Year: 1875

Setting aside page or two of inconse


quential gush about late Democratic


victories" and the ''rebuke of Radica


misrule," it sets out with a declaration


of his own views as to finance, and re


buke to the platform carpenters and the


speakers who have preceded him on the


Democratic side for meddling with the


currency question, which, he says, rests


with Congress" The State officers "have


no jurisdiction over it" ut is Nation,


al, and not mere State concern. 1t is


a proper subject for National platform


'and the drafting of National party
platform upon it, to be submitted to the
people, is the office of National Con-


vention representing the party in all the


States" We read on, confidently ex-
pecting that our Senator after such a be-


ginning is about to confine himself to
State issues and show us why Allen


should be elected instead of Hayes-why


a Democratic State government should
! be continued in power after two years


of imbecilities, frauds, briberies, corrup-


tions and shortcomings, instead of re-


storing the State to that Radical mis-
rule" which extorted the certificate of
Allen himself that its bitterest enemies
| had been unable to find one example of
fraud, bribery, corruption or mal-admin-
istration, after nearly twenty years of
uninterrupted Republican possession.
We read on and on, to the very last page,
and the speech has not in the most dis
tant manner even limited at any subject
proper for a State platform" or any
subject over which a State Administra-
ton of Ohio has any more control than
it has over the changes of the moon.
Not till the last page Is there the most
distant reference to any subject of State
legislation or administration. On the
very last page of the speech there is a
pious and truly good rebuke of the Rad
| icaF platform for bringing religion into
politics by the resolution on the School
Question. As the Democratic State plat
form has brought religion into politics"
by adopting a resolution of the same
tenor and import, the rebuke applies to
that platform as we'll as ours and we are
somewhat at a loss to discover from SEN
ator Thurman's speech why we should
vote the Democratic and repudiate the
Republican ticket and platform. The
only points of either platform touched
by him are the School and Currency
planks; the speech says State legislation
has nothing to do with the currency; but
it is more Republican than Democratic
as to the Currency plank; it repudiates
both platforms as to the "religion-in-pol-
itics" plank. And yet the Senator, with
amazing inconsistency, ask US to vote
the Democratic rag baby Know Nothing
ticket


The speech is not only unfortunate and
inconsequential as a whole, from its ex-
elusive devotion to purely National is
sues which have been drearily chewed
over already in Congress until people are
tired and disgusted with them, but it is
equally dreary and inconsequential in its
parts. In his discussion of the Currency
Question, although it is mot a mere
State concern" we had right to expect
a bold and statesmanlike treatment from
Senator Thurman. We find instead an
attempt to twist the Democratic plat
form to meaning which the Senator as
an intelligent man must know it has no
adaptation for. 1t is little less than lu-
dicrous to find him attempting to excuse
the platform, as not expressing" itself
in favor of imitation, though he is forced
to admit that "the platform has been
construed to mean" that, "by some of its
friends" He doubts also, whether it is
distinctly against coin and Sin favor of
an irredeemable greenback currency,
now and forever, coupled with great and
permanent initiation" though admitting
that some of its warmest advocates AL
len and Ewing, for example so regard
it" In proof of the proposition that the
platform is not in favor of imitation, he
quotes the demand from it, that the
volume of currency be made and kept
equal to the wants of trade" and he has
the incredible efrontery to argue from
this that the platform does not ask an
increase in the volume, but simply leaves
each reader to interpret it in his own
way: If he wants an increase, it means
an increase; if he thinks it already suffi-
cient for the wants of trade, it means
that; if he feels sure that the volume is
already too much inflated, it means that
the volume should be reducedl 1t ought
to be enough to damn the platform that
it is capable of so many deceitful and
treacherous meanings-but Senator
Thurman does not object to it on this
ground-he brings this forward as a rea-
son for excusing it. If it is cheat and
a sham, intended to mean whatever the
reader wants it to mean, Senator Thur |
man thinks and argues that it is very
cruel for people to criticise it as honestly
meaning what its words would seem to |
imply It is a sad commentary upon po- |
litical morality that United States SEN
ator should gravely and laboriously at |
tempt to show that the platform of his |
party is swindle and a cheat, and is |
therefore defensible, instead of being |
plainly and honestly absurd and prepos-
ferrous, and therefore indefensible. But, |
unfortunately for his assumption, the |
platform leaves US no room for doubt. |
However anxious its trainers may have |
been to so frame it as to cheat and swim
die men of contradictory views into sup
port of it, they have done their work so
bunglingly that it remains plainly and |
simply absurd and preposterous, in its
undeniable advocacy of imitation. The |
words are and the demand is "that the |
volume of currency BE MADE and kept
equal to the wants of trade 1t gives US
alarming apprehensions that Senator
Thurman's brain is softening, to find
him willing to risk his reputation as<a
lawyer and judge, or even as a man OF
ordinary "horse sense" by arguing that
his State platform would demand so per.
emptorilY that thing should be done
which is already done-"that the volume
of currency should be made and kept
equal to the wants of trade" or perhaps
in excess thereof. Most noble Senator,
much pondering of the imitation idioey
hath made thee mad,


There is rich and rare sarcasm in the
remark of Senator Thurman, that while
he holds that the platform does not real
ly mean imitation and an irredeemable
currency ''now and forever" he is forced
to admit that 'it is but justice to say that
the platform has been construed to mean
more than is expressed in it, and more
than was meant by those who framed
it, And he testifes that some of its
warmest advocates regard it as a declara-
ton against gold and silver, and for an
irredeemable greenback currency now
and forever, coupled with great and per-
manent imitation" As we read these
words there rises before us the grotesque
image of an Old Man, whose palsied
hands are clutching vainly for Presi-