New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-07-16
THE SINE OLD FIGHT


The burden of the love-song with which as
sistant Democratic editors are wOOing the in
dependent voter seems to be, when translated
into unconditional prose. " There is no essen
"tial difference between the beliefs and doc
"trines of the two parties. The old
battle cries are all outwOrn OF outgrOwn.
"Theref0re vote for Hancock and a fresh deal,
land show the world that we are not afraid to
''trust the Democracy" To this seductive
strain it might well be answered, that even if
the parry doctrines and promises
we're identical, there yet would
remain sufficient reason to vote for General
Garfed-whose comprehensive knowledge Of
public affairs and whose sound opinions upon
all subjects which the representatives, of a
free Government are called upon to dis
cusS, have been demonstrated by his votes and
SPEECHES during seventeen years Of public
service, rather than for man who has no
opinions whatever, so far as anybody has
ever heard, and whose opportunities for ac-
curing any knowledge of practical states
maaship have been of the slenderest, mas
much as his entire life has been spent III q
service the most remote from any civil duties
aud responsibilities.
1t could be answered further that it can
hardly be set down to the credit of the Dem
ocJats that they have been driven year after
year from one position after another
in which they had Intrenched them
selves, until the leading principles for
which the Republican party was organ
lied have all been so firmly established that
no one dares assail them openly. The Demo-
cratic party no longer as an adversary con-
on the subject of slavery, because the land is
freed from the curse of slavery III spite
of Democratic efforts to perpetuate it.
There is no longer any question between the
parties, as there was In 1854, as to whether
the war was a failure-smpy because the
Nation triumphed over the secession of
Southern Democrats In this way the CEN
tral issue of every political canvass for the
past twenty years could be taken up in order
with the same result. There is no open and
active difference now between the two parties in
regard to the Constitutional amendments, the
reconstruction acts, the taxation of the
bonds, or the resumption of specie payments,
simply because the stern logic of events has
demonstrated that upon these and other COM
manding questions which touched the Nations
honor and safety and its very life, the Repub
lican party was radically right and the Demo-
cratic party was essentially wrong.
And if this outward acqulescence IN the in
evItable is the sole basis upon which chart
table souls are willing to be persuaded that
the party of slavery and dinunion and repudia-
ton has met with a change of heart.
it may be well for them to sit down
in some secluded place and reflect for
a season. What guarantee have we that the
party which could not be trusted in 1860, or
1864, or 1868, is worthy of confidence to-day7
This party was swept from power in 1850
because it was under the control of the South,
and the country feared the predominance of
Southern sentiments. The same party is
under the domination of the same grasping
power to-day. Has the South given any proof
since 1860 that the country's fears were
groundessf Was the attempt at secession
and the consequent civil war calculated TO re-
store confidence in Southern rule Does the
fact that since tire war the South has repudi-
ated $500, 00O, 900 of State and municipal in
debtedness encourage the people to intrust the
National finances to the keeping OF Southern
fuanciersf Is it equitable, to say nothing of
its being safe, that the expenses of the Gen
eral Government should be subject to the die
tatiOn Of the section which contributes next to
nothing toward the general revenues Did the
recent attempt of the South in the extra session
TO bully the Executive and compel the Federal
Government to abdicate its supremacy
convince anyone that the spirit OF notification
and secession was dead 7 Does the present
attitude of the South toward the freedmen
show that the temper which made slavery