New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-18
DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENTS.

In the platform adopted by the Democrats
of Pennsylvania there is some evidence of
complete change of programme by leaders OF
considerable influence. In all respects save
one the platform is such as was expected, but
the exception is important and significant.
The soft-money declarations of recent years
have vanished. The Greenback or anti-bank
resolutions, which Speaker Randall had ex-
hibited, and which had been substantially
agreed upon, 1t is stated. by Mr.. Barr, the
candidate nominated for State Treasurer and
Mr. Speer, the chairman of the State Commit
tee, were suppressed. In place of them this
singularly cool declaration appears: :" The
Democratic party, as of old, favor a cOnstitu-
"tional currency of gold and silver and OF
"paper convertible into COIN" What amazing
eHrontery The Democratic party never did
favor a currency "Of paper convertible into
"coin" "Of old" it had only two convic
tons which it held in all places and at all
times-the conviction that slavery was consti-
tutionally guaranteed and ought to be de-
Tended and natonallzed, and the conviction
that a National bank was unconstitutional and
dangerous, and ought to be destroyed Hos
tility to paper money of all sorts was then the
Democratic boast. When the war began. the
the greenback. OF late, it has been fond of
the greenback, but particularly hostile to Its
convertibility into coin. Only last year, the
Democratic party of Pennsylvania denounced
the National banking system as "tendmg to
monopoly and GENERALIZATION" and made
common cause wherever it could with the re-
pudiating Nationals" From the beginning
TO the end of the recent session, Democrats
from Pennsylvania in both branches of Con-
cress were working with zeal and persstency
for the most extreme and reckless soft-moDey
schemes. There never was time when the
Democratic party favored a paper currency
convertible into coin, and all It's recent acts
prove that 1t now favors paper currency not
convertible into coin, nor secured by deposits
of United States bonds.
The adoption of such a platform, so fatty
opposed to the public course of Senator
Wallace, Speaker Randall. and the other rep
resentatives Of the party, is a new move in
It's political strategy. In view of the fact that
the Greenback voters pOlled 81, 900 votes last
wear for a candidate for Governor who had
no chance of an election, and left the Demo-
cratic party in a minority by $4,000 votes the
new movement is a virtual abandonment of
the HSlu III Il cuuSyl luz party OHc
chance of success, and only one, in uniting
the Democratic and National vote and the
platform adopted puts an end to any hope of
such union. Such step cannot have been
taken without deliberate calculation, and for
an important purpose.
The Western Democratic leaders have been
persistently seeking the favor of Greenback
voters, as their shortest road to success. In
that course, Messrs. Wallace and Randall, and
the Pennsylvania leaders of Democracy
generally, have actively participated. The
effort has not met with great success. The
Democratic party has been much dlsorganized
by it, and has lost more votes OF hard-mOncy
Democrats than it has gained of soit-moncy
Republicans, because the unsound Republicans
have gone, with Democrats of like mind, into
n third party, which declines to be swallowed
M. Even the nomination Of Ewing, it was
found, did MT promise to result in q capture
of the Greenback vote in Ohio. In other
Western States, the Greenback party has been
holding independent conventions, and show