The Portland daily press., 1874-12-01
To the Republican Members of the Maine
Les iSlatnre for 1875.


public duties thrust upon them. Crises
ia the affairs of a nation or of party some
times occur so suddenly and unexpectedly
that men, who, short time before, imagined
that they had but routine duty to perform,
are admonished that they are face 10 face
with great emergency in which they are
called upon TODD without faltering and with
out mistake the wisest and best thing for the
people whose dearest interests are committed
10 their care.
You, gentlemen, are face to face with such
an emergency. Upon you is devolved no
routine duty, no dress parade, but no less
work than the rescue of the Republican par
tyof Maine from imminent peril. II any of
you feel yourselves hampered by spoken or
written word OR by any deed,> you must re-
member that your first pledges are to your
party and your country. The constitution of
the United States, WHICH you must swear TO
uphold and maintain, contemplates that you
shall, on the third Tuesday of January 1875,
choose that man senator who is, on that day,
your free choice. On that day with all the
facts before you, you are to express the opln-
ion which, upon your honors and your oaths,
YOU then entertain. The state demands oil
you your unbiased and untrammeled judg.
ment, and you alone are responsible tor your
acts. II the wrong deed is done and the DIS
aster follows, no member of Congress, no
United States marshal, no custom house Oh
ficer will bear the blame or become the scape'
goat. The reproaca will rest where it be-
longs.
When you were elected no cloud was over
the sky. We had won our usual triumph
and the party seemed as solid and substan-
tial as when Abraham Lincoln was Captain
of the Host. Muttered sounds of discomfort
had been heard, but there was 10 concentra-
ton and no result. Since then, in other
states inhabited by men homo geneous with
ourselves, with like sentiments and like de-
sircs, the people have manifested in unequiv-
ocal terms the feeling which pervades the
whole country. Before the election in Mas
sachusetts no deeper mutterings were heard,
even in Buffers district, than are heard all
over this state to-day. Perhaps the Repnb-
lcans of Massachusetts, were to be eXcEseii
for not needing the warning MA4liiea 9s hhnder-
themselves nor. ave no such excuse. The
stefriing has come to us in such shape that it
demands heed and good works. If it be told
you that Mr.. Blaine, who certainly adds to
genius in politics rare facility and power of
expression, has advised the return of Mr..
Hamlin, there are two good answers at least.
Mr.. Blaine has been accused most wrongfully
and to his injury, of faltering in his support
of Mr.. Morrill, six years ago. He does not
mean to be obnoxious to such charge
again. A burnt child, however innocent,
breads the fire. Mr.. Blaine's judgment, UNI
would be Of great value. Mr. Blaine's utter
ances, complicated by personal feeling and
personal danger, may be of very little value.
Beside this, Mr.. Blaine, surrounded by fiat
tarers and misled by parasites, is in no posi-
ton to comprehend the trge state of public
feeling and of public desire. A bit OF recent
political history will illustrate what we mean.
However much we may dislike Mr.. Benz amin
f. Butler and deplore his connection with
the Republican party. no man in his senses
denies to him shrewdness and manipulating
skill. And yet with all the army of spies
and ofice-holders under his pay and protec-
ton, with all the means of information in
his power, and with all the overwhelming
personal interest he had at stake, Mr.. Butler
declared before election. that he intended and
expected to have six thousand majority in
his district. This faith be proved by his
works, for he had actually hired train and
cannon thereon 10 ride triumphant
ly across his district with salvos of artillery
amid the shouting thousands. What better
illustration do we want of the fact that
very great aud shrewd man, separated
from tie people by Gordon of dependents
who speak sweet things to him with view
to their own thriving, may mistake the actu-
al public sentiment in troublous times, aud
may permit his wish to become parent to his
thought? In such crisis as this, we must
resort to the honest good sense of legislators
aroused to a full comprehension of their duty,
rather than TO the eI cdthedrG counses of
men who, from their very situation, are Pc
culiarly liable to error.
Gentlemen of the Legislature-yours is the
duty and yours the responsibility. 1 hat Mr..
Hamlin gives cohesive power to party with
in the party and has moulded into q compact
and--to bimself-serviceable army the office
holding object Of our discomfort, no man can
doubt. If Nh. Hamliu were the Hamlin of
1857, bold and vigorous in righteous cause,
unhampered by parasites and unmortgaged
to unsavory followers, capable by youth and
vigor of giving form and utterance TO the
new principles which party Of progress de-
mands, you we'll might hesitate. But Mr..
Hamlin has been too long in public life. He
has become the creature of use and wont.
For the last six years he has scarcely been
heard of in public affairs. Credit Mobiiier,
Salary Grab and Butlarism have fallen upon
us and he has made no eflort to save. Age
may bring with it wisdom, but it certainly
brings Stiffness of joints.
The man we need for United States sena.
tor is man of high personal character who
will not hold his position for the purpose of
rewarding friends or of Furnishing enemies
He should be above all cIiques, and should be
with no set Of men banded togeth-
er for personal conquest and personal aggran-
dizemeDt He should be able to comprehend
In the sphere of his regard and labor no less
than the whole Republican party and all its
interests. He should be thoroughly convnc-
ed that MS high station is not given him for
personal hoaor, but to strengthen him to full
fill public duties; that the power is not grant
ed to enable him to marshal an army of re-
tanners to keep himself in place, but 10 enable
him to become effective in every good word
and work for his country. He should be
such man that, when his six years of service
are over, ard the most skilful and brilliant
politician of his age sits down to compose his
written culogy, he should find some deed of
noble note, SEINE strong word, some helpful
act to commemorate, and not be obliged to
take refuge in glittering generalities which
charm but to begrlile.
How Mr.. Hamiin fnlfills the conditions de-
lnanded of the man who is to represent us
you all know. For twenty-thrce years he has
t,Dn.. to L., y - At. ..