New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-25
SOLON CHASE, OF MAINE.
HIS CHARACTER AND METHODS.

lFROM A sTABF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRTBUNE.l
BRIDGEToN, Maine. Aug. 23.-The Greenback
party in Maine is the handiwork Of Scion Chase.
But for his persistent proselyting, his speeches in
country school-houses and little town-has. his jour
neys to-and-fro his talks with farmers IN cross
roads taverns and stores. the party would never
have grown beyond petty faction of crack-braned
theorists. The success of Chase is striking proof of
what is known 70 all students Of mental phenomena
namely. that if man believes thoroughly in any
doctrine notion, even though il may have history
and logic and common sense against 1t, he can make
plenty of converts provided he will preach IL long
enough and earnestly enough. II is a mistake to
set down men of Scion Chase's stripe as
mere demagogues. Without the fire Of sincere
conviction in their own minds, they could not set
others ahame. No man ever succeeded in spreading
new doctrine Of any sort, whether false or true,
who did not have profound faith in it himself.
Chase seldom goes into the large towns. He finds
his most fruitful field Of labor IN the back country.
1t cost me nearly days journey by rail. lake and
stage to overhaul him. / found him yesterday at
the house Of an ardent disciple of the Greeuback
cause-found a thin, wiry old man. with bald head
fringed around the sides with iron gray hair, short
stubbly whiskers a high, narrow forehead, face
deeply scanned with wrinkles, sunken checks and
deepset blue eyes hiding under bushy brows.
questioned him about his financial views. and BY
the time he had talked ten minutes, l saw
had to dc with zeaot inspired by the belief that
he called upon TO reyOluuOnize society, and not
with a commonplace demagogue, hungry for Office
notOriety. He told the story of his conversion
how he had wrestled for six months with speech
by William d. Kelley, irving 10 find a satisfactory
answer to its sOft-money arguments, and how he
awoke one morning with a great light in his brain
and clearly both sides of the question and that
he ri do WAC tha gi1 he
said be in a solemn tone, realized what my life
work was 10 be, and ever since have devoted my
self 20 IT," The conversion of st. Paul was not
sudden and complete than that of this hard-headed
old Maine farmer. lie began preaching the new
financial gospel at once. and has continued ever
since with self-sacrihcing zeal that only fanatic
displays. 1t was about four years ago when he saw
the great Light He began his prooey ting labOrs
among his farmer neighbors. and was successful
that out of forty voters who got their mail at the
Turner's Falls post Office, where, by the way, he
was Postmaster. thirty EIGHT voted the Greenbaek
ticket at the next election.
In another year Scion Chase had traversed his
own county and two or three adjoining counties,
advocating irredeemable greenbacks and denOunc
ing the bondholdcrs The result was greeuback
vote in those counties Of about 5000. Pretty'much
the whole Green back party in the State consisted
Juen Oh bDe men Ne Aat ItlAci 10 over bic IDau
fences or on the tavern porches little school
house gatherings. lie started paper called ChaSGs
Chronicle, and got a subscriber nearly every
vert. Lately he sold the paper and It moved TO
Auburn and called The Grembact Labor Chronicle.
He says he found his work too expressing 10 allow
time for editorial duties. The paper now migrate
fully assas ITS founder for not going far enough on
the soft-money road. Chase is not ready 10 20 the
whole length of the fiat absurdity. lie says gold
and silver will never be got rid or Except BY
common consent and that he never expects to see
the day when mankind Will understand that
their use as money is unnecessary. The fat
people. he thinks, injure the cause of
Greenbackism by their extreme views.
CoIopel BloOd-best known in New-York for his
associations with Victoria G. Woodhull-isnow edit
ing Chases old paper. He says that Chase has aban-
doned the faith; that be was an absolute money
man last year, snd now refuses to assaI gold and
silver asked Chase If this true, and he siren
uouslv denied having IN the least altered his views
He does not want greenbacks issued by the Billion.
Brick Pomeroy, he said is the leader Of the fac
ton that advocates an unlimited currency. He
himself only wants 10 initiate the currency until
prices are raised to the level Of before the war,
which he IuIgInes was 40 per cent higher than at
rr.saut then he would stop ana put Il out OF the
power Of Congress either TO increase or diminish the
volume Of money. HIS chlef hooby Is thaJ the pur-
chasing power of the dollar has been increased, 10
the detriment Of business and industry, and O4ght
10 be decreased back 20 It's old relation to cOmmOdi-
tIas lie would have only one KIND of paper money
green Daeks-and would have them Tedeemable but
only at the OpTlOn of the Government. II
speculatOrs make d demand tor gold he would have
the Treasury smut down.; II gold were driven out
of the country be would have more greenDacks
issued 10 take ITS place, so as to Keep the total
volume of the circulating medium undlsturbeti.
some time OF other, he says, the country VIII see
that it can get.alODg best without using the pre-
cious metals as money, with paper currency BASED
4 titt ,uf rat vii m no
I'm our day we need not treat n a live question.
In the back country, talking 10 an audience OF
farmers Chase Is an effective man on the stump
His manners those OF The men he seeks 70 con-
vert his language theirs and his talk Is hayOred
with hOmey coOqulallsms, with illustrations drawn
from farm lite and the slang OF the baTn-y ard and
fine hay-held. He is not above trIcks OF mis-
abatement and eXaggeIatiOu TO impress the minds
OF MS hearers with the belief that the country rs
going TO thu dogs. With ali his fIaukIess there Is
a streak of the fox IN the man FOR instance the
Green back platform, every line of which he says he
wrote himself begins with TINS gross attempt TO
deceive IN relation to the pubic deDt: lhe ID
crease of the CON bonded indebtedness OF the Gov
erument in a time OF profound peace from
81 100 900 600 IN 1865 10 -. 600 100000 IN 1879
II fact so startling to alarm eyeUI Trend OF the
country This "a specimen OF "a great deal OF
SOlon Chases argument. Ii begins with a false
Statement and then proceeds sIIoOthly enough TO
an alarming conclusion. He trirs TO make his audi
ences believe that times are getting worse, when
every body who keeps his ewes open knows they are
getting better every DAY. Every village 10 Maine
affords visible evidences OF returning prosperity.
Sometimes Chase makes a ludlcrOus mistake IN try
inc 10 ct his talk 20 his audience. The other day
he got into a shoemakng town, and forgetting that
he was not speaking 10 farmers, he dweit on2 upon
the fact that butter which used 70 bring MY cents
nonnd was now only worth fifteen. The shoe
makers no bay everything they eat, could not see
tbe beauty of financial scheme that promised To
treble the price Of the necessarles OF lie.
SCION Chases steers7 is 4 phrase you hear every
dav i'm connection with the Greeuback movement.
The handbIils proclamIng the advent OF the Green-
hack leaders usually announce that Scion Chase
and them steers will arrive at such time. SCION
does moi actually travel with his steers, but be
IL tbat after paving 800 for the steers IN the Fall