Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-02
SENATOR THURMAN
Gives his Views as TO the Nominations
and Platform Of the Re cent Ohio
C0nvention-He Is Delighted
with Both,
And Predicts Success-The Party In Con-
gress on the Question of Imitation
The Pacific Railroad Billie
will Go into This Years
Fight, Etc.

Columbus, Ohio: Senator Thurman was
| found at his room, No. 12l Neil house
1t is known as the senator's room
and whenever he is in the city he IL
usually to be found there. Here one Of
| the Enquirer correspondents, who had lin
| gered after the convention, found him to-day,
] looking remarkably well, and discoursing on
| political matters In remarkably good spirits
1.-The Enquirer would be glad to have your
views, senator, upon the platform adopted on
| Wednesday, as well as upon the prospects oil
| the party for success this fall.
| sud, sis substantially the same as the plat
| form of last year. / have never seen DEM
ocrat in Ohio who found fault with that plat
form, and don't think that any fault will be
found with this don't see why you ask for
my opinions, for they are well enough known
to every one who hes paid attention to my
speeches and votes. For instance, l spoke
passed the senate. | have repeatedly spoken
against il since, upon the stump and in the
senate; and only about one month ago voted
in the senate to repeal 1t.
Then as to the silver question:"
"As to the silver question, every one knows
that have been the advocate of unlimited
silver coinage, and no one worked harder to
bring about the reconciliation of silver than
l did. AS to contraction of the currency,
have steadily opposed it during my entire
service in the senate, now over nine years.
AS to the gradual substitution of greenbacks
for national bank notes, believe that l wrote
the first resolution that ever passed Demo-
cratic State convention in Ohio favoring that
substitution, and if am not mistaken Mr..
Woolley so stated in a card published In a
Cincinnati paper soon after the adjournment
of that convention"
"When was that, senator?"
81 don't recollect what year it was, but
think 1t was three or four years ago. 1t was
the convention at which he (Woolley) was a
member of the committee on resolutions.
see TO good reason why the people should
pay the banks more than twenty million dol
lars year for the use of bank notes when
thoir plaeos- DO suppfted by greenbacks
and that money be saved. The great objec-
ton made 10 greenback paper currency is
that its volume will depend upon the action
of congress-, and may be subject to great
fluctuations owing to improvident legislation.
But our platform insists upon giving it sta
bility, and if that can be done the objection
loses its force. Now, if congress should be
evil apprehended, no matter whether we have
greenback or bank notes. For instance, it
might repeal the tax on bank notes, the effect
of which would be that multitude of
banks would spring up in every State and
Territory, and great initiation would take
place. Or, on the other hand, it might re-
tire greenbacks and compel the national
banks to retire, in whole or in part, their cir
culation, and thus produce great contraction.
So you see that, whatever may be our paper
money, it is in the power of congress to con-
tract or initiate it. In a word if congress has
neither sense nor honesty it may ruin the
country, but to assume that is to condemn
our form of government. Great care and
wisdom will undoubtedly be required on the
part of congress in dealing with this subject,
but the task is not hopeless one. But while
these are my opinions, l am not for ostracis-
ing Democrats who entertain different opin-
ions. For instance, some of the very best
Democrats in the country disbelieve in the
constitutlonality OF making greenbacks a
legal tender. There are some Democratic
senators from the east who are of that opin-
ion. Well, l am not for ostracIzing them,
because upon one point they may think one
way and l may think another, when in all
Uthrr particulars THAT may concern the party
we stand together. The Democratic party of
there must be spirit of mutual forbear-
ance. ~
''You made gallant fight on that Pacific
railroad bill, senator; that ought to make you
very popular in the west here?"
Il did my best and had a very laborious
task, but the result was so gratifying that
feel well repaid for my labor Those bills
more than one hundred million dollars and
what is of more consequence than even that
great sum, they preserve the control of the
government over those powerful corpora
TONS
You'll go in the fight this year, won't
you?"
Certainly; l always do that. I do not
suppose that l will be required to make many
speeches. That is the duty of the younger
men, but will make as many as l can"
what about the prospects?"
81 think we will carry the State. The party
is perfectly harmonious, and we have SPLEEN
did ticket; but it must not be supposed that
we can succeed without hard work This is
year of congressional elections, and they
always bring out pretty full VOTE We are not
then likely to be aided by the stay-at-home
Republicans. Besides Republican ascendency
in Ohio is indispensable to the existence of
the Republican party, and they will fight
hard to obtain it. Nevertheless. feel very
content that it is in the power of the De-
mocracy to succeed, and l believe they will
IL