The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1879-11-05

ness Of rottenness that needs ven
eering to hide its true character
Maine Standard.
The Future Of Greenbaelters.
The Greenback party, as a separ-
ate political organization, never had
before it any rational possibility of
party success. The time never was
when the Enquirer did not say SO. We
have respected the motives ofthe
Greenbackers. We shave lifted uptheir
essential purposes, the betterment Of
our financial system Currency re-.
form. We have never, however, been
unmindful that as a distinct political
control, seeking power as an indie.
pendent organization in our politics,
the Greenback, or National, " party
was foolishness. IL had a logical and
important place in the history Of a
financial epoch. 1t was useful as a
protest. 1t was serviceable as a warn
ing. 1t was testimonial to the
alertness and independence of Amer
lean thought. This is freedom. A
million Of men, rising like mush-
rooms, deposited in the ballotboxes
their protest against financial miss
management. The protest against
negro slavery in this country, about
which such great emotions hung-a
protest that gathered about it the
strongest natures and some Of the
largest men in our history-could
not in so short a time, or in any time,
reveal such an isolated strength at
the polls.
Here is proof Of the justice of the
cause Of the currency reformers, for
the American voters are intelligent
A new and unorganized organization
in this decade that can, within about
two years, draw to the ballot boxes
nearly twice as many votes as
Andrew jackson received for the
Presidency, has certainly some con-
yiction behind it, some element that
will not die with one election. This
protest against the Money Power,
which had the poor for the clients
and q white-headed millionaire and
philanthropisL as its candidate, has
earned the respect of history. 1t rep.
resented the restlessness and earnest
ness Of our time and country. These
men would not wait the movements
Of one of the old parties, aud attack
ed the movements of the other. Their
Impotence was q spur to one great
political organization, and y warning
to two. Pending the organization of
the present House Of Representatives
this infant and hopeless party almost
held the twogreat parties, lone in one
hand and one in the other, trembling
for power. AT that momentit touch
ed the zenith Of its authority. 1t
had appeared as q menace in many
in the country, but it
then appeared as almost power in
the halls Of the National Congress.
and its highest point was that-al
most.
Ohio was probably the birthplace
Of the ideas that gave rise to the INA.
tional party" With the decay of
that party in Ohio the hopes of the
party as a separate power in politics
disappear. The stream will not rise
higher than the source. Butthe men
still live, for the most part, who fled
at the polls their separate and for
lorn objections to MoneyPowcrlegi
lation. The ideas which rested be-
meath this splendid baby party do
not perish with a single election. 1t
50 happens that the demand for cur
rency reform, for a financial system
in the interest of the people rather
than in the interest Of the Money
Power, for financial legislation in
the interest of the many rather than
in the interest Of the few, for equal
instead of unequal currency legisla.
ton, has been styled Greenbackism.
This is the mildest name applied
"Iuaation," "Repudiation," "Corn.
stalk Moneyism, ""Rag. babyism' and
general damnation are the common
epithets applied by the logicians of
the Money Power. We are not COM
menting upon these. The demand
for currency reform in this hour
takes the shape of asking that the
perilous National Banking system,