The Portland daily press., 1871-02-07
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1871.
Flush Times i'm Knox County,


1t is an old story, to be sure, but it is always
an edifyins one. In 1867 the people of Knox
County said they were ready for change"
The Republican officials of 1866 having levied
tax OF only $4,000, the sum Of $4,000 was
raised ON the year of the revolution by The
same Corrupt" ard "extravagant" party. !.
was supposed that the whole amount wou'o
be necessary to cover the deficit occaS'oheu 0y
The insufficient levy of 1866, and bence DEM
oeraiic victory =. the election. But it appears
that the revolution was founded on mistake.
Tbouoh the tax for the last two years of Re-
,mbl.cau ascendency did not average $4,000,
there WAS nearly $1,000 in the treasury when
the Democrats came in at the beginning of
1868.
Now let us see how the Democrats who
were elected as ''reformers." and have contin-
ued to control the affairs OF the county for
the last three years as "reformers," have pro-
ceeded in the work of regeneration. Here we
quote directly from the Rockand Free Press
the paper to which we are indebted for the
above facts:
If we understand the figures, the county
expenses have been greater every year since
the democrats took control than in any single
year during the republican CONTROL
Last year a tax of $4,000 was assessed upon
the county, and large sums of borrowed money
have been had, on which the country has had
to pay interest. The liabilities at the close of
The year are S3,629,11 and its resources 1884,
III. VIII some OF the democratic financers
tell us how much the people have saved by
the change! We commended the foresight of
the commissioners last year for asking the
legislature to allow them to assess tax of
$4,000, because we knew they could not run
democratic government for less sam; but
their senators had it cut down to $4,000, in
Their wisdom. Now we volunteer little ad-
vice to them. Let them assess tax of $751;
OOo for the coming year, and try to come out
even on the first of January, 1872. The re-
puollcans would run the county easily on
$1,000 or $4,000, but the democrats, with
their boasted economy, cannot do it. To peo.
pie who like democratic fnanciering and are
willing to pay for the article, in preference to
less costly one, it Is no use to present such
facts as we have cited, but they will not be
unheeded by those who honestly seek pru-
dent, intelligent and responsible management
Of county affairs.
The same old story, you see, that has from
time to time been repeated in all parts of the
country. We frankly confess that there is so
much sel6shness and dishonesty in the Re-
publican party, and so much theft and extor-
tion among its office.holders, that any party
showing reasonable probability that it can
conduct public affairs more economically and
skillfully than they are now conducted, would
in the present abeyence of engrossing politi-
cal questions, be likely to overthrow the party
In power. In other words, if the Democracy,
when clothed with power, even approximated
to fulfillment of their ante-election pledges,
they would, in the present. .juncture of affairs
be likely to regain place and power The
reason they are 50 uniformly unsuccessful is
because the people have become profoundly
impressed with this notion of the difference
between the two parties, viz: While there are
thousands of individual exceptions the great
mass of Republicans are progressive and hou
est, and the general direction of the party is
right; on the other hand, while there are
thousands of individual exceptions 1.-THE mass
OF the Democracy are illiberal, and when in
power are more frequently extravagant and
corrupt than otherwise, the general direction
F'~-'J WINS IL ID u66ulcSS 10
refer to the fact that in New York, where
democracy is most strongly intrenched, there
also are gross corruption and open robbery
most strongly intrenched-that the chief free
booters OF that metropolis, like Fisk and
Tweed, are also the chiefs of the Democratic
party there. 1t is needless, too, to refer to the
supplementary fact that in New England.
where economy. integrity and efficiency in
the pubhc service are most remarkable, there
also IS Republican ascendency most uniform
and secure. While there are many excep-
tions, 1t may be stated as general rule that
democracy and extravaganza or Republican
ism and economy are in direct proportion to
each other The Knox County case is of val
ue as single circumstance confirming the
truth of this rule