Year: 1878

" II IL fGH OL ON DEN D1Ff1CCLzxES.


Secretary Gorham is reported as saying
that the Republican rout in Maine was due
to the national banks, and that if the Repuu-
icans expect to win in future elections they
must steal the Democratic thunder and de-
nounce the banks. He concludes, however,
that it wasn't much of storm anyway; that
the Greenbackers in Congress will coa!esce
With the Republicans and everything will be
lovely, and the goose will be suspended alti-
1udinous. Mr.. Gorham must be in happy
frame of mind indeed, and will be envie by
thousands of his party who cannot view the
4lection IN the Pine Tree State in such q


cheerful light.


Mr.. Gorham's remedy for the Republican
di'integ alton would have been good one
if employed several years ago. But the pre-
'cription comes too late. The Republican
party is committed to the support of the
national bank system both through its plat
forms and the utterances of its public speak
ers from the secretary of the
+reasury down. If, at this late
lay, the party should flop, it would only
hasten its overthrow, for it could not con.
vince the people that such sudden change
Of heart was born of sincerity. Then, too,
it would ALLEVIATE the support of those who
really believe that the national banks are
benefcial-a desirable part of our financial
system. No, Mr.. Gorham; proficient as the
Republican party is in the art of ground and
lofty tumhliug, it is too late for the act at
The present stage of the performance. The
leaders of the party have made the + bed and
they must lie in it: whether they like it or
not.


Tle presumption that the Greenbackers
will mite With the Republicans is the height
of absurdity. What is the Greenback move
nant if it is not protest against the fnan-
,ial policy of the Republican party? It GER
tainly is not a movement inaugurated
against Democratic ideas, for the Democrats
have not had a chance to apply their princi.
pies to the practical details of the govern
nent. Besides, the Democratic and Green.
back ideas are almost identical on the finan-
ces, and to presume that reasoning human
beings would enter into coalition with the
enemies they have SO long fought and barely
conquered is to presume altogether too
much. Such covenant would not only be
idiotic in the highest degree, but infamous
reason to the people through whose efforts
they we're enabled to attain success.


There is no doubt to our mind but the
Greenbackers will be obliged to form coali-
ton with one of the other parties in the next
Congress-. They will be numerically too
weak to accomplish any legislation single
handed. 70 carry out their ideas, therefore.
they will have to form an alliance, offensive
and defensive, with tha Democratic party.
That party will have majority in both the
House of Representatives and the Senate.
and is committed to substantially the line of
policy marked out by the National Green
back party. It is uufalteringly opposed to
continuance Of the present 'tional bank
'ystem; favors ths issue Of currency of
sufficient volume to meet the
requirements of trade, and above
all insists that tho greenhack
shall have full legal tender value shall be
received by the government at its face value
in payment of duties on custo os and for all
public and private dues. It is unalterably
opposed to unduly honoring one form of cur
rency and repudiating another. II the
Greenbackers should attempt to form an al
lance with the Republican party. holding
financial views the antipodes of their own
they woald be courting overthrow, and none
would be found to say they did not deserve
it. The interests and avowed objects of the
Democratic and National Greenback parties
are, however, common, and an alliance be-
tween them could be made to rebound
to the benefit of the country at large and to
their mutual advantage. Such an alliance
would be consistent; an alliance with the Re-
publican party would be equivalent to ssa
league with hell and covenant with death,'