The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-08-07

we pibiiSu III dnOtheT coiuhin uocuintnt
bearing evidence of great antiquity, and per-
vaded by spirit that seems half that of a
highwayman and half that of child It is
the annual hortatory address OF the Democra-
cy 10 the people of Maine. 1t is antique, be
cause il discards in an Off hand medieval way
all those considerations of morality and jus
tice which men would fain believe are now-a-
days Of some consequence even in politics.
| The people Of Maine not being Algerine pi-
rates, it can have no possible effect in con-
vincing the judgment or influencing the vote
OF single intelligent citizen. We examine
it partly as literary curiosity, and partly for
the purpose of calling attention to the utter
poverty of ideas and principles with which
the party ycleped the "time-honored' goes in
to the State canvass in the year OF grace 1867.
The two well defined and several points in
this circular, addressed to the imaginary buc-
cancers OF Maine, are that the Democratic re-
bellion has rendered it necessary to pay more
tribute to the government than is quite pleas
ant, and that the manufacture of currant
wine for the purpose of unlawful sale is for
bidden under severe pains and penalties.
To remedy the first of these evils it is pro-
posed to reduce the current expenses Of the
government to one fourth of what they now
are, Eat the very first blow, the moment the
Democratic party comes into power" Now
inasmuch as far more than one-fourth ofthese
expenses results from obligations already in
CURED, obligations of which the government
can discharge itself only by payment or down
right Reputation, the line of financial policy
to be adopted upon the Democratic accession
to power resembles in its moral bearings that
recommended by Falstaff to Prince Henry ;
sPrithee, sweet Hal, when thou art King,
rob me thy. fathers exchequer.' We do not
claim that the measures proposed in the two.
eases are identical, but that the genuine Fal-
staflian spirit pervades both.
How will they carry out this scheme of
retrenchment? Will they begin with the
civil service? If SO, a great revolution must
first be effected in the minds OF their leaders,
who, in Congress, voted almost to man to
increase the salary of members to five thou
sand dollars If Democratic offce-holder
can be found anywhere between the two
oceans who will labor for the reduction of his
salary he is a rarer curiosity than any two
headed calf in Christendom. The expendi-
ture incident to intercourse with foreign na--
tionS is perchance the item of Radical ex-
travagance in time of peace" which is par
ticularly heinous; but they will save only
the paltry sum of one hundred and seventy
five thousand dollars, if they reduce it TO the
standard OF 1860, in the golden age of James
Buchanan. They must remove Secretary
Seward, too, for he has decided weakness for
generous-sized foreign legations, ior treaty
making and for special embassies to congratu-
late the Emperor of Russia when he has es-
capped the perils of an unusually violent sneeze.
We reject both these hypothesis as improb-
able. Having opposed the war with what
little power they could command, it is but
reasonable to suppose that their hostility to
unavoidable taxation will be directed especial
ly against that expenditure which results
Immediately from the war, viz: the interest of
the public debt, and the pensions and boun-
ties paid to soldiers. Unless they strike at
these it is clearly impossible to red-ce the
current expenses of the general government
to hundred millions per annum as they
promise. This would unquestionably be afro
cious, but still it is entirely i'll harmony with
their avowed principles. a'a'4' s'' 7'3a q
But through what instrumeh tality are these
reforms p to be effected? We are informed
in this touching sentence:
If you want your yoke made easy and your
burden made hght-uote for PiIsb1ry!
At the coming gubernatorial election just drop
into the ballotbox a bit OF paper inscribed
with the magic name of E. F. Pilsbury, and
there you are! No more taxes, and currant
wine and hard cider flowing in perfect rivers
in all parts ofthis favored State. Yet to the un-
initiated, a diffculty--absurd no doubt-wlil
still occur. How is Governor Pillsbury, since
it is proposed to make him only Governor this
time, to accomplish the national work? He
must assume the functions of the legislative
department of the general government before
he can tighten the burdens Of taxation an at
ON, and it must be confessed that for coun-
try attorney this will be an undertaking of
some magnitude. ~. --