Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-08-20
Change of Base.

As we iutima,el last week. the lemoc-
racv were about to make change ofbdSC,
10 acquire poGtic,I power and true
enough the promaH galeHto has gone forth
from It's leading ors in Maiue-thc old
Argus. Its program ne, "a announced IN
It's last Saturdays i>>Ie. j for the party
10 vots straight this car tor their csndi-
da,r tor Governor. Dr.. smith, n o.Sl"r to
prevent struggling, , At next wear IL unite
with conservative re- uplicIns and nrgAa-
izc conservative party such "a rley
have in Virginia Tennessee, Mississippi,
and other Southern states II iuiimate>
thai this new patty should support
senator FtSSe,ldeH Tor ve-eiectiOn-but in
the same paper Gen Grant is attacked as
radical. II iS necessary, OF course, 10
dispose Of him. 10 have ghost ot
chance for success a. national party.
and sine. he cannot De bought he must
be broken down
The mistake of the Argus and Is friends
Is, in calculating that there are such dis
cordant elements in the State Of Maine
rs exist in the unreconstructed Southern
States, or that there are any antagon-
istic views in the Republican party which
threaten its peace and perPetuity. There
is nothing bat the temperance question
10 make trouble out Of Undoubtedly
there NAV be found diversity Of opinion
upon this question, within the party
diversity rs 10 the character OF the rum
traffic diversity IS u the mode of
lesisla,ing upon it-a diversity rs to the
way Oi enforcing laws in relation 10 1t.
There may te those in favor OF extreme
question. and those differing from them,
who are properly termed conservative
but what i found, in all this, TO base
reconstruction ofparties upon, where other
party questions exist " hich are considered
of greater Importance, and which have
been inSupersble barriers bctw cen the
parties. especially within the past few
years.
We would not under-yalue the impor
lance OF the temperance question, in any
Gifts Aspects-we are thoroughly COM
milted to the reform, practically and theo-
rctiea,ly--So is the mass Of the republican
party, and leo souni republican can De 50
conservative as To 90 over TO the demOcra-
cy on this question. So long as the pres
eut stringent and effective liquor law re
mains on the statute book. and the repub-
lican party continues committed and
pledged 10 il, n il i, we contend that
there IS no occasion for any temperance
nun to desert the party. The conserya-
tiyes 10 not propose to desert-are the
radicals TO do SO unwiSe a thing As to
throw away their present power, and
leave their present vantage ground, for
the purpose of acting only with their
friends, in new PARTY organization?
We have no deuunCia ions Tor suCh-ior
we do not believe in hat mode of aygu-
ment, but We would ppeal to their bet
ter judgment and 4 &c them by eyery
consideration. not B. acaSte heic omoHs-
,iti0a in fruitleSs course. Strike. YOU
may, but do it to some purpose, within
the organization where you may effect
something, and not outside of it.
The corner stone of the new cOnseya-
tive party win be rep4diati0H-every-
thing points to it-tho' it will be conceal
ed from the northern eve as much as pos
sible. Republicans of Oxford County, lie
careful how you encourage change OF
base that would encourage such party,
for it would De a base operation, in every
sense OF the word.
Stand firm on the party ground. at least,
till the 6Otto,a ofrepublieanism fall through
if fall il must. Don't be in haste. The
work of tbs Republican party is not yet
finished.