New-York tribune., 1878-06-26

and industrial character. win have weight.
The efforts of the National, Greenback- Labor,
or Socialistic organization, TO secure support
for its peculiar theories, will force these
economic issues into peculiar prominence. In
connection with these, to all Republican voters,
the controlling influence of the South In the
Democratic organization will appear fact OF
the gravest importance. For every financial
and industrial question turns upon the faith OF
the Nation with respect TO its war debt
II will not do for Republican managers or
candidates to blind themselves to the fact
that the Republican party is responsible for
the present financial policy OF the Govern
ment. Here, the fact is an element OF great
strength In some other parts of the country
it is an element of weakness, because that
policy has not been intelligently or mantully
defended, and is not rightly understood by
many voters Yet no course can be
weaker, or more likely to end in disaster, than
an attempt to ignore or escape this respOn-
sibility. Intelligent voters everywhere, whether
they approve or disapprove the course OF the
Government, know that it was shaped III a
caucus of Republican members of Congress IN
the Winter of 1S74-'75; that it was devised
in great measure by Mr.. Sherman, now Secre-
tary of the Treasury; that it was NEST IOci-
bly, sustained by President Grant, anu is no"
sustained by President Hayes; that IL mas
been indorsed by conventions OF the party
and that every attempt to defeat OF over
throw il has been thwarted in Congress,
mainly bv the votes of Republican Senator'S
If these facts are well known to the lntelll-
qont. they have with such voters less
power than the preiudices, suspicious sec
tional iealousies and mistaken notions SO
LONG cultivated at the West and South,
have with a large portion of the less informed
and comparatively unreasOning class. Ihe ne
publican managers may rest assured that 1t VIII
be worse than useless for them to go before
the people, in any part of the country, with
the plea that they are not responsible for the
policy of the Government To that
responsibility they will surely be held
by the great body of voters, and
any attempt to escape from 1t Will only
be construed as n sign of weakness The safe
course, and absolutely the only course which
offers hope of success in the Congressional
elections, is to justify that policy with yigor
and zeal, and bring the people to understand
its meaning and its merits.
In brief, the Republican party will need to
be true to Republican pledges and
principles if 1t means TO succeed,
and must take a great deal more pains
than it has done for years past, to make these
principles understood and to recommend them
to the intelligence of voters. II they rely
upon partisan machinery alone, they will get
beaten. If they rely upon memories Of the
vrrsI nf ava
them. If they rely upon the blum
dcrs and crimes of an opposition which
has made itself infamous by its crimes and
ridiculous Ivy It's blunders, still the people VIII
ask, and with reason, what the Republican party
itself proposes. Its record is the answer, as
to the vial questions. Those who seek to
escape from that record are only laying up
trouble for themselves.