The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1879-07-23
The Greenback Movement.
Henderson Reporter.l

Henderson RepOrter.l
Many lifelong Democrats are being
misled into what is called the Green
back party. We can assure them that
they will repent it if they do not re-
trace their steps without delay. We do
not say this as Il menace, for we do not
feel disposed to indulge i'm resentment to-
ward them. We say il under the con-
victiOn that an abandonment of the
Democratic party can have no other eff
feet than To prolong the woes of the
Radical rule. The Greenback party
has no chance of getting control of the
country. IL is founded on no perma-
nent principle, and each Democrat who
deserts his old colors and joins it, but
makes himself IN effective ally of the
Republican party. The government
will he subvertcd, our liberties will
perish unless the Democratic party
shall triumph in national politics. 1t
Is the uncompromising enemy of II
strong government advocated by the
ltepubublicans; it is the party of the
Constitution and the Union. No cam
did man will deny that the tendency of
the misnamed Republican party has
been To centralize power in the Federal
Government and degrade the States :;
and no thoughtful man will fail to per-
ccive that, with the degradation of the
States and the accumulation of thepow-
or in the General Government, the
growth of despotism in our political
system is inevitable.
We wish that the Democrats favor
ing the Greenhack movement would
inquire into the history of the two par
ties on the financial questions now so
deeply Interesting To the people. They
would find that the Democrats opposed
every measure which has contributed
To sring the present pecuniary distress
To the people. The National Bank sys-
tem-thc substitution of bonds payable
in coin for the bonds payable on their
face in the currency of the country
the legislation in favor of paying the
coin bonds in gold-were all opposed by
the Democracy; and why any Demo-
crat should he dissatisfied with his par
ty ON account of the financial distress
OF the country, passes our comprehen-
sion.
But if the Greenback party were right
in principle, and had hope of success,
there is no doubt that all the troubles
which can befall us from the villainous
legislation of the Republican party on
finance, will have come before it could
get control of National affairs, and the
remedy, if any il has, would come too
late To do the patient any good. The
country is now doing business on Il
specie basis, and in few years, bust
ness will have adapted itself to that
basis, and experience has shown that il
is the safest for business men. We
have been brought to it through ruin
and distress Understandable, for which the
Republican party should he held an
swerable; but that ruin and distress
could not be remedied by an abundant
issue of paper money at an indefinite
time in the future. Those who are now
ruined would he in no condition to feel
the influence of an increased circula-
ton in the currency of the country.
No, acknowledgements, YOU are going
off from the grandest party that ever
rose in this Countrywide party of lib
erty, of law and of the Constitution
TO waste your vote upon a party of sub
stantially one idea, and that mis-
taken one. We invoke some further
deliberatiOn on your part before you de
sert us. Be sure when you leave the
Democratic party you are lessening the
strength of that party which has, from
Jefferson until now, been the staunchest
defender of the Constitution. Under
her rule all the territory of any value
which has been added to the original
thirteen States has been acquired, and
under that rule no people since the crea-
ton enjoyed so full a measure of liberty
and prosperity as our people.
Important as the financial question
may he, there are other questions of SUI
perior importance. The freedom of
the elections, the right of trial by inn
partial jurymen, the subordination of
the military to the civil authority, and
the preservation of the Union on the
basis of the Constitution, are over
shadowing questions, and upon these
there is relentless and never ending war
between Democrats and Republ leans.
Ii is in fact struggle between the
| friends of liberty on the one side and of
centralized despotism on the other. In
this critical period of our history, when
all that the Revolution was fought to
maintain is mperiled by the party,
now through fraud holding the Execu-
tive Department of the Government, il
is madness i'm a Democrat to fall out OF
ranks and join force which every in
telligent man must know is powerless
for good. Iu fact we have suspected
that the Greenback movement is fos-
tered by the Radical party. Its candi-
date for Governor i'm this State was,
through the war and until he went into
his present party, a Republican, and
with sagacity he must see that he is
now serving his old party in the most
effective way; and every Democrat
who is beguiled into his support be-
comes an active friend to the party he
has opposed As dangerous to the coun-
try.