The New York herald., 1879-07-09
The Questions or the Ohio Canvass.

themselves in the direct line of succession
to the Presidency it would be rash to
guess; but no doubt Messrs. Foster and
Ewing please themselves with the fancy
that. in the political slang of the day,
"lightning may strike in their direction, :"
not to speak of Senator Thurman
and General Garfield, Secretary Sherman
and General Grant, the last mentioned
having among his other and numerous
pieces of good luck also that of hailing
from Ohio. If Ohio should continue much
longer to monopolize all the pleasant and
exalted places in the government we shall
presently sec ambitious mamas securing
temporary quarters in Columbus, to insure
their expected sons fair start in life.
So much depends on the result in Ohio
this fall, in the general opinion of poll
ticians Of both or all parties, that the cam
vass, which has already begun, threatens to
be of the most fervid kind. Neither party
would-like to lose the State, and it is safe
to say that Mr.. Charles Foster and General
Thomas Ewing will do their utmost to carry
it. And yet it is very well under
stood that there is an element in
each party rather anxious for defeat.
The Eastern, or hard money, wing
of the democratic party would not weep
over General Ewing's overthrow; because
this. it is generally understood, would
facilitate the nomination Of sound money
democratic candidate next year. The anti
administration republicans, on the other
side, would take Mr.. Fosters defeat with
great equanimity; indeed, there was re-
port current in Washington among the po-
litical gossips that they were preparing
''Waterloo" for tho administration this fall,
and that it is ON the cards not only that
Mr.. Foster shall be beaten but that the
Legislature shall be democratic.
Well, about all this ''we shall see what
we shall see." Meantime we wait with
some curiosity for the ''keynote of the can
vass" on both sides. The nomination of
Mr.. Ewing by the democrats commits his
party to the currency and silver issues as
the prominent ones in the canvass though,
as the American politician is very slip
perry creature. it did not occasion surprise
when Mr.. Frank Hurd, democratic sound
money man, came out with proclamation
declaring that the currency was not the
issue ut all, but the troops at the polls and
the elections marshals. On the other side
we notice that Mr.. Foster and his fellow
republicans fight shy of the currency and
silver questions, and would like to make
the solid South the issue.
We hope Secretary Sherman will hold his
party up to the proper mark, and we
should be glad to see him and Secretary
Schurz 60 out to Ohio before very long to tell
the republican brethren where they must
stand. Ii the republicans decline to accept
the currency issues which the nomination
of General Ewing has made prominent
they deserve to be beaten and in our
judgment they can better afford to be de-
feated as the deliberate and determined
friends Of sound currency than to succeed
on any shilly shally or bloody shirt issue
which somebody with more prudence than
principle may try to fasten on them.
The republican party needs to do some
thing to regain the hearty support of
great number of intelligent voters. The
skrmishing of the extra session showed
that its leaders in Congress, and especially
in the Senate, are adroit, audacious, aggres-
sive-greatly the superiors of the demo-
Gratis in mere partisan warfare; but it is
doubtful if all this will help them with the
sensible voters unless they have the cour-
age and principle to stand up for real ques-
tions, and in Ohio to accept the challenge
thrown out by the democrats in the nomi-
nation of General Ewing. General Ewing's
candidacy means something definite. 1t
means policy to which the republican
leaders say they are opposed. Let them
oppose it, therefore.
General Ewing has served in Congress
during two sessions. In that time he has
not been silent ON the contrary, he has
taken a very conspicuous and decided part,
not only in debate, but in the preparation
Of measures of legislation and he received
the democratic nomination, not because he
is the son Of an eminent old whig
statesman; not because he was formerly
prominent republican, but simply
and only because he had prepared
and advocated in Congress series
of currency measures which the democratic
managers in Ohio believe in, and which
they believe to have the favor of the ma
! jority of the voters. We have before us all
the important bills introduced by Mr..
Ewing during his service in Congress. Not
| one Of them has become law, and his nom
ination was, therefore, not tribute to his
success as legislator: it was an appeal to
the people against the adverse action OF
Congress upon his measures.
These measures are easily enumerated,
and they form we'll defined financial pro-
gramme. General Ewing began with bill
for the repeal of the Resumption act, and
he has followed this with bills-irst, to de-
stroy the national banks and substitute
legal tender paper money for their