New-York tribune., 1885-07-19
dv ESSEVTJ4L nIFFERFN CE.

If is said by some: STHE TRIBUNE earnestly
desires the maintenance OF the puDlc iaith
and of payment in gold, and the Admnistra-
rion desires the same thing; why then does
sTHE TRIBUNE disapprove the course OF the
Administration 2" The question merits an
answer. 1t is true that The TRIBUNE Is In
favor of maintaining payments in gold wherever
the Government is under obligation to pay In
gold; that the public faith requires. 1t
is in favor of maintaining gold as the
standard in commercial dealings; that the
public prosperity requires. 1t is also
true that the Administration has declared its
wish to maintain gold payments. We do not
doubt that it has this desire. The TRIBUNE
has frankly given credit 10 the President, to the
Secretary of the Treasury, and To the Treas
urer. for acts and words to that end, and pro-
poses to do so in the future, in every case
when they or either of them deserve such credit,
Where then il the diiferenceY .'nst h'"o. INN
IisIBuNE Is IN favor of gold payments without
condition or reservation, whether by one party
or the other,and of the surcst and most effective
means to that end. The Administration ap-
pears in favor of gold payments. but also and
still more in favor of the Democratic party. 1t
seems to desire payments in gold, procided that
end can be reached by means consistent with
the success of the Democratic party, and con-
sistent with the continued influence of the Ad
ministration within that party.
Hence there comes difference, not of detail,
but of essential purpose. The Democratic
party is not in favor of gold payments. When
the President received the letter signed by
about 100 Democratic members of Congress, he
learned that fact. The President, If he would
keep favor with his party and at the same time
maintain public. faith must do it in some secret
back-stairs way. Perhaps he does not realize
this E; it is true, nevertheless. He wanted to
avoid committing himself against his party
early. Hence the Administration asked the
bankers TO Aelpit out. But the course pro-
posed to them involved "a virtual surrender OF
the vital purposes it involved payments NOM
inaly in gold but virtually in silver, or silver
certificates, or fractional silver coin, or in il
legal red letter certificates" The TRIBUNE
saw this and censurcd it. 1t showed that the
broad, straight and open path to gold pay
ments was the one which the Administration
had not taken, and as yet refused tOtake. Then,
it appears, some people at Washington were
angry.
The TRIBUNE does not care by what means or
dRcUCy tuc puUlIC ltitu ls thc
public welfare secured. 1t would not especially
care if the Administration could get the thing
done by the New-York bankers, they taking all
the load and the risk, evading for itself all re-
sponsiblity or conflict with the silver fanatics,
and yet claiming credit IN the end for main
tanning gold payments. But when the Admin
istratiop proposes sham gold payment and a
real payment partly ir silver or in illegal GER
tiiicates, The TRIBUNE objects 1t objected
often when Republican Secretaries of the Treas
ury took steps which seemed not the wisest in
aim OF the best in method. 1t will object
neither more nor less when Democratic Secrc-
taiy does the same thing But in this case a
Democratic Secretary appears to have essen
TALLY erred, both in abandoning the essence
while keeping up sham pretence of gold pay
ments, and in proposing the issue of kind of
paper money not warranted by law.