New-York tribune., 1874-07-09

period than that reached by the Maine De-
mocracy. Mr.. Hamlin has heard of the late
war. which he thinks is still In progress.
After giving utterance to some beautiful
thoughts concerning the Republican party, to
whose record he pointed with pride the large
forefnger of man who has held ONCE under
it for thirteen years, and after thrilling his
audience with some of the loftlest oiatory
that has ever swept over Maine concerning the
"Sbip of Statc.n the dark belligerent cloud"
and the "wave of peace" he proceeded to say
that "the work of the party Is not yet done'
II is n remarkable coincidence, that without
anv previous consultation, all the persons who
are running for Office on the Republican ticket
in Maine have at one time or another eX-
pressed this opinion. Mr. lamlln ayOwed the
conviction that its work would not be done
till every man shall be able to traverse
"every broad acre of our Republic with the
"same confidence and safety as when in the
pine Tree State.r Nothing could be more
beautifully expressed. 1t means, we presume,
that Mr. Hamlin, with that sublime self-sacri-
flee which has characterized his whole career,
is willing to hold Office till every man traverses
every broad acre, and then if any doubt
remains he will hold on till Sergeant Bates
can go over the ground with flag. Mr..
Hamlin said further, "0urs is the duty to see
"that the Government is administered by
"men of intellect, men of lofty patriotism,
"men who may be relied upon in any emerg-
"ency;n to which, had it not been for his
modesty, Mr. Hamlin might have added the
familiar quotation" that's the kind of man
"am.r For Maine this was good speech.
Elsewhere it is generally understood that
the war is finished, and that the only
broad acres of our Republic unsafe to
travel over are those governed directly from
Washington by the present Administration.
The letter of Mr.. Blaine is another illustra-
ton of the politics of Maine. That gentle
man is Speaker of the House of Representa-
tives, and a prominent, perhaps the most
prominent, candidate next to President Grant
himself for the Presidential succession. BENG
in the Speakers chair he has had the adyan-
tage of being at the political focus, and III
relations with all the active influences and
forces in politics, without being Obliged to
take the chances Of dangerous complications
on the floor of the House. or live III hourly
peril of foolish or injudiciOus utterances. Be
fore another Congressional nomination III his
district the Presidential succession will have
been settled. This was his opportunity to say
something; something positive, timely, out
spoken, and to say it well. He wrote a letter
About what7 Why this Speaker of House
which has been for months engaged III the
discussion of political questions that are
urgent, neutrality-suspicious. of finance, cur
rency, banking, civil service reform, reforms
in Administration Outrages in the forms OF
law upon trade and commerce. abuses OF power,
Executive interference with State Governments
exposures of corruption and bribery, and
dozen other things-devOtcd tedious column
to the Reciprocity Treaty and its local effect
and then jumping backward into the belly of
the last century, plunged into discussion
with the pre-Adamite Democracy on the sub
iect of Free Trade. Mr.. Blaine would have
done better to keep silent. Such letter at such
time from Presidential asprant shows either
inability or unwiingness to comprehend the
political situation. The topics lie treats are
not those in which the people OF the United
States are profoundly interested. lie has not
touched the pulse of the time, or attracted the
attention of the public except as he failed to
meet the general expectation. lie will be
likely to learn before the campaign OF 1916
opens, that candidates for the Presidency are
expected to know something more than the
local effect of the Reciprocity Treaty, and to
talk of present issues instead of wasting time
discussing distractions with the Irogiodytes.