling
element left the Inhationists to manage things
about TO suit themselves"
"Who would be the Presidential candidate of the
Illinois Democracy if one was to be named to-dayT
"Since his remarkable utterances on the currency
question, Mr.. Thurman has become the fav0rte with
our people. He would undoubtedly get the vote of
the Democratic party of our State if the nomination
was to be made now"
"You say that the hard-money element in the
Democratic party of Illinois is an uncompromising
one Will 1t support nominees for Congress who
are known to be pronounced Greenback mon Take
General Singleton and Mr. Springer, for instance.
suppose there are hard-mOney Democrats in both
of their districts Will not this division of
the party vote 7"
Think not. Hard-money Democrats will vote
for General Singleton for instance, on the theory
that resumption will be accomplished before his
term in Congress will begin, and that that will de-
stroy Greenbacksm, or make it ridiculous One of
the leading Democratic newspapers in General Sim
gletons district is published in Pike County, and is
sound on the money question. l know the editor
justifes his support Of the ticket in the manner
have indicated. Mr.. SpriDger's strength is due to
his local usefulness. There has been no man in
Congress for years who has served the district so
faithfully aud the people are willing therefore, to
tolerate his peculiar ideas financial and other
questions. 1t should also be remembered that in
many of the districts the Republican candidates for
Congress are Greenback men, as well as the Demo-
Gratis and that there is, therefore, no choice be-
tween them on that score"
Are the Republicans making the same efforts to
conciliate the Nationals in Illinois that the Demo-
Gratis are "
"No, but they are expecting to trade with them
The Democrats will probably carry the State, and
the Nationals are likely to hold the balance of power
in the Legislature The State officers to be chosen
are OF little Importance The three parties have |
already named their candidates. The campaign
will be chiefly interesting, aside from the Congress
sional Districts, on account of the election of
United States Senator next Winter in the place of
Mr. Oglesby"
"Suppose the election should turn out as you
have suggested and that the Nationals should hold
the balance of power in the Legislature, have you |
any idea who would be the United States Senatorp
81 think it would be General Logan. Whoever is |