New-York tribune., 1874-11-18

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"a majority vote in free, fair, and open
"caucus.n "I cannot believe this is true"
says the Speaker, regarding this shocking sug-
gestion; "and yet" he adds, II think you owe
cit to the party of whose principles you have
"long been an honorable and able exponent.
"tO make frank declaration on the subject"
A touch of the thumbscrew in this. The
idea of party newspaper suggesting or ia
voring in any remOtest manner, the setting
up of individual Judgment against the dictum
of caucus" the time-honored usage "-and
all that, has startled Mr.. Blaine. 1t is very
velvetty suggestion that he makes, that you
COVE it to tho party to make frank
declaration;" but under the velvet the edl-
tor doubtless knew that the sheathed claws OF
"the party" lay, and that his frank declara-
"tion of disposition to do his own think
ing independently of the caucus would be
followed by the "cold shoulder" " of the party,
to say the least. The editor of party news
paper-of the kind that are called "Organs"
knows too we'll what that means to incur
it rashly. And so we are not surprised to
find the editor in his answer denouncing
as "idiotic gabble" the rumor that he would
continue to have an opinion after the caucus
had decided what he should think. For Mr..
BIaine's benefit he says "there has never
"been one editorial word in The Press looking
"toward the support of such proposition !;
eve never have entertained any such notion,
"and in all human probability never shall"
In his eagerness to put himself and his paper
beyond danger of accommodation he not only
disclaims having ever entertained any notion
of opposing caucus nomination, but proifers
the gratuitous pledge that he never shall en-
tertain it. The report to the contrary he pro-
nounces Gas absurd roofback as was ever
"conjured up by an unscrupulous journal for
"political effect" and he regards it as worthy
"Only of disdainful derison."
With this letter of the Speakers and this
reply of the leading Administration organ be-
fore us, we do not need to look farther to
discover the estimate which Maine Republi-
cans put upon party obligations OF the Tree
dom of thought and action which they concede
to the individual. The most conspicuous Re
publican in the State and the leading news
paper are on record as having thorough
belief in the infallibility of the caucus and
holy horror of any questioning OF its con-
clusions. With the understanding, then, that
the newspaper will advocate the election OF
Mr.. Hamlin in case the caucus shall nominate
him, it is interesting to know upon what
grounds it opposes his nomination. And this
ia what it says of him with manifest sincerity
and earnestness:
"He has sat in his place in the Senate and seen the
Credit Mober operations the back pay euormity, and
all the rest of the bad legislative action, whose record
s breaking back OF the Republican party aud ruin
Ing the good name OF the nation, pass unchailenscd
With his vast experience in public affairs his high per
sonai character, and his eminent ability, 1t was In his
power TO make manly protest against all these things
which would have been effective and would have I'M
parted infinitely moro luster to his name than the
passive virtue which Mr.. Blaine commends. The man
who good himself permits the bad, is not the man the
times demand. The ideal Senator is OF more heroic
mold and attempts to remedy evils not content with
lazy abstinence from participation in them"
A very good description of a man and of
class of men who have done infinite mischief
to their own party as well as to the country
in the past five or six years by lending re-
spectable names to cover up rascallties. They
are the men who ought to retire from public
life But if Mr.. Hamlin has secured major
ity of the Republicans in the Maine Legisla-
ture. will The Portland Press withdraw its
opposition, and do what it blames him for
"permit the bad n-and refuse to "makc
"manly protest |" Ab, the "heroic mold OF
"the ideal Senator" is easily described. Is
there no "heroic mold" for the ideal news
paper, which will "attcmpt to remedy evils
and not be content with lazy abstinence
from participation in them 7" The Press
saws Mr. Hamlin is conspicuously the center
I" and cohesive force of q set OF men ObDOx-
"ious to the people. and his election means
{" the perpetuatiOn of this sort of thing, which
Z" is the Maine form of Butlerism. 1t is pre-
"cisely the thing against which the late elec-
"tions were a protest" The nomination of
such man by party caucus cannot by any
possibility make him better fitted for the Office
or do away with the serious objections urged
to him. What could be worse than the per-
petuation of Butlerismi What is there worse,
between which and supporting Hamlin The
Press selects the latter in its choice of evils9
The Press is correct in its Interpretation Of
one of the meanings of the late elections.
They uere a protest against Butlerism. But
they were in much larger and more sgnif-
cant sense a protest against the tyranny of
caucus, and the wicked absurdity Of binding
honest men to support bad nominations. That
is this years fruit, this years crop of truth,
and Mr.. Blaine and his friends need only step
over into Massachusetts to find the ground
covered with it. AS to Mr.. Hamlin, we do
not doubt that he will be elected, and we en-
tertain no hopes that the newspapers which
arc doing their own thinking now will ven-
ture to set up an opinion after the caucus.
But it is an encouraging sign when one of
them is suspected of having a desire to do so
even though it Immediately discams it.
THE ITALIAN ELECTIONS
Tho olantiona hold In Italu nm H. OIL n