Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-09-24
An Eye-Opener.

Ii all accounts are true Gen. Grants
bibulous propensities have made him we'll
acquainted with the merits of what is
generally known as IAN eye-opener," and
his political faculties seem to have recog-
nized something akin to the matutinal
cocktail in the election of the 18th inst,
in the tar-away rural districts of Maine.
1t is evident that he regards this result as
of the almost significance. Heretofore
after the election Mr.. Blaine always tele-
graphed the President as to the amount of
the increased Republican majority, for it
was only a question as to majorities, be-
cause beyond peradventure Maine was too
safely anchored in the Republican faith
ever to be shaken by outside storms. But
this year Mr.. Blaine, like the boy who
was caught .fagrante delicto, had nothing
to say. The fact is that in the back coun-
try of Maine the people have heretofore
believed in the purity and honesty of
the Republican party with all the ardor
of a sentiment and the zeal of religion
There the nois2me scandals from Wash
ington had not penetrated, or if heard at
all, were believed to be Democratic lies.
There it was believed that Grant was en-
gagged still in the holy and righteous
work of crushing 1.-The SHAREHOLDERS re-
beliion," and that in order b lthe
life Of the nation" It was necessary to
strengthen his hands by all the material
and moral support that could be given
him. Nay, it was firmly believed that the
Democrats were all at heart secessionists;
that if they ever obtained power, slavery
would be restored, the Union war debt re-
pudiated, the Confederate debt assumed,
and the Southern soldiers pensioned
whilst the Northern veterans were left out
i'll the cold. All this and much more of
the same sort was believed in the back
country of Maine, and hence it was only
a question with the great mass of the
people every year how large should be
their majority. 1t may at the first glance
seem strange that this state of things
should be true, but when we see the blind
ness with which the negroes in our own
county follow few leaders. who have sue
ceeded year after year in arraying them
not only in antagonism to those who are
their best and only friends, but against
their own pecuniary interest, NE should
not So much marvel that accomplished
and plausible politicians and graceful
orators, as both Mr.. Blaine and Mr.
Eugene Hale are, should be able to delude
the simple farmers and rude lumber men
who dwell in the wilds of Piseataquis
and Aroostook. none of whom ever saw n
Southerner, and who firmly believed that
before the war the diurnal meals OF the
STAKEHOLDER consisted of boiled babies,
and fricasseed pickannies,
This year the same tactics which had
heretofore been SO successful were tried.
The people were told the usual stories of
the great dangers which would overtake
the Republic if the Democrats were not
defeated, just as the blacks are told the
same thing here That the bloody shirt"
business might be gone through most ar
tistically with the latest improvements and
all the embellishments, the devil-ou-two-
sticks, in the shape of Senator Morton.
was imported to convince the people of
Maine that there was no salvation for the
country save in the Republican party
But, in the meantime, this primitive peo-
pie had heard the sad tale
'ruf public scandal. private fraud.
Crime Haunting scot free. while ,he mob ap-
piaud.
once n,ad,: vile to brib., unworthinc~s
And all tina unwholeso!ne mess
And their response was to poll Demo
cratic vote the like Of which has not been
known in that State within our memory
Gen. Grana at Long Branch, hobnobbing
with his friends, Tom Murphy and kin
bred spirits, hears the news and recognizes
the fact that disatfection in the back coun-
try of Maine is symptom of general
breakup. II acts as Ian eye-opener" and
sets him right up on his feet. He loses
no time in accepting the situation, for the
very next day he telegraphs Attorney
General Pierrepont in reference 10 the APP
plication of Gov. Ames, of Mississippi,
for a few Federal bayonets to start the
outrage mill with, in the following Ian
guage: The whole public are tired out
with these annual autumnal outbreaks in
the South, and the great majority are rea-
dy now to condemn any interference on
the part of the Government
When we remember that not year has
elapsed since the President and "all of
us"-as the Secretary of War telegraphed-
cordially approved the breaking up of the
Louisiana Legislature by Federal troops,
under the rough rider Sheridan, we can
hardly realize the fact that this is the same
man who now writes that 1.-The great MAORI
ty are ready to condemn any interference on
the part of the Government" The man
who wrote the famous message to Con-
gress With regard to the over.urning of the
Government of Arkansas-the man who
heartily endorsed the trampling under
foot the Constitution and laws by Kellogg
and made him Dictator of the fairest
State of the South six months ago, refuses
the same privilege to Ames in Mississippi
now, because the Maine cock tail has acted
as an eye'opener to the fact that "the
great majority" of the people condemn
such an abuse of the Federal power,-
Though the President has not yet recog-
nized the fact that such interference is UNI
constitutional, yet it is one step gained
that he knows 'the great majority" .arc
tired out" with such fantastic tricks
And it will not be many months before