The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-01-02
The Duty of the Hour.


When, after the dreadful warning which
the Republican party received from the No.
vember election, we gave voice in behalf Of
the people of this state to their protest
against the longer continuance of Mr.. Ham,
lin in the Senate and the consequent perpet-
uaton of the ruinous system and organiza-
ton which he represents and sustains, we
did it with none of that strong confidence
and vigorous hope with which we now con-
tinue the work. In entering upon this con-
test we were actuated by no local considera-
ton, we were in the interest of no man or
set of men.
We had but a single purpose, in support
of which there has been no faltering and no
shadow of turning That purpose was and
is the preservation Of the Republican party
in Maine. Under no fear of accusation of
disloyalty have we hesitated to tell the
plain. .unvarnished truth or failed to uplift the
voice of faithful warning. We understood
that it was contest ofuntraned men against
disciplined forces fully organized-of men
who had only the interest of citizens against
men who had selfish and personal interests
and who were determined to make the prin-
ciple of bribery by Office successful institu-
ton and recognized fact. Against such a
force so trained and so actuated, it was evil
dent that only the people could make head.
The result has kept pace with our hopes.
From all parts of the state faithful men, who
loved the party whose past history is so hon.
orable, have sent words of approval and en-
couragement, and have ranged themselves in
line for the final effort. All the skill of the
trained scouts from the granite quarries and
federal offices, all the cunning devices and at
tempts to raise side issues of no consequence,
have been unable to divert the mind Of the
people from the great and absorbing fact that
the future of the Republican party in Maine
depends upon the issue soon to be presented.
We seem now to have reached the region
of light. What was known only to those who
had made careful examination is now appar-
ent to all. The feeling that the return of
Mr.. Hamiin, in view of the length of his SER
vice and the character of it, is unwise, un-
safe and iniudicious, instead of being, as his
runners said, mere local prejudice has been
proved to be as wide as the Republican party
and as broad as the state.
Penobscot county, participating in the SEN
timent of the rest of the state with hearth
ness that does her honor, has brought for
ward the name of John A. Peters. So far are
we from being actuated by any hostility to
that section, that we cordially welcome to a
prominent position in the canvass the man
whom Penobscot has selected. His honora-
BILE career in Congress, which would have
been prolonged to the credit and benefit of
his district for many years had the people
alone been consulted, is ample pledge OF ca
reer oil usefulness and honor in the United
States Senate, should he receive the suffrages
ofthe Legislature. We know no more hon.
est-minded public man in the state and, if the
Legislature deem him the right man to sue
ceed Mr.. Hamlin, no sectional feeling then
will prevent us, any more than il does now,
from doing justice to his merits.
The result OF this insurrecton Of the peo-
pie against the thoroughly disciplined bread
and-butter brigade. thus far gives us great en-
couragement. But in our hopes of success we
must not forget the character of
our foe. The cause has reached
such state that success is GER
tain if every citizen who believes that thepar-
ty ought no longer to countenance or submit
to organized bribery by Office, will but bestir
himself and do his whole duty III the matter.
If any doubt exists in the minds of members
of the Legislature,i 1T has been placed there by
some of the devices such as we have already
enumerated, and ought to be removed. We
hope that every citizen who feels an
interest in this important subject will go to
doing. If they cannot then perceive for
themselves the devices of the wicked and es-
pecially the procession system which Ham
linism has brought to perfection, they will,
have to shut their eyes very tight. There
will be plenty of men brought there by
money contributed out of salaries which the
people pay. They will throng around the
Legislature, endeavoring, by their nearness, to
obscure the distant people. But the men,
bers of theLegislature, forewarned and fore
armed, should not mistake the noisy splash
which these men will make for the heavy
ground swell Unpopular feeling.
But inasmuch as the "Hamlin crowd'' will
be there in such force and numbers, they
should be met. Citizens from all parts of
the state, who are really interested for the
preservation of the party, should make pill
grimage to Augusta; not to initiate the arts
of their adversaries but to show to the 1ep-
resentatives of the people by the pres
ence Of the people themselves, that
they will be sustained and supported
in an honorable and manly course, free from
dictaton by their servants and dependents.
1t is a burning shame that any such counsel
should be needed. The Legislature ought to
be left to its own unbiased, unpledged judg-
ment. No man ought 10 dare approach it
with any talk of personal obligation or pledg-
es. But the memory of the campaign of 1869
is too recent for any man to forget the appl
ances of that year, or to doubt that the very
same appliances will be used again. 1t was
an evil day for the state of Maine when tie
arts of the lobby were introduced into the
canvass for the senatorship. We hope and
believe that the day has at last come, or rath-
er returned, when senator of the United
States can be chosen by the free, untram-
meled, honorable and honoring suffrages of
legislators, who feel that bribery by office
is more dishonorable to both parties than
bribery by money.
NJ. ARsENE HoUssAYE, who is writing
series of entertaining Paris letters to the New
York Tribune, has something to say of Amer
ican beauty which will be gratifying to our
fair countrywomen. Remarking by way of
premise that for philosophers, lovers, and ar
fists, Venus will always be the most majes-
tic symbol of plastic beauty, and that to be
beautiful now a-days, it is requisite to have,
like Venus, perfection of lines and dazzling
color, he goes on to say that Paris has scarce
ly anything but American women to repre-
sent that Olympian style of beauty. At an
assembly of artists recently it was proclaimed
that the first of nations for the production of