New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-04
yyW PARTY EXPERIENCE.

The new party has failed 20 cOInmanu "i0
confidence of "rhe NewYork Sun" wiser
than some Democratic journals, it counseiS
Democrats not to stake their existence or tneir
homes q, future blessedneSs in office upon tne
ability NJ tho so-caled Peoples party to destroy
ponuh,;canism. The facts and figures which
that naper submits are highly instructive u
shows that the National party wnlch was
launched at another Ohio convention IN 1870
commonly called the Greenback party SET lor'h
a nlatform which embraced every Important de-
mand of the Ohio convention OF 1871, except
ing those that are simply crazy This carrier
marty demanded free coinage Of silver aool-
tion Of National banks issues OF legal-tender
currency in sufficient volume to satisfy every
bodv. reduction OF hours of labor equitable
distribution of earnings of labor and capital
reduction of the cost of transportation ana 1ne
overthrow of all monopolies. 1t did not en-
brace the insane SubTreasury scheme, whicn
many of the Alliance men themselves are al
ready abandoning, nor the proposal to coniiS-
cate railroads and telegraph lines and operate
them by the Government.
One might therefore have inferred that the
grand new party so gloriously launched IN lo.o
would have accomplished wonders. III ala III
fact run candidates in twelve States as Inc
Sum- shows and in the very first year OF IT'S
existence poIled over 100000 votes; Sl'foo
in Pennsylvania 1913 in New-York' 1888
in Michigan. 61.167 in Missouri, 41,404 in
Maine. 39.415 in Indiana, 1882 In ONO,
27.057 IN Kansas, 2G,616 in Wisconsin, 24,6O9
in New-Jersey. s.314 in Connecticut and 6,5O7
in New HAMPSHIRE These States were more
than enough to turn the scale in presidential
contest. and almost enough to elect President
without aid, for they then had 1863 electoral
votes while only 1876 were required to elect.
The votes thus recorded in these twelve States
were more than the majority of either party
in those States at ordinary elections, so that
the new party seemed to have the balance OF
power. 1t might have been expected with great
confidence by political prophets that the new
party would therefore be able to dictate % or
destroy either of the old parties.
But as it was the aforesaid new party poled
only 3O7.740 votes in all the United States
for President two years later, as "The Sun"
shows. or about 200, 600 less than it had poled
in only part of the States. 1t only succeeded
in allowing President Garfield to carry every
Northern State except New-Jersey. "The sun"
puts much stress upon the fact that the new
organization was clearly more injurious to the
Democratic than to the Republican party since
in the close states it damaged the Democrats,
while in strong Democratic or strong Repub-
Ican States it only increased the usual ma
iority. A few facts may be prOftably added
to "The Suns" exposition.
This great National or Greenback party cast
in 1880 only 20,G6S votes in Pennsylvania,
quarter of its vote in 1873. In New-lork it
cast only 1913 votes, One-sxth Of its vote IN
1878. In Michigan it cast only 34,S95, about
half of it's vote in 1873, and in Missouri 35,135,
rather moro than half of its previous vote But
in Maine it cast only 4,40S, about a tenth OF
its previous vote; in Indiana IL 1885, about
third, and in Ohio only 6,456, or about sixth
of it's previous vote. In Kansas its strength
was better maintained than in any other State,
and it cast 1851 votes, or two-thirdS OF Its
previous vote. But in Wisconsin it cast 1886
votes less than third in New-Jersey 2,617,
or less than one-nnth in Connecticut only S6S
votes. or little over a tenth, and in New
Hampshire only 52s votes, less than twelfth
Of it1 rote two years before Thus in these
twelve Suites it cast for President in 1880 only
1871 votes, though 1t had cast in the same
States 503.6 23 in 1873. In Maine the Demo
Gratis and the Greenbaclk party ran fusion
ticket and were beaten by about 5000. In
Kansas. notwithstanding the persistency and
the magnitude of the Greenback vote, the Re-
publican plurality was over $4,000, or more
than the entire Democratic vote in the State.
The manufacture Of new parties is not one
of those industries which have been efficiently
protected during the last thirty years. On the
contrary tho Republican policy of Protection
has rendered the soil remarkably hard and stony
for seed of that kind.