The Portland daily press., 1874-06-13

SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE IS, 1874
Political Maniacs.

wednesday JueIe were conventions III eho
States of Indiana, Illinois and Kansas, osten-
sibly for the purpose of inaugurating reform
movements, or parties independent OF those
now ~ existence. They call themselves
farmers. Possibly they are, but after reading
their declaration of principles, one rather
concludes that these conventions were large
ly made UP of the cast off and seedy hacks OF
both parties. And he, the average bread
seeking political gymnast, is making very Sc
rious time of it for himself and very disa-
greeable one for timid people. 1t is evident
that he is getting very desperate for his con-
that his unselfish devotion to the dear but
unthinking people, and his yearning for re.
form in politics lead him to make this
clAmor; but everybody, except shose who do
not take newspapers, have long known that
such pretentions on his part are childish de-
ceits. he cares for the people as the Indian
does for his federal agent, and knows as mucn
about political reform as he does OF the future
world, or is ever likely to for that matter.
Dinner is what he is after. 1t is dinner Tor
which he agonizes; the hungry hope OF din
ner which leads him to make his hideous
gyrations and utter these ear-splitting shrieks.
And this fellow is all the more noisy and dis.
agreeable now, because, from the elections in
those and neighboring states last fall, he is
confident that he is on the tidal wave that
will bear him to success, that is, dinner.
This accounts for the small conventions and
Ia rOa fa1lx yUbiph rapoip1 of ho
summer of 1872, before the September frosts
of Maine cooled and rendered comfortable
the political atmosphere.
In the proceedings of all these conventions
there appears to be large sprinkling of pro-
fessional men, editors, and, from few names
gressmen and other gentlemen who are COM
PEELED by the ingratitide of the people, to
bear that prefix since the Greeley food. In
view of this we predict, that when full re-
ports are given, the real farmer will be an
infinitesimal quantity in the meetings which
have taken their names.
But if these conventions are made up of
honest men and real farmers, they cannot
make the least claim to be reformers. or even
wel-informed men. For instance, the Indi-
ana convention begins its platform with the
declaration that it proposes sto abandon the
gold base fallacy," and the issuance of spa
per currency which shall be declared equal
with goldP The men of fable, who voted
their asses horses, should, by all means, give
place to the Indiana fools who propose to
issue an abundance of paper money, and de-
cree that it shall be equal in value to gold,
dollar for dollar, for the history OF all modern
nations is replete with examples of failure to
do this same thing. 1t would be vastly more
sensible for the farmer to declare that a
bushel of chaff is equal in value to bushel
of wheat. The Indiana convention further
desires to pay off the fve-twenty bonds in
greenbacks, thus reviving Mr.. Pendleton's
exploded scheme of 1867
Nor does the Indiana meeting satisfy itself
with one or two dangerous fallacies. 1t
catches up Senators WINDOWS transportation
scheme, which has captured so large a crowd
of congressman with its 5000, 1000 900 worth of
water routes, and expresses a determination
to make the national government "open out
the channels in natures great arteries"
More than this, they want can equal distrib-
ution of all surplus products;" or, in other
words, they would put the principles of the
Commune into practce-a very pleasing
thing for dinnerless and lazy reformer to
contemplate. They also declare that all men
except themselves are scoundrels, and vote
that they will support none but honest men
for office, thus narrowing down the possibili-
ties OF office-holding to themselves, and that
all may have share, they declare that no
man shall be elected to any Office more than
single term. What-usafal- A.-d ill.--t.i-..4
Congresses this system would give US.
But the most criminal act of this Indiana
convention is its purpose to array the agri-
culturists of the West against the people and
interests of other sections The resolutions
denounce banks, railroads. manufacturing es-
Establishments as "bloated' monopoIies. Thus
they are doing what the Southern demagogues
did fifty years since with reference to the
North, and are doing their utmost to array
one section and one interest against every
other. Fortunately, the men who have made 2
the West what it is are too intelligent to be
deceived by the revolutionary aud disorgan-
izing declarations of these reforming maniacs.
The Illinois convention was. not so demon
strative as its contemporary in Indiana, 1t,
however, summarily tabled resolution fav-
oring an early return to specie payment, and
in most other respects repeated the folly of
the Indiana meeting. eseF. a.-
1t cannot be possible that political asso-
citation with the illogical and contradictory
vagaries of these farmers reform conven-
tions can receive the support of sensible aud
intelligent men. Timid congressman may be
awed by them, but such unadulterated frauds
and shams cannot become the principles of
the people of the West, and no one but the
New York World, the hard money organ,
which sees in the meetings the long deferred
Democratic revival" and is now trantically
sounding its gong over it, believes it will.