The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-05
Mr.. HamIin'S Two Virtues,

No man in this world can be asked or ex-
pected to do more than act up to his lights;
but if he aspire to continuance IN high office
he must take care that his lights are bright
and pure. OF the two virtues which are
claimed by Mr.. Hamiin and his followers, in
the absence of great qualities, as reason for
an extension of his protracted incumbency of
office, the first is that he has not lined his
pockets with the money of corruption.
The pressing of this claim as special
distinction is an unwarranted asperSion upon
every other candidate and every other Con-
gresham from Maine Thank God that hon
esty is not yet phenomenal in this state and
that the quality may be just as fully claimed
for each of the other candidates as for Mr..
Hamlin. Why, then, should that common
honesty which Mr.. Hamlin shares with nine
tenths of his constituents be relied upon to
elevate him more than others? He has
never had any greater temptation than most
men. Why should a man steal who, like
Mr.. Hamlin, by long continuance i'll office on
handsome salaries has waXed rich? Many a
man of greater ability, of wider culture and
of more useful life, has gone to his grave
without ever accumulating the half of what
Mr.. Hamlin possesses. And yet his friends
claim that, after he has had fat salaries for
forty years, we should pay him thirty thou
sand dollars more for six years of silence, in
action and uselessness.
The other virtue is that he stakes care of
his friends" If there is one wrong to the
people more unhandsome than any other it is
| this proudest boast of the Hamlin party.
There is no man living who will not admit
that nothing could strike deeper at the foun-
dations of republican government than brib-
cry by money. To filch away from tile peo-
pie of this state the honest judgment Of any
of their representatives by the use of money
would, if known, send thrill Of just rage
| through the people that would blast forever
the perpetra.or; and et,after all, bribery by
Office any cleaner and purer than bribery
| by money? Would it be any worse to pay a
| man for his vote with fifteen hundred dollars
| in money than with six years of an office
worth fifteen hundred a year? Surely the
money bribe is the honester. If man be
| paid for his vote thousand dollars, il is
| worth the money of the briber. 1t is his
| own. If he give him as pay sinecure office,
| he does it out of our money. He uses oul
| money to pay men for fighting us. 1t makes
| no difference how craftily we disguise it,
bribery by office under the Hamlin regime is
| crumbling the ground sills of the Republican
| party. Mr.. Burlegh's admirable speech has full
| ly exposed one notable instance. That instance
| needs to be impressed upon the minds OF the
| people of Maine. 1t alone, in the earlier and
better days of the republic, wouldhav oustet
from position a greater man than Mr.. Ham
lin. This instance is but one of many. The
| memory of any person who knows anything
about the politics Of Maine for the last si2
years will readily supply tie names O
ssfriends' who have been "taken care off,
OF course Mr.. Hamlin never said to these
men 'sYou support me and will give you of
fice." He is more skillful than that. Whai
he does say is, 81 promise no man an office.
! NY past record shows that am true to my
friends.'' Fortunately for his country, al
though there may be no limit to Mr.. Ham
Inns wishes, there is, in this canvass, linn
| to offices. Earlier hands have gathered
them almost all-hands too, which have 8
habit of holding fast what they grasp. and
which will not be easily unloosed to maxi
place for the itching palms of new recruits
Those who follow Mr.. Hamln's standard thi;
time for share in the booty must fain be
content with good wishes, even if success
crown their efforts. The promise of his pas
life" may not be exhausted, but the Offices