The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-08-17
"HOnest Uncle Horace, -

ton that it believes that Horace Greeley is an
honest man. We are not insensible to the
charge of inconsistency brought against us
for maintaining at the present time an entire
ly different proposition. But let us see if we
have not ample ground for changing our
opinion. Let us see if the tempting prize of
the Presidency has not turned his. head, as it
has turned even stronger ones before him.
Read Mr.. Greeley's little speeches in New
Hampshire. They breathe the spirit of toler-
alton, kindness and penitence tor past plain
ness of speech in every line. A year ago
Honest Horace breathed nothing but threaten
ings and maledictions. His nouns were as
hard as the stones that his present followers
throw at Republican professions; his adjec-
tives smote the Democracy like swords. Moth
ing has changed since that time except
that he has concluded bargain by which he
is to be made President in return for his
services as a supporter of Democratic local
tickets and as the restorer of the Democracy
to the control of our national affairs. He
congratulated himself in one of his
speeches that his present frame of mind
ouOWS bAdJ NC pOoScSsCS OuC VI Iuc HuCSG
feelings in our natnre." But Mr.. Greeley
can't salve his moral wounds, that are now
gaping deep and wide, in that way. Forgive
ness and kindness of heart are indeed among
the noblest of virtues, but what shall we say
ofhim who ignores them till they become of
direct personal use to him? 1t is like pur-
suing robber with vindictive hate till he offers
you thousand dollars to relent There is
always ground for suspecting the sincerity q
radical change of opinion which is imme-
diately followed by some important material
advantage to the conuert. Horace Greeley
was clothed with curses as with a garment
when Democracy was so much as mentioned
until he began to angle for Democratic votes.
Consider Honest Horace in Maine. He
came here for the purpose of trying to elect
Charles P. Kimbal Governor of Maine over
Sidney Perham,-Cifford and EMERY to
Congress over Burleigh and Hersey. A year
ago he regarded the party to which his candi-
dates now belong as thieves, drunkards,
roughs, frequenters of brothels, enemies of
education, enemies of mankind. Now he
comes to give them his help in return for the
help he has most abjectly besought them to
give him in November Nothing in the
world has changed in the last twelve months
to account for this complete Transformation
in Mr.. Greeley except that he is now the
Democratic nominee for the Presidency of the
United States. Charles P. Kimball is as
good Democrat and Marcelus Emery as
red copperhead as when Mr.. Greeley scourg-
ed them with his sharp tongue.
Mr.. Greeley is teetotaler He has been a
supporter of prohibition, but we understand
he has modified his opinions on that point to
accommodate them to the exigenciss of his
present situation. At any rate, he came to
Maine for the purpose of helping elect Gov
ernor and Legislature whose first act would
be to make rum as free as water in Maine for
the next year. This is an indisputable fact.
Mr.. Greeley's visit, if it should by any chance
effect what is intended, would initiate an era
of free rum in the home of prohibition.
Honest Horace has been the leading adyo- |
cate of protection in the United States. He |
is now on exhibition in aid of project to
elect a Congress that would surely eliminate
every protective feature from the tariff, the
instant it got to work. Is this the purpose
for which he forgives so impulsively the
thieves, roughs, drunkards, prize-fghters and |
bar-keepers, whom he formerly thought it his \
duty to expose? Is this the good purpose for
which he exercises the suddenly discovered |
charity and loving kindness of his nature?
Honest Horace has been leading advocate
of the civil rights bill, of the Ku-klux bill
and the federal election law. We come now
to what is at present the vital principal of Re-
misunderstanding all men in the equal
enjoyment of the equal rights guaranteed by
the Constitution. But how is Honest Horace
helping on the cause? He comes to Maine
to try to elect Legislature, which would, if
it believed such action would be valid, in
stantly withdraw Names assent to the four
tenth and fifteenth amendments. He comes
to support the claims of Congressman who
would vote for monarchy sooner than they
would for Mr.. Summers civil rights bill, and
who hold the federal election law (which Mr..
Greeley wanted to have made more generally
Applicability and the Ku-klux bill (which Mr..
Greeley wanted to make "stronger'') in utter
letestation.
Who can wonder that we have ceased to
believe Greeley to be honest, when we see
lin in league with the enemies of progress,
md asserting to their creed, for the sake of
heir votes ?-when we see him in Maine for
The purpose of helping MARCELLUS EN-
cry?