The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-08-29
THE STRENGTH OF THE
NATIONALS.

The Herald has interviewed rep
resentative men of the Democratic
and Republican parties in Connecticut
for the purpose of ascertainlng the
strength Of the National Greenback
Labor movement in this State. 1t
appears from three interviews that
the leaders of the old parties are hug
ging the delusion that the new party
is but of little consequence at present,
and that it will poll an insignificant
vote at the November election. Sena-
tor Eaton estimates its vote at only a
few hundreds in excess of that which
it pOlled in 1876. or an aggregate OF
1000. Governor 1ngersoll thinks
there is more talk than cider in the
movement. Lieutenant-Govern
LoOmis thinks it is made up largely of
sore-heads from the Democratic
though the new party would not
prove any obstacle in the way of his
reelection. All this goes to show
that the Democratic leaders are not
accurately informed as to the political
situation, or that if accurately in
formed they do not utter their real
sentiments rs to its strength. 1t is
useless TO deny that the Nationals
will play an important part in the
next canvass. They will then have
W hat they have not had heretofore
organization. OF course their organ
ization. is not as thorough as that of
the old parties, but it is perfect
enough to largely increase their vote.
Of | nnInn for
instance. At no election yet has
there been single Labor or Green
back vote polled here. In November
next the new party, which fuses the
Labor and Greenback element III
politics. will. in our candid juds ment,
poll at the least calculation two hun
dred and fifty votes. 1t would not
surprise us if the total exceeded
rather than fell short Of those figures.
If the National movement has gather
ed strength equllly in other sections
OF the State thu total Greenhack
Labor vote in Connecticut next No
vember will not fall short of 1900.
We are inclined to believe, however.
that New London furnishes an excep-
tional ease. but even admitting this
to be 50 we have no doubt that the
new party'S vote at The next election
will he more than double that which
it polled in 1915 for Cooper and Cary.
Nothing is to be made by ridiculing
or Understanding the strength of
the opposition. and we trust that the
Republican party will not fall into
that error. What effect the new
party will have on the old organlza-
tons. is. of course, largely a matter
of conjecture. The general impress
sion seems that 4 majority of its re-
cruts will come from the Democracy.
We think this will prove TO he fact.
1t certainly VIII fother localities are
TO he Judged. by this city. Here the
leaders OF the new party are in nearly
every ease Democrats. through the
number of Republicans who are in IS
ranks is. we must admit. uncomforta-
bly, large. The self-conStitnted lead
erS here are not men who are calcu-
lated TO gain the public confidence.
but among the Republican converts
are some men OF intelligence and good
standing In business clrcles-men who
cannot he clasSed rs soreheads in
asmuch rs they h I'VE never been office
seekers or take any very prominent
part in politics Many men have
gone into the new movement blind
folded. not knowing what they want.
and having very vague and misty
idea OF the principles OF which the
Naturalization part IS founded. They
simply know that the times are
fearfully hard. that they lind ii diff
ticult 10 make living. that the pros
pect of the immediate future is
gloomy. and they are willing 70 try
anything in the nature of an expert
ment in the hope that it may change
things for the better. There is no
doubling the honesty and perfect sim
cerity of 4 large majority Of those
who have joined the standard of the
Nationals anu the new party cannot
be laughed out of existence or held to
be without an important influence on
the political situation.