New-York tribune., 1879-03-25


scrntipy of their record, and an ln-
ouiry rs to their fitness for the revoiu-
tionary proceedings they have IN con-
Temptation. What is the RECORD Oh 'n'''
men who assume responsibility WIN S"I"
.iauntv self-cOniideGce Ii Is not lar 10 seeh'
In 1872 they were intrusted with almost tlil-
questioned power in all departments OF the
Government and nearly all the States. lhere
was scarcely an opposition. What was thelr
craftsmanship? In three years they had set
on foot an agitation which cost tReni
their majority in the House. and createo
sectional division in parties; and this
continued without their gaining anything they
set ont for. until the Government passed com
nle,elv ont of their hands in 1850, and then
tbey entered upon conspiracy to Dreak up
and destroy it. What fitness does 'he Fecoi"
OF those eight years shOwf Ihey uieu ioi
four wears a government of their own. Does
that record show such large capacity 1or
statesmanship that we shOuld send out 1or
,bom tn come back and take the old Union
in CHARGED Here are financial questions to be
solved by legislation. What certificate OF NJ
ness for this work do they bringF Ohiy Iiils !:
that they left the Government in lStl III
such straitened circumstances and impaired
credit that its bonds were at discount, ana
if could scarcely borrow money IN the markets
of the world and that III Their own eApe'i-
ment of a confederacy they succeeded only ih
making a currency which was so worthless as
70 be a source of mirth among themselves
And they have come back to government
whose credit has been raised by the leGlsia-
ton Of these eighteen years to par Win tliat
of the weathIcst nations in the world; ; 10 Il
government which the same legislation has
mt in q postion to redeem its obligations III
tbc money of the world. This is the legisla-
ton they feel called upon to sweep away
and this the certificate of their fitness for iinan-
cial administration.
Here are serious questions OF the relations
between capital and labor: what special fit
ness have they shown fOr legislation upon
that suhiect7 Only this: that eighteen years
ago they struck out for themselves III
n now Government whose cornerstone
was the system of slave labor. 1here
is to-day no such system in existence.
and their acquaintance with that OF free
labor and it's relations with capital dates
only from the fall of their abortlve
Confedcracy. Here is the system Of internal
revenue winch seems to have aroused the
interest of the late Confederate Wee
President, Mr.. Stephens, who says 1t
should be thoroughly OvcIhaulcd ana
changed what constitutes their fitness for this
work9 Only this: that their rebellion
made the system necessary, and that its col
lection in the Southern States IS attended
with more trouble and expense than any
where else because resistance to the law Is
more general there. There are laws to be
passed and appropriations to be made Tor the
nosfal service: what constitutes the quali-
ficatious Of these gentlemen for this duty !!
Nothing that we know of, except that they
come from section which has never paid
for its own postal facilities, but has always
exhausted the surplus derived from the profits
Of the service in the Northern States, and
required additional appropriations from the
Treasury to furnish its mail accommodations.
Did Mr.. Reagan, the cx-POStmaSter-Gcn-
eral OF the COnfcderaCy, show special fitness
for legiSating upon this subject when he
recommended the payment Of mail cOntrac-
tor who was shown 10y the records of his own
department to have been paid once already Z
Mr.. Stephens expresses purpose to re-
peal the law taxing State banks. so
that the several States may charter
banks of issue, as of old. No one
who is old enough to remember the
convenience and the beauties OF the State
bank currency we enjoyed before the war will
after this question Mr.. Stephens's wisdom as
a legislator upon that subject. States which
rcpudiate their bonds might perhaps charter
banks whose notes would circulate with those
of the National banks or with grecnbacks. 1t
does not now seem probable though.
But the great thing which all Democrats
unite in saying that the party was brought
back TO power for Is to repeal the infamous
election laws. And what is their special fit
ness for this sort of legislation? Well, only
this: that among the first offences for which
this party was rcpudiatCd by the pco-
pie twenty years ago, was its out
rageous frauds upon the ballOt-bOx in
Kansas, in the attempt Of these gentle
men who have come back to govern us to
steal that State; that, from that time or, they
have VIGOROUSLY defrauded the ballot-bOx
whenever and wherever their needs required,
and opportunity offered. notably so in this
city, and that they have regained their ascend
ancy i'll tie National Legislature by means of
the most unbushng frauds at the polls IN the
Southern States that were ever known even in
that party's history. That qualities them to
be The protectors of the ballot and to leRislate
wisely for the freedom Of elections.
These are the men and this the party who
have come back to take charge.Of the Coy
emmcnt and sweep away the legislation Of
eighteen years OF Radical msrulc." They
make 10 bones of saying so. They are not
slow to announce their mission, nor are they
modest in picking up the incidental Off
cial spois. As for us, we make no
complaint; we have no disposition TO