The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-09-03

trust with when ne was lco0ifeu Wy us Piih-
cipal supporters. We believe it to be an in
contestants fact that he has thrown overheard
all the leading principles he ha. cherished
previous to his joining the Democratic party
He ''waives" protection, he adopts the ex-
IRENE State rights doctrine, he openly ex
presses desire to have the carpet-baggers
driven from the South, he denounces the XII
Klux law, he inveighs against the federal cleo
ton law, and, in short, does all things that
Democrats do. Is reform to be expected from
a man who so easily puts off his principles
when he hopes for personal advantage from
discarding themp
But it is hoped that his supporters will re-
strain him from carrying out, through his
subordinate,, doctrines which hundred times
the American people have stamped with their
d.sapproval But who are his supporters
All but one in hundred, more or less, are
Democrats. The friends Of Seymour in 1868,
having received a few accessions from the
Republican party, are Greeley's friends to-
day. And while in this State Mr.. Greeley
bowed himself to the earth before those whom
he had said only year ago were Rebel to
tho core''-those whom he had habitually de-
scribed as thieves, drunkards, rum-sellers, fire.
quenters of brothels, shoulder-htters and
swindlers-and promised them power and
place if they would only give him their votes.
He apologized for the past, and promised a
subservient future, in which be would be as
plant tool as Pierce or Buchanan, So that
it is morally certain that Mr.. Greeley's sd-
ministration would be purely Democratic
administration, after Fenton, BanGs and
Farnsworth have had their reward.
But "the Democracy have taken new de-
parture." Now there never was any ground
for saying so, and in the light of develop
ments since Mr.. Greeley's nomination, it is
rank idioey to mention such thing. No in
telligent man ought to do himself the injus-
tiae to repeat that statement when orators are
perambulatins the South openly proelaiming
that they Sacrifice no principle" that they
use Greeley only to climb into power, and
that by means Of the Cincinnati plan they ex-
pect to obtain fos Southern political dogmas
that recognition and triumph which they
failed to obtain by force of arms. MOre-we
have recently seen the Democracy of West
Virginia prove by acts their continued adhe-
renee to the most obnoxious of Democratic
heresies, and the whole Democratic and Glib
craP' world has applauded them as they have
framed and adopted a new constitution by
which negroes are deprived of their dearest
rights Call you this a new departure? No
the administration of Horace Greeley would
not only be Democratic administration. but
it would be controlled by the old State rights,
Bourbon Democracy.
And finally, consider whether any influence
in favor of reform would be likely to flow
from the ''Liberar' leaders who have joined
their fortunes with the Democracy. Take il
in this State. Could you select body of ten
men among all our Maine Republicans, who
would be more unlikely to labor for any spe-
cies of reform than the ten most prominent
Liberals-the Carletons, Langs, Knights, Lee
brokes, Lyfords, Millers and Pixies? Would
they, Joined with the Emerys and BoyntonD
be likely to make and execute laws that would
give our people better education, improve
their morals or increase their happiness? Is
it to such men that we are to look for a pros
porous and happy future? Is it on an ALI
ance between notorious political heretics and
crowd of broken down, pnprineipled politi-
cal Adventures and office-seekers that we are
to rely for reform of the civil service, de-
crease of taxes, juster laws and purer man
ners?