The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-05-09
PR EISS.
Monday Morning, May g. 1870.
uThs Political Wilderness"

We doubt if an intelligent public will 60
into the wilderness" for political information
when there is an alternative whichis SO much
better, viz, going into the daylight. There is
Cimmerian darkness in that moral thicket
where our evening contemporary dwells, and
the shades are haunted by an infinite variety
of phantoms and by thous and figments of a
diseased imagination. There are more NOR
sters of the airy and insubstantial kind wan
dering about in perfectly aimless, unintelli-
gent way in that "Cave of Adullam," than the
combined intellects of Homer, Virgil and
Dante could have invented for an artif-
cial- Hades. In this same cave Mr.. Farwell
has strutted his brief hour as the winning
man tor the Speakership and as a popular
favorite. Here Hannibal Hamlin, oyerthiown
and Inundated, has been seen to retire from
political life, falling into neglect and at last
into oblivion.
AT the very last spring election the whole
wilderness" influence was given in a sneak
ing, cowdrdIy way to the Democratic candi-
date for Mayor. just as now its influence, such
as it is, goes dead against the Republican
Representative in Congress from this district,
and dead against every Republican candidate
for any important office if he happens to
dwell in this part of the State. We are not
at all sticklers for the claims of locality, as our
readers know, but we have never been accus-
toned to regard the fact that an able man
happens to be ones neighbor in the light of
disability. We regard our neighbors, other
things being equal, as entitled to the same
courtesy and the same respect as the rest of
mankind.
And now from out this bowling wider
ness" where the Pixies, Farwells and all sorts
of adventures, malcontents and obscure wire
pullers find refuge-where "rings" are formed
based on opposition to the Republican party
where men are supported for the Senatorship
who have not been nominated by a Republican
caucus in which they are candidates-where
every slandercus and false rumor against our
Republican Representatives in Congress is
paraded with deprecating, timid smirk that
strives to give the appearance of virtue to
what is in reality the purest malice, which
would be dangerous, il it were not cowardy-
where Republicans are welcomed on the sole
condition that they are VIGOROUSLY corrupt
from this wilderness" we say, comes piping
voice which assumes to indicate what are the
intentions of the Republican party, and what
are the feelings and views of the Republican
masses! In this wilderness" is crazy sibyl
that undertakes to impart to the public
knowledge of intentions of the Republican
leaders. We have, at best, little faith in
sibyls, but those whose ignorance is compli-
Gated by monomania are in our opinion
peculiarly unreliable.
But this wilderness" is almost certain
political death to such as enter it,; after
forty days. wandering there none have ever
come out into the political Canaan promised
them. The air is terrible, of course, every
ray of the FUN being carefully excluded. As
for 1.-THE man that keeps the wilderness" he
would have been asphyxiated long ago, but
for some natural aptitude for feeding on the
pestilential exhalations. Charon finds the
Stygan breezes pleasant and healthful.