The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-07-23
Politics and Hard Times.

The Ellsworth American of the present week
contains very sensible on "Politics and Hard
Times" from which we take the following:
In the next place. our Democratic grumbler
who wants change of administration to better
the times, would do well to go for while
to some other country, and keep his eyes
and ears open there. He would find his "hard
times" talk there before him. We are like the
rest of the civilized world, except that our con-
ditOn is the best. Canada merchants tell us
that their business is worse than ours. In Eng
land there is q lack of employment, low wages,
want and suffering such as we have not dream
ed of. Thousands of operatives have nothing
to DO, and have no money with which they can
even emigrate On the Europeon continent the
same condition is found. Has our Democratic
grumbler the cheek to claim that the Republi
can party has caused all this.
And finally, if any honest man thinks that
any party is responsible for the times, let him
look twice, before he turns to Democracy for
relief That party has not left an ounce of
good administrative blood in its veins. ltbroke
down fifteen years ago, with an eruption of
disloyalty, and has never built up decent health
since.
Give it power anywhere, ana extravaganza
and misrule set in at once. Take it at home in
narrower view, or look further out, where it
has got possession of great cities or states, and
both the debt and taxes of the people are in
creased. In the broader field of national fnan-
ces there is nothing to be hoped from Democ-
racy, and everything to be feared. Business
men everywhere call for a settled and stable
currency. Money lies idle in the banks, await
Jog this to flow once more in enriching streams
to set the wheels of industry humming again.
The Republican party appreciates this, and is
getting into solid column, in favor of speedy
return to currency under which every man,
when he earns or invests dollar will know
what it is worth, and what he can get,ior it.
On the other hand, Democracy is becoming
more and more bedeviled with initiation and its
ten thousand ills. 1t has made up its initial
campaign for the year, in the great state of
Ohio on this issue, and looks to a nearly united
South for sympathy and support in the cleo
tons this fall. Should it triumph there, it
means to make initiation the main article in its
creed for 1876. Does the honest voter believe
that this will bring good times? A little re-
Election will teach him better. No, the only
safety is in sticking to the old state. The Re-
publican party has not been without faults,
but its burdens and responsibilities have been
tremendous, and it is everywhere setting itself
to reform abuses and to protect the peoples
best interests.
1t cannot legislate money into every mans
pocket, but it can hold such course as to our
finances. that capitalists who have money to
invest in business will see clear skies and plain
running ahead. Then in our time industry will
revive, new Beels will be laid in our ship yards,
new buildings will go up alb over the land, ev-
cry branch Of human labor will fell the impe
tus. We have countless wonders which the old
world knows nothing of. Our great crops,
wheat, corn and cotton are abundant. Drouth
and storm and flood abroad will open new mar
kets for us in the fall, and while we do not
look for a return of the flood tide at once, we
believe that the present year is the worst we
shall have. But when 'better times" come,
sensible men will see that the Democratic par
ty has no more helped them forward by legis-
latlve acts than it has stimulated the gentle
rains, the falling dews, or the life giving sun