The Portland daily press., 1874-11-07
THE PRESS.
SATURDAY MORNING. NOV. :, 1874
What it Means.


very ready to declare that the overthrow of
the Republicans in the recent elections is not
entirely democratic victory. They well
know that as party they have presented no
vital question to the country, nor promised
any special measures of reform. Since the
"new departure of the Northern Democracy
in 1871, when il ceased to make open war
upon the constitutional amendments, as
party it has had 40 policy, but to oppose
everything which the Republicans advocated.
The truth is the people have become dis
gusted with the bad tendencies of many men
who have assumed to be Republican leaders,
and, after long forbearance, have at length
resolved on their overthrow The Democrat
ic party they found ready for their use, and
in their indignation they used it as an out
ragged man would club upon an assailant.
Having tried every other means to rid the
party of the abuses which it permitted in
their despair they resorted to those desperate
measures which we noticed all over the
country last Tuesday. Tuesdays indignant
voice is not protest against Republicanism,
or against the constitutional amendments, or
the settlement Of the issues growing out of
the war, but against caucus perversion, cor
rupt tendencies, ring rule, and the absolute
control of the machinery of the Republican
army by a set of camp followers. In brief. it
was not Republicanism which the Republican
masses trod under foot Tuesday, but its dead
lest foe, best typified as Butlerism and best
Illustrated and most severely rebuked in
Massachusetts. Illustrations of this tenden-
cy might be found near home, but the most
notable is that of Gen. Butler in Massachu-
sets, where every federal Office which he
could control has been filled by such fortune
seekers as have commended themselves to
him by their shrewd and INSCRIPTIONS char
acter. Against the indignant protest of
vast majority of the business men of Boston,
and all of the honored men who had in the
past added enduring honor to the record of
the party in that state, Gen. Butler secured
the appointment of ward politician to the
Boston relationship, the most important
OF flee in New England. Nor did the reck-
less and defiant spirit of Butlerism stop
there. Dictated by his master, Collector
Simmons, in defiance of the civil service rules
and the best interests of the government, dis
charged many efficient officials and replaced
them with the worthless and debauched
tools of Gen. Butler, causing serious in
convenience to those who have to do bust
ness through the custom house.
There is, too. widespread feeling that
great many Congressman, whose personal
record is pure, and whose political career has
been fairly credtable, have, in a measure
fallen into the belief that their success de-
ponds mainly upon the number of friends
they can keep in Office. They do not APP
parently take into consideration the Inherent
virtue and intelligent recognition of the i'll
telligent masses of the party. In short, they
have fallen into the bad ways of the old Dem
ocrat:c leaders, who relied upon patronage as
means of success. This deplorable practice
has brought into official places as local lead
ers, many inscriptions men, and in scores of
instances deprived the service of the country
of efficient serv ants. In our own state by
far the greater part of the federal officers are
efficient and worthy men, but on the oIner
hand few of them would disgrace even a
Buchanan administration. The Republican
masses also believe that there are too many
officials in our custom houses, too many
special agents travelling about the country,
too many dsreputable Whiteleys, too many |
sinecures hanging on to the Treasury depart
ment, too many barnacles sticking to navy
yards. They have been promised reform in |
this respect year after year, while these Off |
cials have continued 10 draw their pay and |
manage party caucuses. Weary with waiting |
for oft promised reforms, and despairing of |
bringing about better state of affairs while |
some of the present leaders are retained, tens |
of thousands of Republican voters took occa-
sion Tuesday to rebuke such un-Republican |
practices.
Another thing which had tendency to bring |
about the result of Tuesday, is the growing
dictation of officials elected or appointed to |
serve the people. There are scores of good
men, who, having held Office for twenty |
years, constantly act on the presumption that |
the Republican party was created and exists |
for their special benefit. This is bad enough, |
but when the Buffers, and the camp-followers |
of the party assume such proprietorship, it is |
uncomfortable. During the past four years |
thousands of men have been hunted out of
tie party, their motives and characters as
sailed, and the men themselves made the OBJ |
jects ofpetty persecution simply because they |
have thought fit to oppose the schemes |
of this class. Republican journ.
ais, which have forcseen the tendency of |
these bad practices, and denounced them or
lifted up warning voice, have been stigma
tiled as traitors to the party. Prominent |
Republicans in Congress rebuking corrupt |
rings, party extravaganza or bad measures,
have Jared no better. A few leaders have |
thrown about them something of the sanctity |
of that divine right which kings have as
sumed, and, by their acts, claim that they |
can do no wrong. Tuesdays vote was a pro-
test against the arrogance and assumption of |
party leadership.
In 1872 the Republican National Conven-
tion pledged its servants to bring about sun
dry reforms among which were the elevation
of the civil service, the practice of the strict |
est economy and measures to secure return |
to specie payments. By a vast majority, the |
party was triumphant. How did it keep its |
IL
Gen. Butler assumed the leadership, and raj
lied about him large minority of bis associ- |
ates and outraged the moral sense of the
country by Bullying through most out
rageous salary grab bill in defiance Of the in |
dignant protest of the nation. Instead of re-
trenchment, the appropriations we're made
larger than the previous year, while the prop
osition of the President for legislation 10 per-
manenty reform the civil service was met
with studied contempt or coarse ridcule.
The present Congress met, but while its an.
preparations were smaller, it did nothing to |
carry out the promises made at Philadelphia.
There were good men in it, scores of them.
but The bad led by Gen. Butler were so |
prominent that they overshadowed the patri-
otto and wise. The Sanborn contracts, the |
Simmons business, the corruption of the |
Washington ring, the evidences of laxity in
the Treasury departments, and above all the |