The Portland daily press., 1875-12-21
THE PRESS.
TUESDAY MORNING, DEC. 21, 1875
Fair Play.

selves as independent voters, who suggest
that they are abroad with scissors and pencil
to clip and scratch the ballot on every elec-
tion day. They hold themselves out to be
body of superior free-lances ready to lend
their weapons to one party or the other, not
Tor pelf or patronage or power, but for love
OF country and good government. 1t is not
proposed here and now to examine into the
genuineness of their high claims. 1t is how
ever proposed to take exception 10 the
double-standard in use by them in their judg-
ment OF existing parties. One of course ap-
plies higher and more critical test to a
theatrical company which presents Shakes
pearian play than to troupe which gives a
variety show. One does not use the same
rules in treating of the work of sculptor and
that OF grave-stone cutter. So it may be
scarcely reasonable to apply the same high
standard in general to the Democratic party
that we do to the Republican. It is perhaps
not reasonable to expect so much. But
when both parties come before the people
and ask for the same official trust, the ad-
ministration of the government, we have a
right to use the same tests, to ask for equal
qualifications. This is what the independent
voters, if we may judge (and it is the only
ground for judgment offered) by their SELF
constituted organs, neglect TO do. They are
ready to make excuses for the Democracy
where they hold Republicans to strict ac-
count. They assume savagely critical tone
toward the one, and a gently apologetic tone
toward the other. The acts of the public
men in one party are watched with the clos
est scrutiny, and the most unfavorable con-
struction put upon their motives. The faults
of the leaders of the other party are gently
treated and ingeniously explained away, and
their motives are assumed to be pure and
lofty.
The latest and perhaps most conspicuous
instance of unfair dealing is in the treatment
OF the financial question by the independent
organs. These papers in passing judgment
upon the two parties have heretofore re-
fused 10 take the matter of previous good or
bad character into account They have cried
out that by-gones should be by-goues, that
the dead past should bury its dead, that the
treatment of questions of present moment
should not be obscured by old prejudices and
animosities. They have claimed that the
people should judge of the parties by their
present attitude and not by their record, that
it is no argument against the genuineness of
Democratic professions of reform that the
Democracy when ii had the power demoral-
lied the civil service and squandered the ma
tional revenues. They have insisted that the
old things have passed away, and that all has
become new. On this position they have now
turned their backs. The Republicans in Con-
gress are making strenuous efforts to bring
about resumption of specie payments, to have
passed measures to regulate the currency and
to place it upon sound basis. What course
have the independent organs taken? Forget
ing Or ignoring their claim that by-gone
should be by-gones, they raise the elamor
that the Republicans are insincere, that while
they controlled Congress they neglected to
pass, radical resumption measures, and that
their present course is dictated only by de-
sire to make political capital. So long as the
|1pbjection was made to the Democracy that il
made professions of reform only when it had
no power to put them into practice, the inde-
pendent editors ridiculed the objection. But
as soon as an objection Similar in nature is
made to the Republican party they eagerly
hasten to endorse il.
The unfairness of the course taken in this
matter by the Independent editors is patent.
Granting, for the moment, their assertion
that the Republican party has been inconsis-
tent in its financial policy, it is evident from
their own arguments that if the Republican
party is right now it merits from them hear
ty and unfaltering support. They have de-
barred themselves by their repeated declara-
tions from going into the history OF party pol
icy. They have pledged themselves to act
with that party which supports those legisla-
tive measures demanded by the immediate
wants of the country. To the financial poll
cy of the Administrator and of the Republi-
can minority in Congress they have no word
OF objection to make 1t is policy which
they have long advocated, and they are bound
by their professions 10 heartily support the
party which endorses it, aud to act with that
party so long as it meets their views. But
the trouble with them is that while they have
granted full amnesty to the Democrats fol-
past faults, they refuse to be as generous to
the Republicans