Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-08-05
IS "A CHANGE" WANTED?


Change for the sake of change is de-
sired only by weak and silly creatures.
The majority of the people are neither
weak nor silly, though they may be mis-
taken in their anticipations. If they de-
sire change o1 parties in power we
may be sure that they have in mind def
mite benefits which they think may thus
be secured. But what are those benefits
Are they financial or Industrial? Or do
they concern the purity of civil admin
istration; the treatment of the Southern
States, the treatment of the cOlored race,
the freedom of elections, "the subordi-
nation of the military to the civil pow
SER" or the foreign policy of the coun-
try? 1t is well, at the very threshold of
d campaign, to examine what anticipa-
tions of benefit the result from a change
are indulged, and whether they are rea-
sonable.
Change of parties certainly would
mean a change of financial policy. There
are some persons who want change as
to money. some as to modes of taxation,
and some as to the public debt. What
benefits are promised or anticipated? ?
AS to money, the platform of the Demo
cratic party promises no change what
ever, but the past acts of the party prom
ise fatal one. AS to taxation, the plat
form of the party promises a change
which would be most injurious but the
past acts of the party promise do-noth-
lug policy, with continued agitation and
threatening, but no change whatever.
If the country wants a change of pol
icy as to money. none is publicly promis-
ed by the Democratic party. All that it
dares to propOse-"hOnest money, con-
"sisting of gold and silver and paper
the country now has, through Repubii-
can measures and efforts which Demo
Gratis have stubbornly resisted and loud
ly denounced. On the face of things ii
is plain that the Democratic party
knows that the country does not want
any change in that respect, and therefore
does not dare to propose any, but pro-
fesses to abandon the hostility to Re-
publican measures ard policies which
has marked its course hitherto. If there
is to be any change, it is to be obtained
by stealth, trickery and fraud; by get
ting power through false pretences, and
then using it contrary to pledges, and
contrary to the confessed desire of the
country to maintain the "honest money,
convertible into coin on demand"
which the Republican party has securad
for the public good.
Yet it is certain that large majority
of active Democrats desire that very
change, and hope to bring it about by
the success of their party. For proof
we have the votes of nine-tenths of the
Democratic members of Congress, at
each session for several years; the open
alliance of the party with Greenback
men who have the manhood and homes |
ty to declare that they mean to effect
great changes, and are utterly hostile to
the hard-money policy; the nomination,
for most important offices to be filed |
next Fall, of some of the widest and |
most extreme soft-mOney men in the
country, such as Landers, Democratic
candidate for Governor of Indiana and |
the repeated declarations of the Demo
cratic party in large majority OF the
States. If a change in this direction is
not desired by the Democratic party,
then it is dishonest in its alliances and
nominations if it is desired, that party |
is trying to effect it by dishonest means
and false pretences.
Those who want reversal of the Re-
publican policy, repeal of resumption,
an overthrow of the National Banks,
and an unlimited or greatly increased
issue of paper not convertible into coin
ION demand" or only into deprecated
silver. are nearly all in the Democratic
party. They cast three-fOurths of its
votes. They are working for the success
of the party, knowing that, when it has
succeeded, they can control it rs they
will, and can thus bring about the radi-
cal soft-money changes desired. The
no-change or hard-money platform is
cheat. The party knew that it could
not get power by the votes of New York.
Connecticut or New Jersey if its real
purposes were known, and hence tried
to hide them.
The people are not in favor Of this
change, as the Democrats know. For
the country has tried the Republican
policy and now enjoys its grald results.
Business thrives in every part Of the
country. More men are enployed, at
comfortable wages, than ever before un-
der any administration more employers
get fair return for their capital; more
investors than ever before get satisfac-
tory interest; more merchants than ever
before can look back to good profits, and
forward to large and heavy trade.