The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-07-25


the same as that which their brethren in
Ohio promulgated on Tuesday. They de-
mand, in brief, the repeal of the Resunp-
ton act the withdrawal of national bank
notes, the issue of irredeemable le-
gal tender notes by the government
receivable for all purposes, and the
immediate payment OF the whole ma
tional debt, due or not due, in such notes;
the adoption OF land limitation laws; pro-
tective, or rather it seems prohibltlve
tariff upon all ar. icles grown or made here;
an income tax, reduction Of official sal
aries, and ga wise and judic.ous system
of internal improvements" There are
some other clauses, but these are the most
important.
There is disposition in some quarters
to treat this greanbac and labor movement
with contempt and ridicule, but we do not
think it wise to do so. The Syracuse men
have certainly made a platform compounded
OF Ignorance and wickedness but ridicule
and abuse will not help the honest part OF
them to sec this, and much the greater
number Of the men who met in the Con-
vention, and Of the voters who mean
now to support this platform, are sin
cerely honest people, who would not
knowingly do a wrong or unpatriotic
act. 1t is the duty Of the press and OF
public speakers to argue with them, to try
to convince them Of their error, and not to
condemn them as parcel OF rogues. The
leaders in this movement, here and III other
States, are doubtless either political adven-
turers or ruined spectators, whose aim is
to use the general depression from which
the country is just recovering to improve
their personal and political fortunes. For
men like General Cary or Mr.. Tom Ewing
or Mr.. w. H. Shupe it is not possible
to feel respect; they arc not dupes. But
the mass Of their followers are honest peo-
pie, and the movement gains the main part
Of its strength not from their belief in the
platforms adopted. but from the deep and
general, and, we must say, very just dis
satisfaction with both the old political par
ties. The growing popular belief that no
good can be longer hoped for from the old
party leaders may yet effect in the States
this side of the Rocky Mountains such .
|
was lately seen in California, where the
Kearney movement resulted in the election
Of majority of nom partisan IN embers to the
Constitutional Convention and swept DEM
ocrats and republicans out of sight. The
California Convention consists of 1872 dele
gates, Of whom 8G are Eon-partisans or in
dependents, 81 are Kearneyites, are demo-
Gratis and republicans; and this in State
where the old parties we're, until very
lately, thoroughly organized and pretty
evenly matched. 9ifp tpe
! The greenback and labor movement here
does not differ essentially from the Kearney
| movement in California. The Columbus,
Syracuse and San Francisco platforms are
cut from the same cloth and substantially
on the same pattern. The Kearney move
ment was seen to be very form dable in
California, but it may turn out to be no
less dangerous here. 1t has on this
side of the mountains the expressed
sympathy of the democratic party in
Ohio, Missouri Arkansas and Colorado;
for the democratic platforms of those
States agree essentially with tho Column
bus and Syracuse manifestoes3 while all
over the West and Northwest both par
ties are demoralized by the same spirit.
! The Chicago Inter- Ocean, republican green
back organ, asserts that ''the man who is
making hard money or anti-greenback
fight inside the republican party in this
State is disappearing the party spirit
and imperilling the republican cause" and
adds that seven-tenths of the party in
the West are greenbackers and on the
democratic side no less a man than
Senator Thurman has placed himself at the
head of the movement. Is it rash to sug-
nents of this greenback-abor party may find
themselves obliged to drop old party bonds
and combine to defeat it? We do not think
such turn of events impossible, and we
certainly do not think it would he misfor-
tune for the country. 1t would lay
on the shelf parcel of republican
and democratic politicians who have
been playing last and loose with the
most vital interests of the people for a good
many years, and whose greatest skill has
been employed in the manufacture of plat
forms facing both ways and the issue of ir-
redeemable political promises not worth
the brass on the faces of those who put
them forth We do not wish to cause I'M
necessary alarm to the REGULARS" and
"stalwarts," but it is possible that their
time is up and that they may presently be
discharged.
When we say that the main strength OF
this greenback-labor organization comes
not from general approval of its platforms,
but from deep dissatisfaction with the old
parties, we do not speak ut random, but
upon Trustworthy information from differ
ent parts of the country. Ruined spec
ulators, bankrupt traders, political adven-