The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-05

whose benefit churches are supposed to
exist.
Will the Democrats Accept the Bayard
Policys
We are glad to know that Mr.. Bayard ex-
poets to carry his resolution, but he must
not rely too confidently on the argument
that it conforms to the old and honored
democratic policy. The departures from 1t
in recent years have been SO fragrant and
SO long persisted in against his protests
that it is not very safe for him to build any
hopes on what the party did in a somewhat
distant past. Mr.. Pendleton, the inventor
and chief apostle of the "Ohio idea, was
a strenuous opponent Of the Legal Tender
act in 1862 The collapse of the Ohio idea
in the recent elections may have brought
its Western abettors to q more reasonable
way of linking, and we shall rejoice If
the expectation of Mr.. Bayard is
verified and they rally under his
hard money banner. But as they
went off under the imitation flag from mo-
tives OF political e1pediency it is only views
Of expediency that are likely to bring them
back. Mr.. Bayard himself may look only
to what is sound and democratic, but the
inAationists of his party will be converted
only by the prospect of party advantage.
Our Washington dispatches contain evil
dence how, unavailing to restrain them
from the silver craze in 1877 were the wise
arguments and protests of Mr.. Belmont,
long the chairman of the Democratic Ma
tional Committee. Every word of his two
man has just sent to the House Committee
on Appropriations. is not only inspired
with financial widom, but founded on the
ime-honored principles Of the party in it's
prime.
We doubt whether the democratic major
ity in Congress yet realizes what great
opportunity is presented for rejuvenating
the party and almost insuring its success
in the Presidential election of next year by
return to those principles. Besides the
Southern States, on which the demo-
Gratis rely, they need only small
cluster of three contiguous hard
money States to win. New York, with
the adjacent States of Connecticut and
New jersey, has electoral votes enough to
make majority when added to those of
the South, and these three are the only
Northern States which the party has any
tolerable chance of carrying in any event
or on any platform. All three may fairly
be classod as doubtful States, with slight
preponderance, as things now stand,
in favor of the republicans. They
are the key Of the political position. and
will be the main battle ground of the Presi-
Dental contest. If the party rejects Sena-
tor Bayard's resolution, If the democrats
in Congress permit it to fail, they will
throw away the Presidential election in adj
vance. A vigorous hard money and honest
money policy is precisely the one thing the
party needs to rehabilitate itself in these
three decidedly hard money and honest
money States-the three indispensable
States for the democrats to carry.
They should be encouraged to give Mr..
Bayard an energetic support by the vacil-
lation of President Hayes and Secretary
Sherman in respect to their recent recon-
mendations. It is asserted, on what seems
good authority, that both the Presi-
dent and Secretary have said to re-
publican members of Congress within
the last two days that they do not
desire any Legislation during this session
for carrying out their views on the cur
rency. This timidity, equally surprising
and deplorable, makes over to the demo-
Gratis whatever credit or party advantage
may attend a jealous adoption Of sound
monetary principles. The excellent views
officially expressed by the President and
Secretary will merely serve to spike the
republican guns during the campaign. The
democratic party will not again have an
opportunity to grasp SO great an advantage.
"There is tide in the affairs Of men," and
now is the time for the democrats to ''seize
it at the flood" and make the bold launch
that "leads on to fortune"