The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1879-07-12
THE HOBBY OF THE GREEN
BACKERN.
The Natural Result Of their Efforts,
II they can Achieve any Results.
CEN. CHALMERS LETTER.
FERNANDO, MISS, June 23, 1879

1
ten, Miss.i
GENrLEMEN-Your letter of the 18th in
slant, inviting me to deliver political adj
dress at your meeting to be held on the 5tl
of July next, has been received, but l re
greet my inability to accept your invitation
have taken part in almost every politl
cal canvass in Mississippi since l became
| voter, and would be glad to take an active
part in this, which promises to be one o.
much interest and Importance, but the con
dition of my health forbids. My system
was so much impregnated with malaria
poison by last summers fever, that my
physicians have ordered me to spend thii
summer in the mountains and on the sea-
coast, for which shall start as soon as
can arrange some legal business hitherto
neglected on account of public duties. You
ask if I cannot be with you, that l will
write you letter and give you my political
views; and you say, "We are confronted
with new party called Greenbackers, and
while they are not very formidable now, il
they can unite the old defunct radicals with
them, we may have trouble. have watched
the rise and progress of the new party in
Mississippi with much interest and some
surprise. With most of the principles
enunciated by the Greenback party in Mis-
sissippi, SO far as have seen them, l can
agree, and 1 think I may safely say that
nineteen-t wentieths of the Democracy of
II ! fha ,Nlot
form. l can understand why Greenback
party might be deemed necessity In any
State where both the Democratic and Re-
publican parties are committed to the gold
standard of value, and consequent enhance
meut in value of United States bonds and
all securities for debts, but l can see no
good excuse for such party in State like
Ohio or Mississippi, where the great ma
iority of the Democratic party is thorough
iy committed to the same platform on which
the more sensible class of Greenbackers
stand, and where the existence Of 5epar~
ate Greenback party can only all 0Aa assist
the Republicans. The persistence in sucl
a course shows the leaders to be mere anx-
ious for place than the success of principle,
and in truth shows them to be willing to
see their principles defeated rather than see
them triumph through the Democratic or
ganization. But it is said the Democratic
party is not United on the currency ques-
ton, and hence the necessity for Green
hackers. II is true the Democrats are di-
vided, and so are the Greenbackers. Some,
under Brick Pomeroy and General Plat,
are running off after socialism, communism
and reputation, and the fathers of the
party have dsowned the bantling recently
brought forth in Ohio; some, under Ben.
Butler, are ''tiat' money men, and hold to
the ridiculous nonsense that the Govern
ment may print on anything this is dolN
lar" and without any statute to define what
is meant by the word dollar, that this thing,
with nothing IN the heavens dbove or on
the earth beneath, to measure or define its
value, shall be the measure of value for
every article which labor produces; others,
and if l understand them correctly, the
great body of the party, under Sam'l Carey
and Gen. Weaver, contend with Gen. Ewing
and the Western Democracy, that dollar
shall be four hundred and twelve and one
half grains of silver, or else 116th Of that
weight in gold, and that greenback motley,
which is but paper promise to pay, as
many dollars as may be named in the bill
shall be issued in sufficient quantities to
supply the demands of trade-that the
United States bonds shall be paid as rapidly
IS possible-and that national bank notes
shall be retired and their places supplied |
With paper money issued by the govern,
nent direct. With this branch of Green
packers 1 agree. Believing that paper
money based on values and measured by
,oin is essential to commerce, l believe |
,reenbacks to be the best paper money ever
made. Greenback money is result OF the |
var, and one result of the war that am
lnxious to see preserved, and yet the Re.
publican party, which pirates so much about |
he results of the war would have destroyed |
his result if the Democratic party had not |
prevented it, While these vital differences
# opinion exist among the Greenback
,arty, and while in its infancy it has split in
)hio, the State of its birth, it is rather cool
n them to ask a party as old and as long
ried as the Democracy to dishand because
ONE differences of opinion exist in its
anks on the currency question Again, it
5 said the Democratic party as party,
trough its organized source of power, the
National Democratic Convention, at st.
iouis, declared itself in favor of what is
allied the ''hard" money platform, and that
ne soft money Democrats obeyed the Or
ers of the Convention, and yielded their
onvictions on the currency question to the
ictates of party leaders.
This is partly true and partly untrue, but
it were wholly true it does not come
18th very good grace as ground of Objec-
ion from the leaders of the Greenback
lovement in Mississippi, every one of
HON were Democratic supporters of the
ominees of the st. Louis Convention, and
owed with equal servility, if gentlemen so
hoose to call it, to the dictates of that Con-
ention. The great and absorbing ques-
ons with the Democracy at that time were
and reform in the general
overnment, and the restoration of local
ere unit We were divided on the cur
sncy question, and when we selected as
ur most suitable leader a hard money
every soft money Democrat
lit the necessity of SO shaping our
latforn on the dividing issue as to repre-
INT the views of our candidate. The
.me condition of affairs still exists in
lie Democratic party, and when General
ON Ewing, the great leader of the soft
Ioney Democrats, was nominated for Gov
,noT of Ohio, Frank Hurd, the embodiN
tent of hard money in that State, not with
,rvility but with manly devotion to party,
ld commendable determiLati.H NJ. to
attribute anything to RepublicGn success. {
lnounced his intention to support the
cket The same course will be pursued
the next national Convention. The soft
oney 'alocrats viii be in the majority,
ID will select both the platform and the
all good Democrats will sup
1rt him il preference TO a Republican,
lthout re I'd t. the question OF currency.
is, however, grea. ..UaEtion, and in my
dgment the vital question now before the {
,ople; but it is not so essential that every ,
emocrat should be driven from the party
hose views differ from the majority upon
If arms or race are TO be paraded at
e polls to influence elections in the South I
they did in 1876, and if deputy marshals
ID supervisors of elections are to disfran- ,
Use naturalzed citizens as Davenport did
New York, where according to his boast
! letter to the Attorney General, he by c
reats, intimidation and false imprison- [
ent, took away the naturalization papers 4