The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-08-31
Ro.sernn. ON Finnnce and suffrage.

The full text Of Rosecrans' letter declining
the Democratic nomination for Governor Of
Ohio shows that he is much less in sympathy
with the party that nominated him than has
been generally supposed. Certainly the nom
ination of Pendleton must place those who ia
vored Rosecrans in a very awkward position,
for the two men are as wide apart as the poles.
Rosecrans in his letter mentions seven princi-
pies that he thinks ought to be adopted by the
Democracy in order toput the party in sympa-
thy with the spirit of the age Two of these
attack Pendletonism and Conservatism in vi
tai points. They are as follows:
Second-An irredeemable paper currency, or
one perpetually huctuating in value, is gi-
gantic fraud on the people, concentration of
the evils of false weights, false measures and
most injurious to all classes, but especially
to those who live by labor.
The Democracy should assert with renewed
vigor and determination its told declaration in
favor of specie basis, and paper currency,
convertible at par into coin, at the will OF the
holder, and should take prompt and efficacious
measures to raise our bonds to where the se-
curity they offer, and the interest they bear,
ought to place them SO as to draw greenbacks
after them to par with the least possible delay.
This will relieve all classes, and especially the
laboring, and augmenting the value of our
circulation twenty five per cent. give a healthy
and vigorous impulse to every department of
business and industry.
Seventh-The Democratic doctrine of suf-
rage requires adistinct reaffirmation. Democ-
racy has always held that suffrage is not a
natural right of every human being, nor of a
particular sex or race, but political privilege,
and who could exercise it question to be de-
cided by what will produce the greatest good
to the greatest number; and, therefore, as far
as possible, to be determined locally, where
lies the great body of the rights of the people.
But in these local discussions the Democratic
idea favors a broad, rather than narrow ba-
sis of suffrage 1t is not unmindful or regard
less of the rights of women, of minors, of prop
erty, and interior races; but, seeing other ef-
| fectiye and advantageous ways in which these
can have their influence in all legislation eff
fecting their interest at present it prefers Civ
| ing the right of voting to manhood and qualfi-
| cations which will tend to create bonds of po-
| litical brotherhood between the rich and poor,
based on mutual interests, and to avert con-
| f1icts between capital and labor. The caucus
| system, invented by the Democrats, is prac-
| tical way of finding out who is proper person
| to be voted for, where constituency is too
| large to know each other personally, and in
i tions, now adopted by all parties, should be
| Improved by the Democracy, and carefully
| regulated by wise provisions of law.
These views believe to be explicitly or in
| explicitly held by three-fourths of our voting
population, and only require distinct Demo-
cratic enunciation to elicit a substantial re-
sponse from the people, who well know that
neither public policy based on passions
nor Radicalism, per sc, can long rule
without running the country, and would be
| glad to combine for the public good, on grounds
| that would restore our State and National ad-
ministrations to the spirit and practices of
democratic, republican simplicity. Should
there be Democrats whose mental organiza-
| ton or temper does not permit them to recog-
nize existing facts or conform their action to
great popular changes, let them, for the public
good, abdicate the leadership, and leave the
life and pIogress