The Portland daily press., 1870-12-17
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAN
~
Saturday Morning, December II, 1871.


that has fallen upon the state so lar as poll
tics is concerned has called out from the
Daily Advertiser the statement that the
friends of Gen. Chamberlain still cherish the
hope that they may be able to defeat the re-
election of Senator Morrill,. Our contempo-
rary says that their efforts have been tempo.
rarily discontinued from a feeling of sympathy
and respect for Mr.. Morrill,, who has been Sc.
riously ill, but that at the proper time they
will not be found stunning the conflict.
This piece Of news. we feel sure will be as
interesting and surprising TO most of the AI-
vertiser's readers as to our own. For our
part we are not prepared to give it full credit
because we know that many of Gov. Cham
berlain's warmest supporters, who would not
think of yielding till the field was irretrieva-
bly, lost, have expressly declared that he can
not be elected. But the Advertisers para
graph is useful as an indication of the pur-
pose of some OF Gov. ChamberlaiD's friends
We do not refer to the subject now with a
view to controversy, or for the purpose OF ar
guing the case over again. The fact that
there is to be Senatorial contest is the only
circumstance to which we wish to call atten-
ton at this time.
Meanwhile the Advertiser and its sympa-
thizers could do their candidate more service
If they had not antagonized him and his sup
posed principles with Gen. Grant. The
Revenue Reform" movement at first misled
many honest people by the speciousness and
attractiveness of its name; but long before
the quiet sarcasm of Gen. Grants message
had given it finishing blow all men of ordi-
nary sagacity perceived that the name was
only splendid curtain that was let down
over the entrance to cave Of Adullam, into
which all the disappointed office-seekers, OBJ
solete politicians, who regretted that they
were forgotten, and all reactionists and OBJ
structives rushed. They perceived that all
the reform there was going on in this coun-
try that amounted 10 anything more than
idle breath, was effected by Gen. Grant and
his subordinates,b by the very men who are the
pet aversion of those who ostentatiously pa
rade themselves as "Revenue Reformers.n
The last month has seen almost the entire
voting population of the United States con-
stA~S>A "a sAASSS AoStcs nc O1CSt VI tulo WluC"
spread conviction has been as remarkable as
1t is amusing. AL the prominent men whose
name gave weight to the movement in its
earlier stages, have FASTENED to recaut. SEN
ators Trumbull and Schurz, the Chicago Tri-
bune and the New York Post, with all the
lesser powers that are auxiliary 10 these, have
taken occasion to say very emphatically that
the reports that associated them with any
third party movement are glaringy false. So
the great Revenue Reform" crusade against
Grant, which begun with such promise of
success, has continued to ~dwinde, peak and
PINE" till it is left on the hands of a few in
significant nobodies who don't know what to
do with it.
tits unfortunate, therefore, for Gov. Cham
sberlain that the very papers that were most
enthusiastic for him and for "Revenue Re-
form" were those which were most abusive of
Gen. Grant, and the most forgetful of his ac-
tual reforms. A paragraph eulogistic of
Chamberlain was almost sure to be followed
by paragraph in which credit was given to the
most incredible falsehoods concerning the
President As the latter went heavily down
in his scale, Gov. Chamberlain was securely
seen smiling and triumphant, high up in an
atmosphere of political integrity and moral
purity. While Gov. Chamberlain was nut
into the calendar with the saints, his old mill
itary chief was accommodated from the fel.
lowship of the political elect While an au-
reola was placed on the brow of the Govern.
or, the President appeared in the background
in the guise of Mephistepheles.
us the Governor TO blame for all this P"
We are of the opinion that he is not-,for we
never saw the slightest evidence produced
that he entertains the views with which he
has been, credited. We believe he has been
made a lay figure for the exhibition of what
ever political crotchets his friends might hap
pen to cherish. He has probably been guilty
ofnothing worse than passive submission to
this literal imposition. No doubt lie has
thought that the unauthorized attributing to
him Of "Reyenue Reform" principles lin the
arbitrary sense of that phrase) is a matter of
too little Importance to require attention, but
Its effect has been extremely unfavorable to
him and to his success in public life.
The only way to escape the consequences
ofthe error, lift be not already too late, is to
promulgate formal declaratian of allegiance
to the Republican party, and to give a sincere
and earnest support to Gen. Grant-the chief
of the only legitimate line of revenue reform
crS.