Smyrna times., 1878-10-16

THERE is not much reason for either |
Republican or Democratic rejoicings in the |
result of last weeks elections. There is no |
reason at all for joy in the camp of the
Republicans, whether from honesty or |
policy, stood for hard money, and they
were victorious. In Indiana and West |
Virginia their position was doubtful, and
they have Jared badly. The Democrats
have frittered away success in three States
by their affiliation with soft-money theorists,
and have suffered measurably forit. Taken
in its larger bearings the result is full of
good augury for the country. Both of the
great parties have been reminded by the
sturdy common sense of the people that no
financial nonsense will be tolerated. The
day of redemption is at hand. Both par
ties will take the hint and reform their
lines for 1880 on the basis of resumption
and honest finance. Party leaders are
always wise after the event.
The general advantage in the popular
FSIOICG JuSI UcAlE0ISNlj says JIG ulAdocApuld
Record, is in the assurance it gives to per-
sons who are anxious to embark in bust
ness. Capitalist have been in perpetual
fear lest good dollar put into any COM
mercial or manufacturing enterprise might
by sudden legislative enactment, be turned
into an irredeemable and worthless dollar.
But when the State of Ohio, the hot bed of
financial heresy, deliberately repudiates the
advocates of irredeemable paper money,
doubt must give way to conviction. The
country is saved from an egregious course
of financial folly. Its people can go forward
without fear in rebuilding their shattered
fortunes secure in the fruits of their indus.
try.
THE instruction in Santa Cruz has been
suppressed, but not without severe loss of
life and the destruction of over a hundred
valuable plantations. Santa Cruz is little
Danish Island in the West Indies, only
sixty-four square miles in dimensions, and
with a population of less than $4,000, its
chief reputation being derived from the ex-
cellent quality Of the rum produced there,
and its chief product being raw sugar. The
cause of the revolt was the interminable
labor question. Some years ago Denmark
abolished slavery, but required the freed
men to go through a period of apprentice
ship, hiring to the planters for long terms,
the latter to find them food, lodgings and
clothing. Last year, however, new law
was passed, to 60 into effect this Fall, by
which the planters were simply to hire the
hands and pay them wages, the hands being
required to "find" themselves. This of
course broke the apprenticeship system
and made the negroes absolutely free. But
they did not like that sort of freedom, and
the outbreak just quelled was for the pur-
pose of coercing the planters and govern
ment into returning to the old apprentice
ship system. Their dissatisfaction is under
stood to have been further increased by the
introduction Of steam machinery in the
sugar mills, which they objected to because
it made the planters more independent of
them, and probably tended to reduce their
wages. Their conduct in burning the
plantations was about on a par with that Of
the tramps in the West who have been
burning reaping machines, and the result
of the insurrection may be accepted as an
additional proof of the fact that no contro
versy about labor can ever be settled by
violence.-Record.
IT is most unlikely, says the Baltimore
,S,ua in speaking of the Greenback party
that the new organization will succeed il
bending to its purpose or capturing
either of the old parties, and the returns
from the elections just held in New Jersey
Ohio and Iowa clearly bear out this view
At the same time they show just retribu
ton upon democratic coquetting with un
sound elements by falling off in the vot
of that party where mostly it pandered t.
the soft-money heresy. The agitation
however, itself is very far from being al
unmixed evil 1t has served effectually t
put an end to sectional issues and to direc
attention to living and practical questions
The Republican party is only doing its dut
in recognizing, as the whole country recol
nizes, the paramount Importance of tn
financial question. This is great gain. Tn
old, worn-out party cries will have to b
abandoned. The greenback issue is CON
pelling people everywhere to think, an
party men to go back to the study of prir
ciples. 1t is not, therefore, an unmitigate
evil 7. may fully furnish its own antidot
1 ug attention anew to the prii
cples upon which every sound system {
finance must rest.
DESPITE the intention of the Englis
governing classes to keep an eye upo
Russia, while bringing the Ameer to term
they have allowed Afghanistan to absor
their whole attention. The cause of WI
is prudently kept out of sight. The Afgl
ans are barbarians, with no rights whiC
the Indian Government is bound to respec
As London letter shows, the cry for dela
has given place to one for immediate wa
The concentration of $4,000 men at Pesh
wur, says the n. Y. Tribune, indicates th
the press has has simply placed itself
accord with the India Office, and that the
jsto be o Winter campaign.