Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-02-07
rrR. o.CoNoR.s RRmEpY.

teemed lncurable, ne usually be
comes the victim of quacks, an6
the more extravagant the methods
and their pretensions, the more
eagerly they are adopted by the
unhappy patient. The feature ir
any proposed remedy which renders
it tempting to such a patient is thai
it shall be as violently in contrast
with established methods of treat
ment as possible.
1t must be admitted that the
body polite in this country is in an
unhealthy state; many think the
case incurable, and those who take
the despairing view of the situation
are looking round for quack reme-
dies. The third term for Grant was
one such an experiment, but it was
advertised too soon. 1t never took
any general hold in the South, and,
even in the North, men are begin
ming to ask themselves whether the
best remedy for corruption is to
place in Office the great patron of
corruptionists, and whether the OBJ
liberation of State lines and the con-
centration of all administrative
action in Washington is likely to
diminish the aggressions made upon
the principles of constitutional gov
ernment by an almost uncontrolled
executive.
The Grant boom having become
almost silent, then, Mr.. O'Conor
publishes a letter in which his in
fallible remedy is proposed, war
ranted never to fail. Mr.. O'Conor
is very eminent lawyer of New
York, who has made large fortune
by his practice and was at one time
a high authority In the Democratic
party at that city; for some years he
has abstained from politics. Like
other doctors, he makes his dag
nosis before prescribing, and from
his account the disease is very
threatening one, calling for heroic
remedies.
The letter is written in answer to
an invitation from the Democratic
club of Essex county, New Jersey,
to join with them in their annual
celebration on the 9Th of January.
He declines the invitation on the
double grounds that the Democratic
party cannot possibly elect Presi-
dent this year, and that it would
not be an advantage to the nation
if it could.
His ground for denying the possi-
bility of Democratic success is the
present divided state of the New
York Democracy, which will make
a contest futile in that State, which
the Republicans, he says, will easily
carry, and he further contends that
it is hopeless for the United States
Democracy to carry the election
without New York. The divided
state of the party, he says, has given
the Republicans an unusual pre-
dominance in the Legislature of that
State, and they will take advantage
of that predomInance to have the
Electors appointed by legislature
instead of by popular election and
to this high-handed measure he |
thinks they will be emboldened by !
the example Of the absnrdly at
tempted coup Petdt of the FusiOn= |
ists in Maine. Therefore the Re-
publicans will carry New York,
and therefore they will carry the
Presidency.
This is his argument so far as the
party is concerned, but I
as he goes on he shows himself en-
tirely Indifferent to the relative
claims of the Republican and Dem
Ocratic parties. 1t is of no conse-
1uence, in his estimation, which of
the two holds office. Both amount
to little more than a conspiracy for
monopopolizing Office by the mem
oers of one clique or the other, or
IN other words, each OF them is an
agency for the purpose of extorting
money and power from the people
IN order to confer it upon individu-
ais.
Again, We shall make no effort to
refute his position, but proceed to
consider the remedy proposed for
the inveterate and widespread /
evils which he denounces,
AS remedy for all this, then, he
a plan for the total subver-
sion of the existing form of Govern
ment, to which we can only do
Justice by presenting it entire:
First-The separate state Governments
should be abolished. This seems now to be
4 Republican idea, but certainly no sound
thinkers among the leaders of that party |
sions and civil war in which their party |
was born, nurtured and matured grew out |
Of the State organizations. Without them /
It's bloody shirt sectional cries must cease to
and their party perish. The be-
nign tendency of the separate State systems
10 embroil the country in civil war was well
in the Federalist, No. %.
Second-The quadrenniaf Presidency
should be abolished. An executive chief |
might be selected by lot from the legislative
CORPS for the ensuing month on some late
lay in each month.
Third-The Senate should be abolished
term, substantially as at present. They
should have no power to make any but gen.
eral laws. By stringent regulations they
should be prevented from assem- bling in /
Congress to enact laws except on those rare
when a general existing law act
aaIly required amendment or a new general
law was needed.
Fourtf-The Congress should be rigIdly
confined TO making laws which are abso-
lutaly necessary, leaving all transactions
and business as far as possible in private
hands, and to the action of private enter
prise. Instead of becoming banker and
Issuing paper money as the Greenback-
ars suggest, the power of Government over
money should be confined to minting the
citizens metals and compelling the security
Of paper circulation. The only standard of
value should be coined gold. There should
be no protection to any trade or community
in preference to others, nor any exercises or
duties on imports and exports. Govern
ment should not, as the Green hackers ad-
wise, become carrier of goods or passengers,
an ex presSman, or q telegraph operator but
ON the contrary, it should cease to be q letter
carrier. The telegraph and express systems
have rendered unnecessary our enormous
postofflce patronage.
Borrowing money by the State or any of |
its agencies should be forbidden, No army
or navy should exist except JtdgrdYlte beIl0. |
And, indeed, wars would rarely occur after