Year: 1875

inanly ueclArhIlOn on Ine CURRENCY. II lH'
trumpet give forth an uncertain sound, sale
the Hebrew prophet, ''who will prepare him
self for the battle?" The Syracuse trumpe
has given forth no uncertain sound on intia
tion, and we congratulate the country on the
certainty that there will be from this time
forward vigorous opposition to the demo
cratic inhationists inside the democratic
party. The platform is tessellated piece OF
composition, consisting of planks from the
Cincinnati-Baltimore platform OF 1917
planks from the New York democratic plat
form of 1874, dovetailed with some original
timber to strengthen the structure This
composite makeup is no advantage
in point of artistic merit valu-
able statue could, no doubt, be made
by surmounting a torso from one museum OF
antique relics with q head taken from
another, and supplying such limbs as could
not be found but would it not be better to
melt down the old bronze and cast it anew
or to use new metal of equal quality9 But
we are too thankful for the substance of these
excellent declarations to be captious over
their borrowed form.


There is one point upon which we think it
right, in justice to the trainers of the plat
form, TO explain their probable motive. The
main declarations on the subject of the cur
rency, though acceptable and satisfactory
have not the same clear metallic ring as the
corresponding declarations made at Syracuse
last year We insert the discarded declara-
tons in order that readers may compare them
with their substitutes in the present plat
form


l. Gold and silver the only legal tender no currency
inconvertble with


Q Steady steps toward specie payments; step
backward


This was admirably terse and pointed it
had genuine hard-money jingle. The
change is like substituting ten nickel half
dimes for a WELCOMED silver half dollar;
the value is indeed, the same, but the in
creased bulk is an encumbrance. 1t would
not be just, however, to suppose that these
crisp, ringing sentences were rejected on ac-
count of their pithy emphasis The Conven-
ton wished to make it appear that the hard
money democrats are the orthodox branch
of the party, and therefore copied from the





vention Until another national convention
assemblies the Baltimore platform is entitled
to be considered as the regular party creed.
1t was q point well worth making to show
that Pendleton and Allen are heresiarchs,
who have departed from the party faith as
formulated by the only body having authority
to speak for the whole party. 1t would have
been absurd to have put into the platform
two sets of declarations covering the same
subject, and the national platform was en-
titled to the preference, because the New
York platform of last year was only the
declaration of a single State, of no more
authority than the democratic platform of
Ohio or Pennsylvania. The new matter
added to the question from the Baltimore
platform, by way of comment, has q perti-
nent strength and emphasis which preclude
| the suspicion that the substitute was in
tended to emasculate last years declarations.
If Governor Tilden has assumed a dicta-
torial control of this Convention it cannot
very well be disputed that he has made
good use of it. He has unequivocally
pledged himself and the democracy of the
great Empire State to a steady and Jealous
opposition to the infatuation of the demo-
cratic infationists, who were in a fair way to
capture the party, if Governor Tilden
had not stood in the breach He
has boldly passed the Rubicon he
must now fight his victorious way to Rome
or perish in the attempt He has made him
self the leader Of the democratic hard-money
host and has staked all his political hopes on
securing an anti-infation majority in the
next national convention. He has not
only crossed the Rubicon but burned the
! bridge behind him. ''Sink or swim, survive
or perish" there is no longer any course
open to him but to fight it out on this line.
| He will have many a tough battle, but he
has more than an equal chance Of winning if
! he bears his banner ''full high advanced"
New York will be the grand rallying point for
the anti-infation democracy of all the States.
It is fortunate for them, fortunate indeed for
the country, that they have at last standard
bearer who scorns to truckle like Governor
Hendricks OF to utter timid protests like Sen
| ator Thurman. If hard money wins Governor
Tilden will win, for he alone of the dem
ocratic Presidential candidates has had the
sagacity and the political courage to take the
imitation bull by the horns It may gore
and toss him-nobody can yet tell-but he
has gone too far to retire out of the arena.
He has many great advantages in his struggle
with the imitation demagogues. The enlight-
ened democrats, even in Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania, will wish him success and give him
their moral support. large and intelligent
section Of the republicans in all parts of the
United States will lend him their sympathy.
He has the great advantage Of being on the
side which is sure to gain by discussion He
commends himself not merely TO the intellect
of the country but to its moral sense as being
the champion of honesty and the faith Of