New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-12
BFrOLrTION4EY vOFEVENT.

| 4 REVOLUTIONARY UOJEUENT.
"Giye them rope and they viii hang them
'sclvesr He was guided 10y long experience
who made this remark in regard to the Demo-
! cratic party. The new revolutionary move
| ment, upon which the Democratic caucus re-
solved on Monday night, shows that the fac
ulty of making fatal blundorS has not yet de-
serted that party. Nj. Bayard, almost the
only clear-headcd statesman the Democracy
| can boast, protested in vain, and was left in
pItful minority. Blind followers by the
score, with blind leaders like Thurman. have
| resolved to dcrange the machinery OF
the Government and disturb the peace
of the country once more, in order TO
| force through certain purely partisan meas
ures. Apart from the character of those
! measures, this new campaign ought to
result dlsastrously. For tie country sOrey
needs rest from political agitation and sec
tional strife. Men of all parties and of all
branches OF industry feel that their personal
| interests demand an abatement OF the wrangng
which has done much to PROSTATE business
demand an interval of attention to the con-
mcrci.l and financial interests Of the people
! But It does not suit Mr.. Thurman, it does not
anti the Solid South, and it does not suit the
! balot-bOx stuifng DcmOciacyOf the large cities.
! Mr.. Thurman has vcntured into The financial
| arena, and has gained nothing bat defeat and
dishonor there. The Solid South. made solid by
! frauds which Federal laws may punish, knows
that its offenders can be shielded only by
packing juries with disloyal men, The ballot
box stufling Democracy, resolved to carry New
| York, Connecticut New-Jersey, Ohio, Indiana,
| AT har States.
frauds ut elections In the chief cities, seeks TO
sweep away the opposition which Federal SUI
pervisors of Election may raise. To reach
these results, it is deliberately proposed TO
| block the wheels of Government unless the
| Republicans of the Senate submit. At the
head of this revolutionary movement Senator
Thurman gladly places himself, in order, ii
possible. to divert attention from the signal
| failure of his attack upon the public credit and
the National banking system.
The changes of law which Democrats desire
could be secured as far as the legislative
bodies have power to secure them, without
any struggle whatever, by waiting until the
| next session of Congress. Then there Will be
a Democratic majority in both houses. But
meanwhile persons who have pcIpetrated the
| most Infamous crimes III order TO make the
| South solid might get convicted. To save
| criminals against whom indictments are pend
| ing-criminals whose deeds nave disgraced the
| States in which they live, criminals whose
| horrible inhumanity the party does not dare
| to have exposed by sworn evidence in United
States courts-it has been resolved to risk that
revolutionary movement TO which the people of
civilized and selfEOyerning lands never resort
| except III the last extremity. Repeal OF the
election laws would serve the Democratic party
nearly AZ well next Winter as now. But the
party has resolved to block the Government
| in order to save from conviction and punish
pent the men whose frauds and crimes made
the South solid.
Senator Bayard wisely said that the deba-
table ground politically i at the North. If
the Democracy ever succeeds it must be 10y
adapting its conduct 10 the public sentiment
of Northern States. VIII any Democrat scri-
ously assert that there exists in any Northern
State such a desire for the repeal of either of
the measures in question, that majority OF
the people would for that reason sustain
disturbance of the machinery of Govern
ment Even in this State, where the election
law has been most noIsily denounced, it Is
very certain that majority OF the people
would vote 10 upaOld system by which some
protection is given against such gigantic frauds
n gave the electoral vote to Seymour and
made Hoffman Governor in 1868. The people
of the other counties, OF whatever party, are
not anxl0d, 10 nave MI the voting in the State
OF New-l ork done by few scoundIrl, in one
great city. 1t might - well all be so
done, ii the systematic rl>cality planned
and executed IN 1858 can be repeated,
for the city can then give majorIticS to order,
no matter how large may b" the honest vote
TO he overcome. Hence it is safe to say that,
on Il direct popular vote. the election law
would b. sustained by a majority of the people
even of this state. There is no other Northern
State in which the opposition Ia that Law
would be relatively ~ strong a. i. Is here.
And the act which provide that loyal men
shall he ~ccrtcd for juric,. IN rhc Trial of per
son, for violation of Fclcnl laws, meets with
no opposition whatrycr At tha North, except
from those extreme and u~,uupgIoG~ part,,.ns
who rcnc, via .ucyrra Democratic majutij, is
secured. whether by maud Assassination or
massacre.
The hostility To hi, act i, 80 new. and has
50 obvious Il motive. that il VIII help very
materially 10 arousr and strengthen public
sentiment at the North. For several years
the Democrats have had majority IN the
House. rs they have now. bat they have
sections now assaulted. The obvious Reason j..
that no serious attempt was then made tn en-
force United states lnws against criminals IN