The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-09-11
What Practical Men Want NOW.

What Practical Men Want NOW.
The fatal mistake of nearly all es-
Inmates as to the probable votes OF
New York, Connecticut and New
jersey next fall is that the temper OF
business men is not sufficiently con-
sidered. There has not been con-
test for twenty years in which the
interests of merchants, manufactur-
ers, artisans, laboring men, investors
and bankers were more clearly in
volved than in the one now pend
ing, Not fer twenty years have such
voters shown a keener appreciation
of those interests, or stronger dis
position to protect them. In short,
this is emphatically a business mems
fight. They will take good care that
it does not go against them i'll States
where their influence isas great as it
is in New York, New Jersey and
Connecticut.
Ho <Iay there 4 Feat prosperitz il
the land. Men may have differed
widely as to the wisdom of Republi-
can measures. They may differ wide
iy now as to the extent to which
wise legislation has caused the ex-
isting prosperity. They do not diff
fer about one thing; practical men
want no oyerturning of the condi-
tions under which that prosperity
has come to pass. Whether they
were infationists or hard-money men
two years ago. they want no med>
ding with the currency now. Wheth.
er they have been Protectionists or
Free Traders in theory. practical
men sinsist with great earnestness
that they want no meddling with
the tariff at this time. Some have
favored and Others opposed the Ma
tiOnal banking system in times past.
But they stand together as one man
in declaring that they want no such
financial earthquake as would be
brought at out by the uprooting of
the banking system which the Dem-
ocrats have persistently attempted.
Business men do not want change.
If they have power to prevent it,
there will be no risk of a change,
such as Democratic success would
threaten. in the financial. industrial
and commercial policy of the coun-
try. This is practical common sense
not to begin to oyerturn things, just
when affairs are going well.
The sagacity of Mr.. Tilden will
hardly be questioned by his own par :
ty. -Four years ago he addressed
himself especially to the need of a
change, which was then strongly felt
in business circles. Confidence in his
business ability gave him the votes
Of many thousand Republicans in
the doubtful Eastern States. But Mr..
Tilden himself predicted that the
return to specie payments would be
follow ed by period of great pros
perily, during which it would be i'm
possible to induce the country to vote
for change. The prosperity has
come. And the Democratic party,
during the past four years, has been
doing almost everything in its power
to make change dreaded by busi-
ness men. 1t has voted by over
Whelming majorities for an over
throw of the banking system. 1t has
tried to initiate and detase the cur
rency and to prevent resumption. 1t
has labOred to set aside and virtually
repudiate solemn public pledges up
on which the National credit has
been so grandly uplifted. 1t has
struggled year after year to batter
down the tariff, so that a flood of for.
eign goods might come in unchecked.
Moreover, that party has not only
tried to meddle at the wrong time,
out it has proposed not single wise
measure. Every intelligent Free
Trader in the country has condemned
the crude, rash and destructive bills
which the Democrats have proposed.
Every competent bi.mettalist on
both sides of the ocean has condemn
ed the blundering course with regard
to silver coinage, in wh hich Demo
cratic Congress persists. Its curren-
cy bills have been laughed at by
Democratic statesmen and Gu sed by
Democratic business men. Its clamor
against the National banks, a nd its
refusal to lift from them unreasona-
bic taxes, while throwing away one-
third OF the tax on tobacco, have
caused sober and practical Democrats
by the thousand to ask themselves,
"Do we dare to trust our party to
manage the finances 2"