New-York tribune., 1879-01-30
lN UyrONDJTJOVAL SURRENDER.

|
stand condemned as the chief offender.
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AN UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.
Senator Hill, of Georgia, is confident that
If the Democratic party will let him make Its
platform and then will live up to the doc
trnes he lays down it can continue in power
Indefinitely or, as he says, " the child Is not
" vet born who will witness the termination
"Of Democratic rule in this country" Ana
his platform is quite simple. 1t embraces four
| points, which he says the party ought to pro-
! claim to the world, and adhere to with
fidelity. First, he would not pay any war
claims, whether the claimants were loyal or
disloyal. Second, he would vote no more OF
the public money or lands to build up rail-
road corporations. Third, he would, in good
faith, pay every dollar of the public debt,
principal and interest, in good money OF stand
ard value. Fourth, he would restore the Con-
stltution of the country, and put honesty into
ITS administration. This is by no means a bad
platform. The Senator from Georgia has not
gone far wrong in saying that if the
| Democratic party should lay down this
platform and adhere to it with fdel-
ity. it would retain control of the Govern
ment for long time. There has not been q
safer or more reasonable statement made IN
the Senate for a great while. He might have
added also, for the benefit OF Mr.. Hend1ck b..
! Wright and other champions OF the starving
and oppressed. that if the sky should fall the
danger of famine would be averted and the
preaent distress cease, and tie tOling millions
have their bare larders replenished with pigeon
MES. The trouble is III the off" Mr.. Hill has
opened magnificent prospect for hungry
Democrats in this long and unimpeded vista
of Democratic rule, but there's an "if" OF
the LARGEST conceivable dimensions at the door
of it.
| His first proposition, concerning Southern
war claims, at once aroused the anger OF that
eminent Democratic leader, Mr.. Beck, OF Ken
tuclxy, who denounced it as stump speech,
and there are probably nine Democrats out
of every ten in Congress who would never
assent to any such declaration. 1t would
be great thing for the party "f" they
only would adopt the principle and adhere to
it-but they won't AS to the second, the
"ifu is fully as fatal. Probably four-fifths
of the Democrats in Congress from the
| Southern States are in favor Of granting sub
sides to railroad corporations for the pur-
pose of developing the resources OF the South,
building up that section, and getting even
! with the North. They would sooner yield
any point in the Democratic creed than con-
sent to give UP the hope of Government aid
and subsidies The party would no doubt be
stronger if it should lay down this principle
of opposition to subsdies-but there's the fa-
tai "ifn in the way. As to the third article,
1 Al. I1hN
and III good money, Mr.. Hill must know
| that the one thing which his party Is opposed
TO doing is inst that If the party would
make the declaration Mr. Hill advises
and induce the public to believe that
1t would faithfully carry it out, Its pros
poets of a long continuance IN power
would, no doubt, be greatly improved.
But the "ifr that stands in the way
here is of the largest kind, and Is held in It's
place by almost the entire party. Then as to
the fourth propOsitiOn-tO " restore the Con-
stitutlOn of the country and nut honesty
| " INTO its administration no doubt the party
might be agreed as to so general declara-
ton but the trouble with this would be that
| the public would not credit its professions
| We have seen too much OF what the De-
| n.ocracy are pleased to cali g honest admins
tration." 1t has to be reformed too often
itself.
The truth is Mr. Hill has offered precisely
such a platform as the Democracy cannot sup
| mort. The things he would have them favor
are lust those they are most bitterly opposed
TO- and the things he would have them op-
nose are those on which they have most
set their hearts They demand subsidies and
payment of Southern claims: they oppose the
payment of the debt in good faith with good
money, and they cannot make people who
know them believe they care for the COnsti-
tuition or would administer it honestly. The
| conditions upon which Mr.. Hill bases the
prospect OF continued Democratic control are
precisely those which the party cannot and
will not fulfil. He might better have said,
"If the party will adopt Republican princi-
"ples and faithfully adhere to them, it will
continue III power" No wonder MIR. Beck
and other Democratic leaders are angry at
such behavior on the part of Mr.. Hill. He
proposes an absolute surrender.
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IN ANCIENT LAW-SCTT.