Year: 1875

ANOAS - ONo9 ~
gle.


Oserburthened % certain Demo


cratic leaders were BY their responsi.


bility for the imitation folly in Ohio,


their load is to be still further in.


creased. The leading journals east


and west, hot and angry with con-


tempt and scorn for the miserable


apostacy Of the Democracy at Erie,


now point to Mr.. Thurman and Judge


Ranney and their compeers in Ohio


and say, these were the men who


should have stopped this thing in the


beginning when it was but . timid


experiment and could have been
easily throttled had the real leaders
of the Democracy had the courage
to put their foot upon it and bolt.
1t was of the highest possible impor-
tance to the Democratic party, that
on the 17th Of June or Immediately
thereafter, the foremost Democrats
in Ohio should have taught the riff
raft that got control Of the Columbus
Convention, that if it we're going any
further in that direction il would
have to 60 without leaders. But the
spectacle of = man like Senator
Thurman, the echoes Of whose ap-
peals for sound money had hardly
died away in Congress, swallowing
the convictions of q life time and
weakly trying TO patch up a compro-
mise between his conscience and in
hation, so that he could Support the
ticket" has been demoralizing.
Judge Ranney's wholly uncalled for
qualification Of himself had aggra-
vated the effects Of Mr.. Thurman's
example, until it had come to be un-
derstood in Pennsylvania that, what
ever the rag tag majority might do,
the leading men Of its party would
make no resistance, but would calmly
swallow their convictions as Mr..
Thurman and Judge Ranney had
done, and vote for the ticket. But
for the confidence which the weak.
ness of the Ohio chieftains had in.
spired, the Pennsylvania inhationists
would never have dared t. copy the
Ohio platform, and the Democratic
party would have been spared the
humiliation of being recognized from
this time forward until it is buried
under the defeat of 1876, as the par
ty Of inevitable reputation.


As it is, the issue becomes from
this time clear and distinct. There
is nothing but an overwhelming de-
feat of Allen and Pershing in Ohio
and Pennsylvania this. fall that can
prevent the National Democratic
Convention next year from adopting
a platform Of imitation so broad and
unreseryed that it will carry repudia-
ton in its train. 1t is even doubtful
whether anything can now prevent
it.


We need not point out the extent
of the misfortune that will have come
upon the American people when .
simple question Of national honesty,
about which there should be no de-
bate or shadow Of doubt, is brought
for decision to vote of the people.
How sadly the American Republic
will have fallen from the high and
honorable dignity it had attained by
discharging the army and beginning
the payment Of the debt before the
grass was green on the trenches that
entombed its patriot dead, when the
oldest Of its political parties, with .
hard money history from the very
year of its birth, shall have thrown
away its honor and come down to
make Presidential canvass upon
the simple issue of national honesty
or dishonor.


But if the issue is inevitable, as it
now seems to be, let it come. 1t
ought not to be longer evaded. If
there is a doubt as to whether the
people of this country are honest or
dishonest, that doubt should be set
tied without an hours unnecessary
delay. And it will be settled. The
Republican party will accept the
issue as it did that Of treason ard
rebellion, frankly and fully. In 1861,
when the slave power sought to de-
stroy the nation, and in 1868 when
the Democracy made bold attack
upon the honor and credit of the
government, the Republican party
planted itself in the breach and the
people stood by it. The Pendleton
greenback heresy was overthrown as
the Confederate armies had been,
and the repudiation inAationists will
meet similar fate. Our country.
which had secured the payment Of
eight hundred millions Of the national
debt, which has funded over six
hundred millions Of the six per cents.
in five per cent. bonds payable in
coin, and which by repeated acts of
Congress has pledged the faith of
the Nation that the legal tender
debt shall be paid in honest money,
according to the original contract,
will not turn its back upon honesty
and good faith because few dema-
gogues in the Democratic party
choose to barter their party's honor
for political success and their leaders
have not courage enough to stop
them. Pennsylvania aud Ohio have
staked out the lines of next years
campaign. The Republicans cannot
evade the issue if they would. and
would not If they could Cleveland