New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-19

so that the Democratic Dlue-DlOOuS' VIII 10
forced either to help him indirectly by throwing
away their votes on an impossible ticket, or
to go over bodily TO the aid of hard-money
Republicans. The latter, he calculates. very
few will do. The running of an independent
Democratic ticket, he judges, will help him to
gain larger number of Republican votes
COnfessedly, he is a shrewd politician he has
unequalled facilities for ascertaining what can
be done in every part of Massachusetts, and, If
he does not deceive himself, he may so far abb
sOrb the Democratic vote, and gain so much
more from the Republican strength than 1t
will gain from hard-mOney Democrats, as to
secure plurality. The fact that so shrewd a
man stakes his fortunes upon such belief is
not one to be cOntemptuousy disregarded.
Those who mean to beat him, both Republic
cans and Democrats, may we'll take care that
they do not deceive themselves as to the
tenacity of voters.
The lesson of this performance, as of the
Maine election, is that old party organizations
and issues have lost their hold upon great
number Of voters. Many more than leaders
of either party expected show disposition
to break from former attachments and to pur-
sue new ends. The number of such voters Is
very much larger in the Democratic than IN
the Republican party, if results thus far are
test. But it IS asserted that very different
division will appear in States where the Re
publicans are in "a minority, and that Demo
Gratis will there adhere with tenacity to the
party lin power, the more so because 1t has
high hopes of success in the next Presiden-
tial election. At the same time, 1t Is said,
Republican voters in such States being with
out hope of success through their old Organi-
cation, will go over almost bodily to the new
party, in order to beat the Democrats. This is
essentially an oilice-hunter's Wow of the sit
uation. 1t is correct, no doubt, as far as the
action of great bodies of voters can be inhu-
enced by the greed of those who have no
higher motive than hunger, and care only for
the loaves and fishes.
But the majority of voters in both parties
are not office hunters, and care for something
beside division of the spoils. No great poiiti
cal movement ever springs from the traffic OF
the greedy. The new movement has become
formidable because, behind the selfish schemes
of political paupers, it has the fixed ideas and
pIeiudices and supposed interests of hundreds
of thousands of voters. 1t Is beyond dispute
that the men who hold Greenback notions and
seek the ends of that party are mainly OF
Democratic antecedents. This is natural.
Ever since the war that party has labored
to in1ame popular prejudice against
those creditors of the Government whose
confidence in the Union enabled it
to suppress a Democratic rebellion. Because
National banks helped greatly, it has made
war upon the National banks. Because bond
holders at home and abroad helped, it has in
cessantly tried TO arouse a low spirit of knav-
ishness by which "bloated bOndholdeTs
might be robbed. Because the National cur
rency helped, it mas endeayored to discredit
the National currency, at first directly, and
afterwad by means of an Oyerissue.
and consequent depreciation and repu-
diation. II is not possible that these
teachings, constantly impressed upon Dem
ocratic voters for fifteen years, should have
had little effect and all recent events show
that the great majority of Democratic voters
have become fanatically earnest in their zeal
for the very ideas which the Grcenback party
embodies. The masses, in almost every State,
either capture and subjugate their Democratic
leaders, or run over and crush them. On the
other hand, the history of the Republican
party, all its struggles for fifteen years, and
the teachings 10 which Democratic attacks
have constantly forced Its leaders 10 resort,
have gone far TO prepare the great majority
of Republican voters to resist every assault
upon the public faith, even as they resisted
the rebellion.
q The more the financial issues are forced
into the foreground. the more surely Republic
can voters will convince or discard the leaders
who trihe with the pledges and convictions
of the party. If there were no corresponding
movement on the Democratic Mde if that
party could remain intact while encouraging
the Greenback movement to break Republic
can ranks, the result would be overwhelming
defeat of the Republican party. And it is as
plain as the sun mt MONDAY that this result
must come, whenever the Republican party, by
paltering with its pledges, fawning upon
Greenbacl heresics, and encouraging Green
back votes disgusts those of its own
adherents, and repels all Democrats who
believe in sound currency and National
honor. But there is a greater division in
Democratic than in Republican ranks, and it
goes to tho length already of absolute destruc-
ton of the Democratic party and organization
in many States Under these circumstances,
necessity will drive Democrats whose convic-
tons are with the right TO affiliate with Repub-
licans who do not repel them by infdelity
and cowardice. If the Republican party stands
firm, and is true to Its repeated pledges and
its history, it will become stronger than ever.
If not, there is needed no prophet to fOrete
its fate.
THE FLIGHT TO FANEUIL HALL.
NATbof rovopooe iudaad doaa fhia io,o Of