Year: 1878

! The DEMOCRATIC DILEMMA IN CON
KECTICUT.


The Connecticut Democracy are having
hard time of it. majority of them are
either Grcenbackers in principle or so fright
cncd by the demonstration of GreenOack
strength as to be willing to make almost any
concession to that element to keep them
in the party and save their votes for
the regular candidates; but the hard-
money minority is made up of the OLD
and trusted leaders of the party, whom
IT will not do to offend by going clean
over TO the Greenback position. The result
is that the party is wrenchng itself all 10
pieces in the effort to maintain Its harmony
and hold its voters together. The Democratic
State Convention. as is well-knOwn, was cap
tured by the Greenback faction. so soon as
this fact became known on the morn
ing OF the Convention. Senator Eaton,
who was on the ground as
delegate, primed with a hard-mOney speech,
ran of with his few followers, leaving
the Convention 10 its own devices; and Senator
Barnum. who las all his eggs in this one bas-
ket III the pending election, did not dare stay
and participate in the proceedings, as he had
intended Their withdrawal 50 alarmed the
soft money men that they did not dare take
full advantage Of their own success, but
contented themselves with the nomination
of q 81 half Greenbacker" for Lieutenant
Governor. and the adoption OF a shulliing
platform which, without rec0ncling the hard
money men, failed utterly to win the out
and-out Grccnbackers, or draw off any OF
them from the support of their own ticket
already in the field. The platform weakened
tine ticket and the ticket weakened the plat
form. There is enough soft money in the
platform to cool whatever ardOr the hard
money men might have in support of Gov
crnor Hubbard, and not by any means enough
10 satisfy the demands of tho GrcenbackerS.


In their Congressional nominations they
have been no more fortunate. In the First
District they renOminated Landers, who voted
on both sides of the currency question, and
made loud bid for Grecnback support IN the
adoption of n platform wherein the currency
oucstlon was only referred to in the
very careful statement that they ia
yored "such wise financial legislation IA
"will restore prosperity to our people
This Convention was in Senator Eaton's own
district, held in bis own city, and under the
very eyes of that vlgiant champion of honest
money. The beat thing that can be said ol
tho platform is that it fits the candidate.
Bat neither platform nor candidate salts
fes honest hard-mouey Democrats. That II
fniled also 90 win the GreeDback Vete,
for which It was bid, was SHOWN
by thr action Of the Grccnback Congressional
Convention. which met on the following day
and nominated an independent candidate,
Mr. Landcrs, the Democratic nominee, re-
cciying only four out of thirty-seven votes.
The record of Mr.. Landers repels hard-money
votes without any cOmpensating gain from
the Gtecnbackers, and the dodge attempted
bv the resolutions is 80 ridiculOusly absurd
that sensible Democrats cannot help being
indignant at such an insult TO their intelli-
gence. A good Republican nomination will
carry the district In the lid District the
Democrats have avoided split with the
Greenbackers by going over to them bodily.
In this they only followed their candidate,
Mr.. Phelps, who, during his two terms of
service, has favored every measure Of initiation
and opposed every step toward resumption. The
Greenback men claim him as their own special
property and 1t was only because of their
openly proclaimed purpose to nominate him





to the wishes of their ablest leaders, gave him
a denomination. The district is Democratic
by a large majority, and the Greenback ele-
ment in the party is much stronger than IN any
other partgOf the State ; but there is prevail
ing belief that if hard-money Democrat
like ex-Governor English could be persuaded
to accept an independent nomination, Phelps
could be defeated.


In the Hid District, where the present able
and faithful Republican representative, Colo
mel John Il. Wait, is sure of reelection by
handsome majority, our Democratic friends
did, if possible, moro ridiculous thing than
in either of the others. The Greenbackers of
that district having nominated Mr.. Charles
IL. Carter and placed mm on one of
their unique soft-mOney platforms, the
Democrats met in convention the following
day and with amusing seriousness, as though
unconscious of doing anything absurd. nom
mated the same candidate. with series of
resolutions so plainly in opposition to the
other set as to pass for a hard-money plat
form. At last accounts Mr.. Carter was wrench
ing himself over his letters of acceptance and
the public was awaiting with some Curl
osity the result of bis labors. As Colonel
Wait has a sure thing in any event, it would
seem discreet in MI. Carter to save himself
trotbe by not writing ut all and allowing
silence to be construed as consent. In the
IVth District the GreenbackeTs are first in the
field with platform Of no uncertain sound
upon their peculiar doctrines, and Mr.. james S.
Taylor. Of Dlnbury, n Democratic lawyer Of
considerable prominence, as their candidate. The
Greenback element in this district is so strong