Year: 1868




[Frem the Cincinnati Daily Gazette-radical Chase


OrEan-March %.


That many leading men In the democratic party
are serious In their talk about nominating Chief
Justice Chase for the Presidency on the democratic
ticket is not to be questioned; but that this
has been done without consulting the views Of the
Chief Justice we are able to state Is equally true
To use Mr. Chase as the candidate Of that party
would require a radical change in his principles or
In the principles OF the men who now represent the
democratic party of this country. There Is, OF
course, no ground for supposing that Mr.; Chase
the sake OF the democratic nomination, or
epen .J0r the sake or an election. Neither Is 1t
win slide upon a republican platform in order to
secure his acceptance OF q nomination. The talk,
therefore, only shows the desperate condition OF the
party. Had they any well grounded hope of success
under any other leadership Mr.. Chase would be
the last man in the country they would look TO.
In the approaching Presidential campaign there
will be two overshadowing issues-yiz reconstruc-
ton and the finances. In regard TO the first, may
say that the strongest desire OF Mr.. Chase's life
is to see the Southern States brought back on
the general policy of the present Reconstruc-
ton laws, one OF which laws he framed.
The only difference between Mr.. Chase and the
republican members OF Congress on this question
OF reconstruction 1cds 1ciM reference 10 the military
FEATURES or The laos. Upon this point he has not
changed his mind but In all other respects he Is in
strict accord with the republican party He Is now,
as he always has been, a strong ddrocde or
Impartial suffrage, and II we could suppose
Il possible to secure for him a nomination in
the Democratic Convention, 1t would be neces-
sary for that party to adopt the Reconstruction laws





lures, and including negro suffrage. Those who
believe that the democratic party are likely to
make this forward movement and plant them
selves squarely upon republican principles may
talk with some show of consistency about the
Chief Justice "a the candidate OF that party.
One thing is certain, and for this statement have
the highest authority, that ir the democrats run M.
chase they must come % him, and stand upon his
PLATFORM. He VIII not go 10 them. In regard TO the
financial question Mr. Chase agrees in the main with
the Eastern portion or the democracy; that
the debt honestly, as Vcs Intended srhen IL
srds created and OF observing In good faith every
pledge made by the government 10 It's creditors. lie
Is in favor OF dpp,ecdting the cdiue or geeno0cts,
AMI not OF depreci9tjnQ them on Jyrt1e7' issue;
and when greenbacks shall under his policy become
equal to gold then there will be no question about
the kind OF money IN which the debt should be paid.
The policy OF the Western democracy, however,
Ia radically different from this; and If Mr.. Chase
should be nominated as the democratic candidate the
Western theory OF imitation and Reputation would
ferred II may further he stated that Mr.. Chase has
given no encouragement whatever to the leaders
who have been using his name In this connection.
II, however, the democratic party should nominate
him on his own platform. the points OF which we
have indicated, lie WOULD PROBABLY ACCEPT,
though he has never said as much The public
who may know the character OF the uemo-
cratic leaders and the principles they are con-
tending for can judge from what has been
said as to the prospects OF Mr. Chase becoming a
democratic candidate for the Presidency. III he
should by any possibility be placed In that position
the only issue In the approaching campaign would
be simply that Of men: virtually the platforms oil the
republican and democratic parties would be the
same.