Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-29

PIaisted and Donnelly. This, of course, il
absurd, and it is therefore reasonable 10 con-
clude that the party has made its final exit
No national party can exist or Is worthy Of
existence which ia not based on principles as
we'll as policies. The Greenbsek or
ganizatisn cared nothing for fundamental
principles; it was prolific with policies.
It had its birth in the mis-
fortunes that beset the country. Eight years
ago commerce was deranged, trade paralyzed,
the public treasure squandered, the constitu.
ton violated and the cries of a suffering
people unheeded; the government was void
of shame, there was bad faith, bad theories
and bad practices. The nation was plunged
toto an abyss OF calamities. Amid these
misfortunes the Greenback party was born.
! Il was thought that more money would re-
lieve the distresses of the people, and if the
advice of the Greenbsckers had been
needed money wound have been as abundant
as the leaves of the forest. 1t was claimed
that greenbacks were the psnacea 10 cure the
evils that bsset the country. In every
ueighborhood it was proposed to
establish another cave of Adullam,
from which were 10 be Issued green
backs TO every one that was in distress,
! and every one that was in debt, and every
one that was discontinued. Such policy
might have brought temporary relief, but il
would have inflicted upon the country
currency as worthless as Confederate money,
stimulated idleEess and a wild spirit Of spec
ulation. Bat sooner or later the crash would
have been inevitable, and there would have
been no remedy, as the people would have
been in the condition of the Confederate
soldiers who surrendered in April, 1866, with
pocket full of worthless bills which would
purchase neither food nor raimeut. For
tunately for the poor country, the Green
back policy was not adopted. 1t proposed
scheme as unreal and unsubstantial as "a
painted ship upon painted ocesn." Itwss
craze visionary as the matrimonial
sociations. The people of the United States
have passed through the ordeal of adversely
without any fictitious aids and are entering
upon career Of substantial prosperity. Any
party based upon the idea that Congress
should issue money for all purposes, pri-
vate and public, 10 suit the ever fuctuating
demands Of trade, is an absurdity. From
the days OF Jefferson down to The late war,
the founders and expounders OF our form of
government have persisten,ly and consist
emily denied The power OF Congress to make
anything a legal tender for the payment of
debts bat gold and silver. During the
war between the States, after much daily
ing and evasion, the Supreme Court
OF the United States did hold otherwise.
But this decision was made by a minority
OF judges, and as a necessity of war, to
enable the government to carry on the
war. There is no war now and no neces-
sity for making greenbscks legal tender.
TIE decision a minority of the judges
made TO conform 10 the exigencies and ne
cessities OF war is not regarded as constitu-
tional law. 1t cannot be successfully in
voked as basis upon which TO rest the
power of Congress TO make money out of
something not of value in itself--some-
thing out of nothing. The collapse |
of the Greenhack party will add |
strength 10 the Democratic organization, as |
most OF those who composed that party were |
either disgruntled Democrats or Republi. |
cans who had left the Republican party on
account of its corruptions. Such Repubii-
cans will never return TO the party they
abandoned In the zenith of its power, now
that il is repudiated by the people, and the
Greenback Democrats have nowhere else to
go but 10 assume their normal position as
Democrats. The Democratic party is about
to ascend to power, power which cannot be
broken for twenty years, which is about as
long as any party can rule, as
it generally falls TO pieces at the
end of that time by the weight
of its own corruptions, The government
has been stripped of its war harness
and placed in peace gearing. Great and
leading questions are now being discussed
and acted npon by the present session of Con-
gress. We have no war debates-no stirring
up of the expiring embers of section al
hatreds. This is happy omen. The Demo
Gratis seem TO be equal to their opportunities.
They have already copnnenced the work Of
reform by Introducing and passing Pendle-
on's civil-service reform BILL which would
aever have passed but for the triumph OF tHej
~ AZ eHS5 t-7t s~F~~fAOh1s 7AeSibi u
will next be extended TO the tariff, aud {
Democrats must see to it that the labor
ng classes and the great industrial
lHerests OF the country are not taxed to fos-
ter AL protect rich monopolies and capital 4
lsts. cal, substantial reform ofthe tariff,
and not p-rtial one, affecting few articles :
only, Is what lie people demand. The coul-
Try wants no snaL reform-no protection Of
any industry at the Expense of others. The
whole internal revenue.vsiem must be swept 4
away. The protectionistsssyor this repeal Ia
in the hope of preventing ras;esl reform, in + I
The tariff by which they are el-;cbed R,b Q
Democrats will be too shrewd to l-svent ,hs
repeal Of all revenue laws if sucl -ana.I
operates to perpetuaie the present iniq.;,on. Q
tariff which protects monopolists at the -
pensa of others. 4
Onto state Bar Assoe.>,,.