The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-04-12
THE PR ESS.
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL -, 1879.
Too Good.

II is about as painful as anytnlng can De 10 l
Gee Gen. Butler sacrificing himself and his
convictions of duty on the altar of disinterest-
ed goodwill as he did Wednesday. When the
semi-annual movement to repeal the franking
privilege was made, he saw at once what it |
all meant. For himself he cared moth
ing 1t made no difference to him |
personally whether he paid three or four
hundred dollars for postage every year or not
He, of course, like all his associates In DOM
houses, is above such mercenary considera-
tions as that. But he saw that the proposed
reneal was a movement in the interest of the
great metropolitan papers that are anxious
to be 'sthe only organs of communication be-
tween the people and their representatives"
and that desire ito crowd out and crush
down local papers throughout the country
The discovery of this design caused him the
most poignant grief. His kindly sensiblllties
were shocked at this new attempt to harry
ssthe deserving poor" Accordingly he OPP
posed the repeal, though, as he frankly ex-
plains, he had previously voted for it in
manly, sincere and straightforward manner
on the express understanding that ''the Sem
ate would mt pass it and that it would be all
right"
Base is the provincial journalist who forgets
this timely interposition of the Butlerian
shield between him and the metropolitan ogre
that was on the point of blotting out his ex-
istence! But what does Gen. Butler take us
for? Does he really suppose that we are such
an ignoble, ungrateful and vicious folk as to
see statesman of his prominence calmly
laying down his reputation as patriot and
economist for our sake? Does he think that
provincial journalists can willingly allow him
to place himselfin a false position to aid them,
when he has no possible ends of his own that
are to be subserved by doing so? No, no,
good sir-never! Vote just as you would il
your great heart had never been touched with
pity for local journals. We will try to get on
somehow. We can as least send an OCCASION
al stamp for your valuable speeches-and why
can we not be happy with that? And don't
feel bad about us either. Give not up so cas-
lily to the melting mood. Pray, like old
Lear,
o. let not women's weapons water-drops
Stain my mans cheeks.
Non tall Gatrilis--in short, we will excuse
you. And-not to keep back anything from
you that may afford the smallest relief-the
most of us regard the franking privilege as an
unmitigated swindle, and have, on every fit
ting occasion, urged Congress to repeal it.
Never having imagined that the congressman
who voted to retain the enormity did so for
love of us, they have, poor fellows, been
roundly lectured for it hundred times. And
if there are any who still deceive themselves
with the notion that they are Supporting
us'' in that way, we adjure them to abandon
it instantly.
THE Journal of the Proceedings of the
United States Centennial Commission at
Philadelphia comes to us from Hon. Joshua
Nye, Commissioner for Maine. The Com
mission was in session for eight days and en-
ployed itself in marking out the work and in
the appointment of committees to attend
to the different departments Our dele
gate is a member of two good committees
Tariffs and Transportation and Classification.
1t is proposed to celebrate the occasion by a
Grand International Exposition similar in
character and extent to the French EXPOSE
ton of 1867. The General Government, the
several State Governments and private cti-
zens are to be called upon for funds to carry
out the great programme. 1t is anticipated |
that Pennsylvania and especially Philadel- !
phia will contribute very literally. We ought |
to have as elaborate, extensive and successful |
an Exhibition as was ever held upon earth.- |
The celebration CT the hundredth birthday of
the nation should be subject of interest and
pride to every American citizen, and we hope
our State win not hesitate to contribute its
suitable share for the necessary expenses
Anything which will stimulate and maintain
national feeling among our people is worthy
of commentator and encouragement From
our vast extent of thinly populated territory |
we are too much exposed to the danger of |
falling into sectional way of thinking and |
must take all precautions that the pestilen-
tial heresy of estate rights so thoroughly
eradicated by the civil war may never again
become prevalent.
PERHAPS Rev. DR.. Fulton would now like to
throw a brick at some other deceased worthy |
Everybody remembers how valiantly he hack
ed and hewed away at Dickens, even while |
the great master was still lying stark and cold |
at Gad's Hill, bewept by the whole civilized
world. Show Mr. Fulton dead man with a |
flaw in his creed and he is cen after him, no !
matter how great or good he was, before you
can say Jack Robinson. OF Claiming he has
recently said that he ''spent his lite in Carl
caturing Christianity" 1t should be added
in justice to Mr.. Fulton that he sometimes
tries his polemic weapons on men who are
still living, and in such cases he uniformly |
distinguishes himself by the appropriateness
ofthe occasions he selects and the force with
which he causes his assaults to react on him
self. A few years ago, in speech delivered
after commencement dinner at Colby
University, he paid his respects to Thomas
W. Higginson, who had delivered an ora
ton before the literary societies of the institu-
ton at the same anniversary, and was SO
flayed therefor by newspaper correspondents
that his friends, at least, deplored his indis-
erection very heartily. His controversy with |
Tilton, in the course of which he acquired the
name of Lager Beer Fulton" is still more
TcCcut. 1uc uupicdSduG RESULTS Ol his Ell |
counters with men who can give as well as
receive blows has caused him to shun such
antagonists as much as possible. But for an
attack on deceased person he is the bravest |
man in America!
THE peoples temperance reform is gaining |
ground in all parts. On Wednesday night an
immense and earnest meeting was held at Bath
which bore fruit in large list of signatures |
to the pledge. We understand that a meet
ing is to be held in our City Hall on Sunday
evening next, which we hope will be very full
ly attended. Everybody can afford to speak
good word for this movement which origi- |
mates in popular desire for reformation and
no enc ought to attempt to retard it by sneers |
or feigned ridieule. We are sorry to see a
little disposition in certain quarters to deter
some, who would otherwise work out their
salvation by availing themselves of the bene-
fits OF cooperation in REFORM We can un-
derstand how man may justify himself in
opposition to legal enactments but we fail to
see how one can oppose this movement with
clear conscience.
SPEAKING of the natural result of Re-
publican Presidential candidate being elected
n ~