The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-12-12

enced In listening to such gifted orator and
writer as George w. Curtis, and when he raises
his voice, with courage worthy of Bayard of
old, to expose the vices of his own party. he
excites our undisguised admiration. His sub-
iect was political Morality" and he adyerted
particularly to "Repudiation" and illegal Vo-
ting" Under the first head be wished to know
if there was one mode of conduct for nation
and another for an NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the
nation could commit crime and go unpunish-
ed, while the individual would be punished
He said the man in public life in this country.
who attempted to talk reputation, was like
old Fagin, the prince of pickpockets, irving to
teach nation to steal. He referred to the
times OF Sir R"bt. Walpole in England. when
it was said 100000 dollars wass paid to ParlR,-
ment for the passage of a single bill. Hk
thought that this was all very well for the ring
of Charles I, but could not equal the ring Of!
New York. He thought that now Disraeli was
retired Ireland would receive Justice. This
action will bring about purer political moral
ity, for there is no foundation so lasting for
nation as close adherence to moral la ", and,
in order to strengthen the people in this condi-
tion, none but moral men should be placed at
the head of the government. Murder might
destroy great statesmen, corruption makes
great States impossible.
INSCRIPTIONS, clever men In politics are the
most dangerous 1t is only real men of char
acter who can be trusted, and do not need
watching, The result of the Presidential cleo
ton had been to call to the chair man OF
character. Grant does not talk, but his char
acter speaks louder than words. No man
would send his ship to sea under pirate like
Capt Kidd, then why should he vote to send
Kidd to G ,ngress
There is one right that every American citi-
zen can enjoy, and that is to scratch the ticket
II man on it is not approved of by him.
Therefore it is has duty to scratch that mans
name If he thinks he is not fit for the place.
scratch the ticket then. II scratching the
party breaks down the party, let it break, SOON
e. than send man who has no virtue or prin-
C Pile into power, and who would only use his
Office to the injury Of his country Party
m lnagers feel kick at the polls, and that is
all they do feel The best thing man can do
is to keep with his party, but remember to
hoist the flag of truth aud morality at the
masthead, and not like Wendell Phillips AFRO
gate that he would not 60 with party, because
he should have to keep trimmed in certain
course to keep the party lines straight, while
now when the party wanted to see what was
right they had only to look to him,
The speaker then referred to the fraudulent
naturalization at the last New York election.
Said that the facts of the frauds were well
known, and yet Mayor Hoffman came out with
proclamation, and said the Democratic oarty
were charged with frauds. Fraud defeats the
popular will, and when the people become
convinced of that they would sooner intrust
their destinies to a dictator than mob.
One OF the severest trials to which popular
government had ever been subjected was the
attempt to coerce the votes of Senators during
the impeachment trial of Andrew johnson.
and although he claimed Charles Sumner as a
warm and strong personal friend, criticised
him very severely for his remarks upon Sena-
TORS Fessenden and Trumbull at that time;
and said the man who would say that "if there
was anything worse than treachery it was the
cant that pretended to conscience" could hard
ly blame the Democrat who mildly tries to buy
over the vote of Tim O'Flaherty. He admired
Charles Sumner for his fidelity to his con-
science, and yet who should say that Pitt Fes-
sender was MOI equally faithful to his own con-
science.
In conclusion, Mr.. Curtis said that the right
of suffrage should be carried out There was
danger IN extending it, but there was equal
danger in limiting it. He was in favor of ex-
tending 1t to women, and said Prussia, not
only by means of the needle-gun but by the
alphabet had repressed France, protected Italy
and become to-day the power of Europe A
seventh part of our population are freedmen
and immigrants. The great rebellion was not
SO much against New England as against the
New England primer. Let us then plant
school houses everywhere and keep them filed.
Let us Danish every vestige of sectaranism,
and bigotry, and organize the details of the
civil service by approved ability and integrity;
sternly refuse to yield to party caucus that
faith in the expeliency of honesty which no
high'souled citizen will ever surrender, and
we shall have begun the great contest with de-
moralzation of every kind, which ls the pres
ent appalling danger Of this nation. We are
still bleeding from the blows of ignorance. The
guns that proclaimed Gen. Grants entrance
ino Richmond, as we'll as the votes which pro-
claimed his entrance into the White House.
are simply the, announcement that school is
going to begin. Men who fear God and honor
each other, grid their State with the resistless
splendor of the moral law. This is the nation
we ought to be. This is the nation we can be.
This, if the people be set against demoraliza-
ton as it is against rebelion-if only the in.
teliigence of the people sits down before lgno.
ac GNpava I
this is the nation we shall be.