The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-04-12
DAILY PRESS,
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 1871.
TIC Cincinnati Platform.
PORTLAND.

Tho Cincinnati Platform.
II has not escaped the attention of our
readers that great importance is attached in
some quarters to the declaration of principles
promulgated at late meeting of Republicans
held in the city of Cincinnati. Gen. Coz, late
Secretary Of the Interior, is one of the most
active and prominent of the gentlemen ehsas-
ed in the movement" which was eVioen"S
intended to take the country by stor". Oo"
cisely stated the great cardinal principles OF
the new nolitical faith are these: general am
neatly revenue reform by the elimination OF
The nro,ectiye element from the tariff; civil
service reform and return to specie pay
ments Among the Republican masses there
are few outside the ranks of the ultra protec-
tionists who do not warmly endorse all these
positions. The reason the Cincinnati move
ment has not spread like wild6re throughout
the country, disintegrading old political par
ties, and absorbing the material into itself, and
making ga new political departure" is that
there is not new thing in it. The people
are not startled because they have long been
familiar with the reasons for and against al
Of these reforms. They are familiar win
them as constituting universally recognized
part of the Republican policy-as reforms that
ara in process of practical realization through
the agency OF the Republican party. Corsid-
or them one by one, and see if this is not So
see II something better than holding these
principles as mere speculative views has not
been done. no i.nbss.,,. ~, 4. rItr.-
Beginning with amnesty, here is the text Of
the bill introduced by Representative Hale oil
this State, which passed the House by vote
1874 to 40 on Monday: iiR s7i12a4' 4
SEC. 1. Be 1t enacted, two-thirds OF each
House c0ncurring therein, that all legal and
political disabilities imposed by the third sec.
ton Of the + ourteenth Article of Amendment
to the Constitution of the United States on
persons therein mentioned because of their
having engaged in instruction or rebellion
against the United States or giving aid OF
comfort to the armies thereof, be and the
same are hereby removed; provided that this
act shall not apply to or IN any way affect or
remove0the disability of any person included
In either of the following classes, viz: el3
First: Members OF the Congress Of the United
States who Withdrew therefrom and aided the Re
= Besond: Oacsrs OF the army or navy of the United
o. and
Third: Members Of the State Conventions which
adopted the pretended ordinances OF secession who
voted for the adoption OF such ordinances. rse.
SEC. 2. Be It further enacted, That before
any person shall be entitled to the benefit o.
this act, he shall, within the district where be
resides, before clerk of some Court of the
United States, or a United States Commission
or, take and subscribe an oath, or affirmation
to support the Constitution of the United
States, and to bear true faith and allegiance
to the same, which oath or affirmation shall
be forwarded by said officer to the Secretary
Of State OF the United States, who shall cause
list OF all persons complying with the pro.
At the opening of each session thereof; and
the officer before whom such oath Or afirma.
ton is made, shall give to the person taking it
acertifcate of the tact under such form and
regulations as the Secretary of the State may
prescribe. - r is7aa5 eaf efs#
Al for revenue reform, the large majorities
by which the duties on coal and salt were re-
pealed by the House at the present session,
Is well as the large reduction of duties, inter.
nal and tariff, by the fcrty-first Congress, show
that the tendency in Republican circles is de-
,cidedly toward the changes demanded by the
Cincinnati Republicans.
a In the matter of civil service reform the
proof is equally clear that the Republican
party, as at present organized, is fully alive to
its importance. One OF the closing acts Of the
last Congress was the passage of a bill initia-
ting scheme for the competitive examina-
ton ofapplicants for public employment
We think that no one can examine q
statement showing the decline in gold since
March 4th, without feeling that the admins
tration has taken practical steps toward q
gradual and safe approximation TO a resump.
ton OF specie payments. We believe that the
approximation is now 80 close, with a pros
pect ofa much closer one at no very distant
period, that many of our public men who
have hitherto believed that direct steps to.
ward resumption Should be taken are now
convinced that the wiser course is to leave
that desirable contamination to come about
in natural way as an incident of the i'm.
proved credit and decreasing debt OF the
country. s
Here then are the four points of the Cir Gin.
natl platform shown TO be a part Of the Re.
publican creed, and part to which great
practical attention is given However, these
Cincinnati gentlemen might have won the re-
spect and sympathy of all who sympsthize
with their opinions on account of their EN-.
phatic reafirmstion Of these sound doctrines
II sinister purpose were not disclosed. They
have evidently taken hold of this matter moi
for the purpose of securing mere prompt and
f radical action on the proposed reforms, but fol
the purpose of creating divisions, schisms
cliques, splits and general decentralization in
the ranks of the party with which they main.
tain kind ofsconnection for the purpose OF
better accomplishing what they desire. That
We may not seem TO be alone in holding this
opinion of them, we quote the following from
the New York Tribune: G
It is whispered softly in the inner circles Of
the Democratic wire-woikeJs that their next
candidate for President must be Tor have re-
Gently been) Republican. So the friends of
suhdry Republicans are oiling their favorites
preparatory to getting them comfortably swal.
lowed by the Sham Democracy. Gen. Jacob
D0lson Cox, Ex-Governor and ex-Secretary of
the Interior. is in this category, and Stanley
Mathews & Co. are Qualifying him to be the
Jonah OF the DemOcratlc Wnaie. i MS explains
the pertinasity wherewith Judge Mathews in
sisted that the movement was purely Repub
licrn-po Democrats admitted, &c, &c. ONE
thinks the lady must protest too much.") And
this explains, too, the remarkable vagueness
and rarefaction of Gen. Cox's speech. A can
dinale for President always talks like a Del
phic oracle, so that his positions may be
equally acceptable to men holding precisely
opposite opinions.
TIE letter in relation to the President and
Mr.. Sumner which we publish elsewhere
comes from the pen of gentleman who,
though almost ninety years old, observes cur
rent events with an interest and intelligence
rarely equalled among his juniors The just
ness of his views and the singular warmth of
his feelings are disclosed in the clear and fore
ible language Of his letter. He retains all the
generous fire and enthusiasm of youth at the
extreme old age which he has now reached.
The handwriting of his letter is so perfectly
legible and SO fastidiously precise in all re-
spects that our younges9 apprentice would
. find it admirable copy" to put into type. We
neal opIv IN odd fhot thoun1, MT ,os;d>r%