New-York tribune., 1879-12-12
rGEAERAI HdMpTONJS Plan

If il were possible for the average Demo
cratic politician, in these days OF hunger and
perplexity. to feel ashamed of anything, the
manifesto which General Wade Hampton has
Just issued, in the form of conversation
with the Washington correspondent of The
New- York Herald, would make all General
Hampt,n's party associates blush like beets.
The gallant Senator from South Carolina has
been looking over the situation, and he finds
that the Democracy has nearly ruined itself
Ivy bad investments. 1t has cOquctted with
"toft- mon y doctrines quite long enough, and
" has lost steadily and deservedy in conse-
"quence." All the experiments with inAa-
ZIONIST candidates and inhationist platforms
have failed. The Grcenback party has dis
appeared. The country has emphaticaly de-
clared itself in favor of hard money and the
honest payment of debts. Even if "A soft
money President could be elected, continues
the General. " he would he pOwerless to carry
" his views into effect in the face of the over
wheming opposition he would encounter"
SO it seems to be time for change of front.
There is absolutely nothing 10 be gained by
" further compromises with the soft-money
theory" Let us turn around, and go in for
Mr. Bayard's resolution. Resumption has sue
ceeded. Honesty is popular. The tide of
public sentiment is setting strongly toward n
stable currency. 1t is clearly our game to
shout with the majority. We must not lose
another minute in accommodating ourselves to
the policy which is bound to win. This is the
substance, and part the very language, of
General HamptOn's advice. 1t seems TO have
been borrowed from "Pickwick." Don't
"ask any questions" said Mr.. Pickwick, when
he was found throwing up his hat for Slumkey
at Eatanswil; "it's always best on these
"occasions to do what the mob do" "But
"suppOse there are two mobsH' suggested
Mr.. Snodgrass. "Then." replied klr. Pick
wick. :" shout with the largest"
Besides, adds General Hampton, l." the De-
"mocracy has always been hard-money
"party." We dare say he said it without so
much as winking. Ever since the question
arose between coin and paper, debt-paylng
and debt-scaling, the whole influence of the
Democratic party has been thrown in favor of
the dishonest side. Every step which the Re-
publican Administrations have made toward
the restoration of q stable currency has been
made in the face of violent Democratic oppo-
sition. The last National Convention of the
Democratic party denounced the resumption
"clause of the Act of 1875, and demanded
:" its repeal ~; the most important of the Dem
ocratic State Conventions ever since that
time have reiterated the demand one of the
ablest and most prominent of the Democratic
candidates for the nomination of next year
was induced to sacrifice the convictions of
lifetime, and give in his adhesion to the rag
money heresy. because he knew that his party
was against him in the Ohio canvass of this
year, which was universally regarded as
setting the key for the Presidential campaign,
thu Democrats chose for their leader the very
chief OF the infationists there is not mad
or rascally financial measure OH the records of
Congress which has not derived its principa
support from Democratic members and noth-J
ing has saved the country from the disastrous
effect of Democratic votes except the vefoes
of Republican Presidents. There have been
unsound fnanciers on both sides, as we all
know the difference between the two parties
is that while the Democracy has been invari-
ably under the control of its most dangerous
element, the Republicans. in spite Of the occa-