New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-13
TO STALLION OR BE SWALLOWED.

The influence of the Maine election is be-
ginning to be felt by the Democrats Of Con-
necticut. The Maine Democracy, having been
completely swamped by the Greenback wave,
hustles back without ceremony to the ignO-
minious position of athIrd party, and the Dem
ocratic leaders in other States begin TO take
the alarm and cast about for some way Of
escape from similar fate. For whatever
else the Democratic party may have been, it
has always remained one of the two great
parties of the country and to drop down from
that position to be a thIrd-a mere balance of
power-would be not only felt as political
disgrace, but looked upon as a sure token Of APP
preaching dissolution. Their highest aspiration,
of course, is to secure the defeat of the Re-
publicans; next, for a Democratic victory.
They rejoice when the Republicans are de-
feated by anybody; when the defeat is
purely Democratic victory their cup is full.
The Maine result gives them hopes of a con-
timed series of Republican defeats elsewhere /;
but it gives them occasion for anxiety also,
as to the effect upon their own party for it is
easy enough TO see that if the Greenback
craze goes through the country as it has gone
through Maine, and Mt such cost of voters to
the Democracy, it will shortly appear that the
two great parties are the Republicans and the
Nationals, and that the Democratic party has
been utterly wiped out And this is not an
agreeable prospect for the statesmen and
leaders who have been clinging to the
old party through all its changes and
inconsistencies and tergiversatiOns, in the hope
of sure Official reward whenever the political
revolution shOuld come. In the first place,
they know that the Greenback or National
party is already fully ofiicered-in fact more
literally endowed with leaders than either of
the old parties; and that there is very little
disposition among them to enlist Brigaders.
The plumber of National" victory would
probably be divided by National" and not
by Democratic leaders, and the latter would
be but little better under the new regime
than the rank and file. Then, too, they are
shreWd enough TO see that the Greenback
craze is temporary and short-lived, and that
if it comes to the front everywhere as it has
come in Maine and overslaughs the Democ-
racy, the old organization of the latter will
soon disappear; and when the Greenback craze
is over and that party dissolyes, as it must,
the opposition to the Republicans will have
not even an empty name to rally under.
So the question is whether the Democrats
shall swallow the Nationals or the Nationals
the Democrats. In Connecticut the Democrats
have been practising their usual game of de-
ceit on this question for the past three or four
years, passing hard money resolutions in their
conventions and nominating soft money men
for Office, to catch and keep the Greenback
votes Their two Senators are hard money
men at least Senator Eaton is known TO be
pronounced positive and uncomprOmising. and
Senator Barnum has 80 far voted right but the
latter is a candidate for reelection and ready
to believe in anything that will promote
his own success. All three of the Democratic
Congressman have at one time and another
shown the Greenback movement favor enough
TO hold the votes of that faction, while one,
Mr.. Phelps, of the lid District, has supported
every measure of the inhationists in the
present Congress, and Is counted by the