Year: 1878

The last quarter of the year is at hand, and
there Is still some uncertainty as to the ways
and means of resumption. That the Govern
ment is able to resume specie payments Jan
uary / is hardly doubted by any one. Whether
it will choose the wisest method, on and after
that date or whether, indeed, it may not
choose methods so unwise as TO involve
some risk that resumption will not be
maintained, there is more doubt unfOrtu-
natey, than there was before the orders in
regard to silver were issued. There is absO-
lutely no reason. however, to doubt the sincere
desire of Mr. Sherman aud the Admins
trauon to make resumption completely
and permanently successful Mr.. Sher-
mans recently published letters, accord
ing fully with the speeches of Presi-
dent Hayes, plainly show his earnest
purpose. Probably increasing business this
Fall may greatly facilitate the work, and open
a path which is not now apparent, but it
seems mistake to leave the country in
doubt so long as to the methods to be
adopted. Instead of being dragged forward
to specie payments by revivIng business, the
Government might make the revival much
more speedy and sure by active and resOlute
measures to remove all uncertainty as TO the
financial future.


One very serious doubt is visibly fading
away as the elections draw near There was
much fear after the Maine election that the
sOft-money craze would sweep the country this
Fall to such an extent that it would not be
possible to resist fatal measures in Congress
next Winter. The time intervening between


the opening of the session aud the holiday
recess, though short, is long enough for a


repeal of the Resumption Act, If Congress


should be stimulated by mistaken popu-
lar votes to so extraordinary an act


Of foOlishness and bad faith. But there


are signs of reaction already. The Re-
publican party rallies grandly, as it has
done repeatedly when it was found that real
and serious danger was at hand. For long time
Republican voters did not realize that the so
called Greenback movement embodied all that


was dangerous to the GOvernment-the dis


satisfied, the dishonest and the disloyal.
| They failed to see that treason triumph
ant would lift its hand again, if a pODu-
lar prejudice could be aroused TO violate
the Nations faith, and to plumber and punish


those who had trusted the Nation in its time
of need. The Maine election opened the eyes
of thousands. The shouts and SMILES of
! Democrats reminded " the Old Guard" of
the scenes when Secession began. All
the staunch loyalty of the Republican
party gathers at the note of alarm
which comes from Maine, to defend the pub
| lie faith. Already, Democrats in New-YOrli
and Ohio, and Greenback zealOts in Massa-


chusetts and Pennsylvania, begin to perceive


that their chances of success are diminishing.
| In mt n few ConOressiOnaI districts which


were deemed hopeless few weeks ago, the


Republicans now expect to elect members who


will resist initiation and Reputation of every
| sort.


| The politicians of the Republican and Dem


ocrahc parties have both discovered some
things which they were not disposed to be-
| lieve when THE TRIBUNE mentioned them


some months ago. The demagogues of the
| Democratic party have been educating
voters to revolt against and destroy 1t.
| The weak time-servers who have done
| their worst to tarnsh the Republican
| name by cOurting the favor of repudia-
! tors, discover that they can only get them


selves beaten III that way, but can never hope


to win race with outright repudiators for the


support of those who are too ignorant or too


dishonest to uphold the public faith. In short,
! it Is seen that the new political force
! threatens to destroy the Democratic and
| to defeat the Republican party, and will
crawl only where it cannot walk. II
| Is of some immediate benefit that the
| politicians had their eyes opened so sOOn


for their pitiful schemes for local advantage


were giving to the TepudatOrs q large
| share of their apparent success. When the