The Portland daily press., 1873-04-25
What Opposition Means.

ieadlnS measure that the ministry suggests.
These parties are not divided on well defined
Issues, and the party that supports the gov
eminent must support all its measures while
the opposition from the same cause is in duty
bound to oppose them. In our own country
there should be difference. Parties are
formed by common adhesion or opposition
to few cardinal principles or measures which
enter into the campaign and become the Is
sues.
In view of this it would seem that the
province Of the press in opposition TO me ad-
ministration, if it is an honest and inteiiigent
Opposition would only oppose the measures OF
the government so far as such are in opposi-
ton to the principles at issue between the
parties. Such, however, is not the case.
The general opposition press, with a few rare
exceptions, assumes that its mission is to Cd.
pose the administration at every point. In
effect the opposition says: 1t is the Pr.si-
dents measure; consequently It is not ours.
Gen. Grant ard his friends advocate it:
of course we must denounce it. The admin
istration see merit in it; we must see the op-
posite.
One of the most notable instances of this
policy was the conduct of thel so-called oppo-
sition press in connection with the joint
British and United States commission, the
treaty of Washington and the arbitration at
Geneva. This whole matter, involving the
adjustment of large claims held by our peo-
pie, and the probability that failure to ar
range the long standing differences, would re-
suit in war that would cripple the energies
of the nation, was of such grave Importance
that motives higher than the fact of belong
ing to the opposition party, should have led
these journals to give the most cordial sup
port to the honest attempt Of the administra-
ton. But such was not the case. Every
thing that malice, mendacity, contempt and
ridicule could invent, was poured without
sient upon President Grant and his associ-
ates., As these journals had opposed the
war as party organs they now attempted to
array their party and the people against the
administration in its efforts to adjust one of
the principal difficulties and only threatening
danger then existing that grew ont Of it
The terms of the treaty were denounced, and
in the winter and spring of 1872, while the
most important and delicate negotiations
were going on, with one voice the opposition
press denounced the administration, accused
itof a proper lack of spirit and Illuminating
the nation, and did its utmost to infiame the
passions of the masses against Great Britain.
That these papers did not succeed in frustrat-
ing the plans of President Grant by its de-
ternined opposition, is the most marked
proof of the little hold they have upon the
public confidence.
The Indian policy of the Presiden is at
present, the principal object of the assault
and ridicule of the opposition press. 1t is
with them the Quaker policy, or the wam-
pun and shoddy policy, or provender and
palaver policy. 1t is held up to ridicule in
every possible light, and the idea of allowing
an Indian to live or to recognize him as par
tally human is the most pscposterous of all
hings under the sun.
The character of the out and-out oppos i
ton paper is no better shown in small way
than in the recent troubles relative to the
railroad mail service. When the railway
companies first made their, demands we re-
member that one paper of this class predict
ed that the corrupt officials would advise Con-
gress to yield to their demands which it pre-
dicted would be done most obsequiously and
the people would be robbed. 1t turned out
differently; the Postmaster General and Con-
gress saw that the demands of the corpora
tions were exhorbitant, and did not accede to
them. So when it came about that the rail-
roads talked of disseminating the postal SER
vice, and the Postmaster General was under
stood to have under consideration the matter
ofhaving the peoples service done over the
railroads as postal routes, we find this same
journal lashing itself into a frenzy at the
prospect Of the military arm of the nation be-
ing usei to s;eze the property of citizens.
These are only a few instances where hun
dreds might be cited. Indeed, no one ex-
poets anything else. 1t has become the mis-
sion of the general opposition pless to ma
Ign and misconstrue. The people and the
readers of these papers SO understand it.
Hence they read their Examinations with per
feet indifference. They have learned to have
no terrors at the idea of a boyonet govern
ment, since they have become familiar with
it's ghost as represented by their party journ-
ais. Their stories Of frauds have become so
notorious that the sturdy reader has come TO
regard them as indispensable in the make up
of his paper. Hc has come to have no faith
in the double headed accounts, and so when
real theft is discovered, it is lost upon him
through the very unbelief that the policy of
his paper has inculcated. Except President
Lincoln, no President has been DETAINED as
has Gen. Grant, yet there is every reason to
believe that the average democracy have the
idea that he is safe President and honest
man, and the Democratic papers in their at
tempts to make the rank and file believe that
he is sordid. intriguing man with ruffainly
instincts, are constantly losing their infu-
ence over the better portion of their readers.
If they wonder why they have no influence,
they may see that it is due to the fact that
they have been blind, besotted and con-
scienceless in their opposition to all measures
and men of the dominant PARTY.
A BREWERS journal in New York has
been mystifying the people of that city with