Year: 1876

Dear Sir:


TO an outsider anxious that harmon,


shall prevail in the views of the Dem


ocrats of different sections, it appears


that entire success will not probably


attend the present efforts being made


at Washington to bring about so desir-


able condition of feeling. 1 say zap


pears" because l can only speak Of


things as they look to ''layman" a,


this distance. Althosgh l sympathize


entirely with all efforts to produce unity


Of sentiment and action upon the 6nan-


cial question. it does seem to me that


if little more determination of pur-


pose to 60 for hard money were made
apparent by those who favor that view
Of the question, supported by those who
are not so deeply concerned for the
success of that principle as for change
of Administration, it would do more to
secure concert of action than anything
that has yet been tried.


take it for granted that all the
Southern States, except South Carolina
and, possibly. Florida, will vote for the
nominee of the Democratic party, with
out much regard for his views upon the
financial question; simply because to
them (the Southern States) a change of
administration, with all that it implies, is
Of more consequence than the question of
"gold and silver, or greenbacks"-
important as they recognize the latter
to be. This will give US 1877 electoral
votes to start with and. as 1876 is a
majority, there will be only SIS more
necessary, in order to succeed. To
most Northern people it would no doubt
have the appearance of political heresy
to state that any question is of more
importance than the one of finance. Be
that as it may, it is none the less true,
as regards US of the South. If the
North knew the situation in the South,
especially, if they felt it as we have,
for years, they would, perhaps, look at
the matter as we do.


Promising that any candidate who
will be nominated will get the 127
Southern votes, as above specified,
would not the votes of New York, New
Jersey and Connecticut. making fifty,
and those of California and Oregon,
making 9 more. be safe for the Dem
ocrats with hard money man? This
would give US 1856 votes, and that
would be majority a0ithout another
State. It is apparently very doubtful.
even with soft money platform. about
carrying any of the Western States
and such a platform would probably
lose US all the above Northern and Pa
cific States. The chances to carry
those above mentioned for the Democ-
racy with hard money platform are
evidently much better than to carry thu
Western States. or any Of them, with
soft money platform. An intermediate
platform would probably carry neither.
Besides, if the Western States saw a
determination to carry out the above
policy, enough of them would probably
acquiesce to make the triumph assured
for larger majority; if, indeed, any
Of the Western States can be carried by
the Democracy, at all; which is more
than doubtful.


The South, I think, does not favor
contraction but hard money platform
can be made without contraction, and
without resuming as early as 1879; if
be, as is generally held, i'm
possible without contraction. I think
the entire South, with the exception of
the two States previously named, would
60 for the nominee of the Democratic
party upon hard money platform. if
there were no contraction feature 10 it
That is the way it looks to me.


The desire for change of Adminis-
tratiom IS more strenuous Nth as than
any and ecery thing besides


All this | say without intending to
give an opinion on the mooted question
Of "gold or greenbacks;" but to show
The only way, as it seems to US here in
the South. to secure a change of Ad-
miuistration-a thing the South needs,
and at present wants, more than any
change in finance and currency, impor-
tant as that may be.


Very Truly Yours, *x*


OPPOSITION TO Gov. TILDEN.-It is
being developed that Gov. Tilden's


80 ~