The Portland daily press., 1870-02-18

No Time for N Surrender 10 the Ter.,,,,
In Boston this year, the Democrats having
ignored Mayor Shurtleff because he was a
more upright man and purer officer than they
b cou'u saieiy tolerate, the Republicans, uniting
win minority of the Democrats, reelected
hlm' The alternative presented to them was
eithef Shurtieff, an honest Democrat, or some
other Democrat who could be more easily
manipulated in the interest of his party.
NO such alternative is presented in Port
land. This is a Republican city. The alter
native here is Republican or a Democratic
mayor There will probably be little dispute
that as good material for the position can be
found in the Republican as in the Democrat
&c ranks. Tie motive for citizens ilo'e-
ment exists only on the Democratic sue, as
that party has everything to gam, being in
the minority. II is a cunning device of theirs
to obtain victory to which their numbers do
not enitle them. There is no ANALOGY be.
tween this and the Shurtleff case. The Ros.
ton Republicans obtained for themselves the
best terms they could; the leaders of tbe cit
liens movement here propose to surrender
the Republican army to an enemy that is in
ierior in strength. The Boston Republicans
chose-the least OF two evils; we are told that
There are Portland Republicans who are de-
hberately planning to give the city govern
ment second time into Democratic hands,
as a Tree gilt, or as reward for some mvsteri-
Gus service to the State or country, of which
the public is ignorant.
Let us see what the consequences would
BEEF they should succeed. This fall men,
ners OF Congress are TO be elected and prepar-
ations will shortly after be made for the great
PRESIDENTIAL campaign of 1872. The Demo
Gratis, having obtained the control of affairs
here under the fimsy disguise of a citizens
vii hs 81 fy do now, and the
weight of the metropolis of Maine will be
thrown into the wrong scale, in what may
become national contest On this fraudu-
lently obtained local victory the opponents of
progress and reform will endeavor to build
larger and more enduring triumphs.
A "citizens' movement" is never heard of
two weeks after election. II is bait to catch
voters, and is sometimes made very attrac-
tive; few days after election those taken by
it are found wriggling on the bare Democrat
&c hook. Very seductive are the notes of in
vitation that the old wolf of Democracy sends
forth when disguised in the simple, honest
habiliments of ''citizens' party" but in a
b. day or two the familiar Democratic growl is
heard, and all the malign and Democratic
characteristics appear.
e. Now, possibly, some good Republican gen.
tlemen may find it very pleasant thing, as
a mere exercise of magnanimity, to give the
democrats few crumbs in "odd years." with
out meaning to do any harm. We protest
that their objects of charity are not well
chosen and that the experiment is dangerous.
Treason to their country and to mankind,
and rebellion against every reform and every
phianthropic project of the last decade is
surely enough to damage the claims of our op-
ponents as objects of sympathy, even if they
had repented. But the obstinacy of their OBJ
structlve and reactionary genius may be
shown by few undeniable facts:
No Democratic State has ratified the 18th
amendment, and no Democrat acknowledges
tina validity of that amendment except in the
course OF an argument to prove that "the
Republican party has accomplished its work."
No Democratic State has made any proyis-
ion for modifying its laws so as to make them
conform to the requirements of the new
amendment.
There is no genuine Democrat but has re-
sisted the whole work of reconstruction from
the beginning, and now holds that Southern
states may constitutionally violate the funda-
mental conditions on which they were admit
ted to the Union
Inc Democrats are enemies to the common
school system. They have overthrown it in
Maryland and Kentucky, and are threatening
it in Tennessee.
Inc Democrats are enemies of all recistra-
non laws and the purity of the ballot-box, as
their record in every State will show.
The Democrats are the enemies of econn-
my in the expenditure of public money, as
TIER unparalleled extravaganza in New York
and elsewhere shows.
These are the men, if rumors are true. that
some Republicans propose to bring back to
power in Maine by allowing them to obtain a
foothold in Portland. We have no doubt that
on reflection the whole scheme will be aban-
doncd