The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-10-12
TO.Day'S Battle.


that the eyes of the whole country are turned
to Ohio to-day and that the news which to-
morrow's papers will contain will be looked
for with anxious interest. The question in
volved in the Ohio election is of more than
partisan import, it Involves the honor and
honesty of the nation. If the rabid infation-
lists succeed the movement for virtual repu-
diation will assume alarming proportions,
and one of the great political parties will be
committed to pernicious financial doctrine.
Flustered by success the extremits will in
sist upon the most radical construction of a
bad platform, and the campaign for soft money
will become national in its extent Week by
week the contest in the Buckeye state has
become more sharply defined. Those Re-
publicans who were at first wavering have
deem driven to the support of a sound cur
rency. Those who favor imitation have de-
serted to the standard of Allen and Cary.
Of the hard money Democrats some have,
to use favorite phrase of Democratic
papers, ''been whipped into the ranks"
some have become sulky and will absent
themselves from the polls, some have deter
mined to vote for Hayes and an honest cur
rency.
1t is impossible to predic. the issue of the
conflict. The campaign is a peculiar one,
party lines are freely stepped over, and can
vases cannot be relied upon. Doubtless
there are Republicans who will vote for Allen
and Democrats who will vote for Hayes. The
number of these is sufficiently large to de-
stroy the worth OF the usual party calcula-
tions. Still the Republicans have every rea-
son for hope. 1t is generally conceded that
the result in the state will be governed by the
result in Hamilton county, and it is be-
lieved that the Germans hold the balance of
power there. These men have been educat-
ed to favor an honest currency, and of late
Carl Schurz has been putting the finishing
touches to that education. Their votes gem
orally will be cast for Hayes.
In case the Republican State ticket tri-
umphs the result will have more than party
significance. Honest men will exult as they
eXulted over good news from the armies of
the Potomac and the West. 1t is to be hoped
that many Democrats will unite in such re-
joicings. The sense of party fealty is strong
and unreasoning with most of us. But no
honest Democrat who holds fast to the an
cent principles of that party should hesitate
for moment to rejoice over result which
may save the party from committing itself
to the degradation of the national honor, and
from the abandonment of financial theory
on which it formerly prided itself. Should
the struggle result in the triumph of Allen it
becomes all friends of an honest currency to
prepare themselves for great national con-
fict between the advocates of honesty and
dishonesty.
In A RECENT issue the London Builder
calls attention to the diversity in the reports
which British consuls are required to make
to the government, many being entirely
worthless and few giving that information
which is useful. 1t attributes this diversity
partly to lack of proper instructions and
partly to the lack of qualification of the gen.
tlemen appointed to the foreign service. The
Builder then proceeds to notice the report of
Consul Murray of Maine which it pronounces
zone of the best and most interesting trade
reports of the year," and as made by an officer
''who has spared no pains to supply useful
information to the trading classes of England
and who has often when official data were
wanting, taken great trouble to render his pic
ture accurate" The Builder then gives a
summary of the products of Maine which are
useful in the construction of buildings, its
lumbers, its granite, its ciays for brick, its
slate, lime, the amount of water and other
power employed in the manufacture of
building materials and the condition of the
trade at time of writing. The report strikes
us as being very valuable one and bears
marks of great care and accuracy.
In view Of the great increase of mercantile
failures, the Boston Commercial Bulletin pro-
poses "that public functionary or commits.
sioner be appointed whose duty it shall be TO
examine closely into the cause of failures,
carefully sift the evidence on both sides in
relation to fraud or poor business manage
ment, censure the blame-worthy, and publish
to the world an impartial summary of each
case, from which the business committee can
draw its own morals. Only failures of gener-
al interest need be investigated, or such as a
sufficient number of merchants ask to have
light thrown upon. 1t might be impossible
or unavoidable to have these functionaries ap-
pointed by the Federal government; but each
state could have its own failure examiner or
board of examiners. Perhaps it would be
well TO have the registers in bankruptcy take
charge of such cases as go to the courts. and
our boards of trade and other commercial;
bodies might be recognized, in the appoint
ment of the other examiners. The whole
scheme may he impracticable, but it is worth
thinking Off
The Memphis Appeal publishes a letter
lzS Gax, 5 ] IL.