New-York tribune., 1878-07-25
THE GREENB1c6ERS IN CONTEETON

THE GREENB1CGERS IN CONTENTION
What the warning factions at Syracuse have
done is to show that they really believe they
have possibilities of power. Men do not
wrangle all day and all night about the lead
crship Of an organization which they consider
powCrless. Mr. Shupe, who is a sharp at!or-
ncy, and has gained the confidence OF MI
Peter Cooper, is not tie man to waste any
time in a desperate effort to lead forl"In
hope. The keen leaders of Tammany, and oi
other political Organlz atoms, did not spend
money In arrangements to capture this
convention without an idea that an
important number of votes might b.
influenced by its action. The platform and
the nomination can be discussed at leisure,
| but the one fact in regard TO this convention
| which calls for especial and immediate notice
is that the men who managed, or t1ed to
| manage it, believed that there were votes
ready to follow its leading. Ii does not fol-
! low that they expect a majority IN tins State
at the next election. They expect power; III
some Congressional and Legislative districts AT
once, in some other States at once, and on
larger scale hereafter.
1t is not entirely clear that these men are
/
unreasonable, but not more unreasonable than
the notions of the Changers, who actually
rcvoutiouizcd the legislation of ten States
and destroyed the value Of four hundred mil
lions of stocks and bonds. The prevailing
weakness of capitalists is that they look with
contempt upon the movements of UnIeasoniag
persons. But the Unrcasonlng persons have
votes. More than once it has come
10 pass that sngulMlY siuWd MI
nority, making itself an object Of
fear to the politicians of other par
ties. and sign of hope to the stranded
vessels of politics has gathered unexpected
force. and gained victories without reason or
decent prctcxt. Tne political managers who
have become bankrupt everywhere else viii
surely 90 to the Greynhack-LabOr camp tOr
subsistence. The new asprants, who want
! immediate prominence, and care not wuat
/ thew favor, will go thither if they think there
| is q chance of success. Then the movement
/ has the sincere support Of some enthusiasts,
| and of a great number of well-neaning but
| lll-informcd voters.
| Nature kindly provides that persons can have
| certain diseases only once. When the child
| lies sick with the mcaslcs,.it is some Tchct 10
! know that, if it escapes this time, there will
be little danger from that disorder hereafter.
/ The United States has had several of the dis
/ eases to which infant nations are subject, and
| has pulled through satisfactorily, bat some
were quite severe aud dangerous while they
/ lasted. Known -N0tlingism gave the country
/ g1pat deal Of trouble for time. Grangerism
made much mischief III many States. The
! Greonbach-Labor disorder may make the coun-
! try very sick, and it is not altogether wise to
tleat it with indifference. This country VIII
never have Know NOthmgism again, nor CIaHg-
errsn, and probably it will not have Green
| backism but once is enough, and may be
| fatal.
If the money power" Of this country had
been half as graspmg and greedy as mfatiOn-
/ lists suppose, there would have been no con-
/ troycrsy. The t~uth Is that moucy-lcnders
have not done their duty. Theg have made
! no proper effort to inform public opinion,
! either as to the supreme necessity Of well-suS-
! tanned credit to n civilized state, or aS 10 the
practical consequences OF initiation to men of
/ the laboring class. There is no lack OF effort
! on the side of bad faith and unlimited cur
rency Papers are printed 10y the hundred
| thousand and circulated gratmt0usIy, and Mr.
/ Shupe well knows that the bills have not been
| paid by Secretary Sherman, nor by any
| man who cares for National honor. There
are knaylsh spectators in Wall street
/ who might make il great deal of money if the
| public credit could be broken; few of these
| couId well afford to eXpcnd the cost of print
ing each week half Il million copies of paper
! in their interest. But there are also men who
hold nearly $4,000, 100000 of puDlic scCuri-
ties. and more than that amount including
securities of companies which must become
bankrupt whenever the Government loses
credit, and they make no intelligent effort
whatever To cOuutcract the work OF enemies
of the public faith.
With intense feeling and organized effort on
one side, and no effort but a mild confidence
in public Justice on the other, what will
GOMEZ The chances are that men who care
for National honor or National prosperity may
be compelled to fight hard for their cOnyic-
tiOps. The National or " Greenback-Labor
movement really has votes behind it, and no
one can say how many. A great deal has
been done to make votes on that side, and
nothing at all has been done, by the men
most Interested, or by the old political
paTtics. TO make votes on the other.
The Republicans are divided. The DemOcr rats
are nearly united in favor of reputation and
initiation. If these do nothing, who ought to
do most in defence OF the public credit, will
il be strange if the Greenback agitators show
unexpcctcd strength? In 1876, the Repubh-
cans nominated for Congress In one OF the