The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-10-02

The ostensible fall politics this year are
simply huge joke, and almost everybody
begins of late to see this. The greenback
leaders. who are vigorously endeavoring TO
persuade the public that the moon is made
of green cheese, do SO not with the bellef
that they are going to convert the Yankee
nation to the folly of absolute or mat,
or "red dog" shinplasters, but in the hope
that they may catch enough discontinued
voters here and there to put some green
back candidates into Office. The republic
can leaders, who see power slipping from
their hands, thereupon experience sudden
conversion to hard money principles, and
quietly burking the tact that they had at
least eight years in which to re-establish
the currency, and constantly refused
to do it, and that, in fact, our
present currency muddle is entirely
owing to their ignorant mismanagement,
now appeal to the honesty and good
sense of the country to rally around them
and once more save the Union. The demo-
cratic leaders, for their part are mainly
intent on giving the greenback whale
rope enough. hoping that he may not run
away with too many Of their voters.
Is it too much to say that it is all joke?
A tolerably bad, a tolerably stupid joke of
course, but one which does not by any
means portend ruin to industry, or new
arrangement of the currency, or a national
disgrace, or any such dreadful results as we
notice the newly converted republican lead
ers are threatening whenever they have oc-
casion to speak in strong hard money dis
tricts The plain truth is that the old
parties are very much alarmed. The
republicans know that the country is
deeply dissatisfied with them, and has
reason to be; they see that the old party
cries are no longer effective; they have no
new policy framed, and they seek only to
keep their organization together The dem
ocrats are not much better off; they are so
anxious to regain power that they ure afraid
of their old principles, and are everywhere
adapting themselves as adroitly as they can
to the passing popular whim, or what they
believe to be such. AS to the greenback
leaders, such of them as are ruined specu-
lators would no doubt like ''new DEAL of
rag money oil round; but most of them are
simply using the general dissatisfaction with
both parties to catch votes for themselves
The people have, for once, run away with
the politicians When Mr.. Eugene Hale
is defeated in Maine that does not
mean that the people of his district
want q new issue of irredeemable paper
money it means that they are tired of Mr..
Eugene Hale, that is all and on the whole,
considering the character of Mr.. Hale's
career in Congress, we do not blame them.
When General Butler is nominated Tor
Governor in Massachusetts that does not
mean that there is going to be general
division of property in that State it means
only that q large part of the people are tired
of the respectable shams who have for years
controlled the republican party there and
who have generally followed where Butler
led. On the whole, we do not severely
blame them. So in this State, the Demo-
cratic Convention made IN end of Mr.. Til
den, not because it disliked any real reform
he ever carried-for the Convention heartily
approved of Governor Robinson-but be-
cause the democratic voters had got tired
of Mr.. Tilden's 'letting I dare not wait
upon I would"
The truth is the American voter is sitting
on the fence smiling at the embarrassment
of the politicians who have been 80
long his masters. He reads the papers and
notices that, though the republican party
is for hard money in Massachusetts and
New York, it goes tor rag money and openly
allies itself with the greenbackers in North
Carolina, Louisiana and other Southern
States. He sees that, while Blaine and Gar
field are making able hard money speeches
in the hard money States, Gorham. Secretary
of the Republican committee, is quietly dis
tributing greenback republican documents
in soft money States. He sees that, while re
publican leaders cry out for honesty and re-
form, hey are nominating for Congress ex-
Secretary Robson in New Jersey, Madison
Wells, tom" Anderson and Ludeling in
Louisiana.
1t is all a bad joke but out Of it in the
end will come not ruin, but better govern
ment, o wiser and more statesmanlike
management Of our affairs. To-day the
greenback demagogues and ignoramuses
temporarily have the floor. They may,
with the help Of the profound popular dis
gust with both the old parties, carry a good
many States and good many districts, but
they cannot carry the country. They cam
not prevent the accomplishment of resump-
ton next January, nor the general revival
of industry and prosperity which has begun
and will 90 on.
One thing should not be forgotten in the
general political muddle-the Congress
which is chosen this fail will not assemble
until December, 1879, and when it meets
the new members will discover that they
are nearly as helpless as . cat in strange
garrett General Scott used to say that it