The Portland daily press., 1871-02-23
DAILY PRESS.
PORTLAND.
=
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY %, 1871.
eve the Peoplc.,,

One of the best stories now going the
rounds of the papers is that of the little negro
mail earsier in Virginia who was lately shak-
en- by white man. "Look here, mister,
said the little fellow, who after all prooaoy
had clearer notion OF the supremacy OF law,
and the paramount authority and dish"y "
the general government than his chiVairouS
assa;lant-"Look a here, mister, 20" n'u oo'
ter be kerful how you shakes us cnile' Gus
avben you shakes me, yOu shakes de achote
Uni,ed States! carries de mailsl
We are reminded of this story by the curious
assumption of Importance, sagacity and extra
ordinary political integrity on the part of the
gentleman who published card in all the
daily papers of this city, modestly signing
himself "We the People," 1t is not unusual
for very small minority to fancy that they
really have in some way tremendous prepoD-
derance, only that by unknown and unknow-
able means they are always deprived OF the
victory. In this city, for instance, in times
past there was little ring ofnlalcontents anu
ofice-seekers-a ring that the people UNIFORM
lily voted out of sight at the polls and IN eau
cuses-who persisted in regarding all outsiders
as acorrript politicians, though these naughty
politicians only disclosed their trickery by 60
ing to the polls on election day while the
members of the virtuous ring were running
about forming combinations always futiIe)
and trying to make proselytes for weeks before
the election. Still more recently we have
seen the spectacle Of daily paper claiming
that candidate for a high Office, who was
defeated by popular vote of about sthree 10
one against him, was really the choice of the
people, but. those arrant politicians, three
fourths of the people, had basely thwarted the
true expression of the popular will.
But this-i the first time that we have ever
known minority consisting of one man, to
assume that he is the people. But when he has
done so we are not surprised to here him say
that he will support Mr. Fox "under any and
all circumstances" But we should like to see
our mutitudnous friend put to the test. Mr..
Fox is moi patient man, we believe, and eve
the People," says that the nomination is dis
tasteful to him and made contrary to his
wishes" What if Mr. Fox should feel con-
strained to relieve his wounded feelings by
pulling ave the Peoples" nose? The ting
ling would-be none the less because Of the
hypothetical and purely fictitious plurality O.
that organ, but we suppose that Mr.. Fox's ad
mirer would still vote for him. Or even if the
candidate should commit felony or shoulo
die-and We know no one who is less likely Il
do either-the faithful Achates, we have nc
doubt, would still vote for his ghost
Nor are we surprised at our correspondents
declaration that he cares nothing for regular
nomiaation, party usage or the crawford
County System."' Now, we ask him, as a ra
tional man, how he could care for the Craw
ford systema That justly celebrated contri-
vance for determining the exact wishes of th,
people, Continuance we are glad to see tina
our Democratic friends have borrowed thi
year-is not adapted 10 the purposes of one
man. If he adopted it for the sake of insur
ing complete inpartiality in himself, he
wouldn't know what to do with it, since bis
personality is in3xisible and if he had 9
thousand votes instead OF one he has pledged
them in advance, ''under any all circum-
stances" to Mr.. Fox. 2as s.2A 49, ?
r