The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1875-05-13
Our Coming State Election.

tween this date and the great October and
November elections. The latter will in
dictate in an unmistakable way the drift
| OF public Sentlment-Whether towards the
ascendancy Of the republican party, or a
continued indication in favor Of a return
| of power to the hands of the democracy
| The September contests, under ordinary
| circumstances, would be considered as
| torerunners of the October and November
| elections. Kentucky is SO steadfastly and
| overwhelmingly democratic that an in
crease in its enormous majorities would
! hardly be acknowledged as the coming OF
sign. But we shall know where to find
her California is a peculiar community
Lying on the far Pacific coast, with a
soil of marvellous productiveness, with a
| foreign commerce that might be the pride
OF an empire, with such an aifluence OF
| the precious metals that she seorns the
and Ignores it in her transactions-her
| political condition is as anomalous as her
| business relations and her unyarying pros
| perlty. They do not know the curse OF a
deprecated and irredeemable paper cnr-
rency-they trade with foreign nations on
a specie basis-the terror of bavonet GOV
eminent, the folly of civil rights laws,
| affect them not Therefore will the COM
ing election in that State be less signifi-
cant, if against the democracy, than it
| otherwise would
Maine occupies a position the reverse
Of California in all respects We have no
currency but government paper. We are
manufacturing and ship-buildng State
Interests that are now greatly depress-
ed. Our business relations with the south
| are close When in those states feeling
OF insecurity is engendered by the policy
OF the administration, and capital fees
from their borders, Maine feels it sadly
in her business. When the southern plant
er cannot raise crops, he cannot employ
the ships Of Maine to transport them, or
realize the proceeds to invest in the manu-
features Of the north 1t is fact that the
administration and its supporters have
cried out SO much against imaginary reb-
els,-have talked SO much and printed 50
much and legislated so much against what
does not exist, that capital has been afraid
to 60 there. Capital goes where security
exists. where government fosters peace,
and industry makes the land to blossom.
When the radical and carpet Dagger take
South Carolina by the throat and rob her.
or with a bayonet at the heart of Louisi-
ana despoil that state, they plumber Maine
likewise
For these reasons the election of next
September in Maine ought to show re-
action. The great middle and western
states spoke last fall Even Massachu-
sets declared for the democracy, and for
babe the turbulent and INSCRIPTIONS But
Ter from longer insulting our sister states
OF the south on the floor Of Congress. This
spring, with all the enormous efforts of
the administration, New Hampshire and
Connecticut spoke loudly and unmistak-
ably for a change of national policy The
declaration IN favor of the reign OF better
men and wiser policy is as wide as the
nation. 1t comes from the south, the
west, the north and the east
Shall the democracy of Maine stand
cold and torpid, and by their indifference
chill the enthusiasm of their brethren all
over the union? 1t ought not. it must
not be. Maine has more reason to revolt
against the radical yoke than any of the
states that have spoken so decidedly. We
believe that the people are ripe for it.
Our needs are leadership, organization
and work. The democracy have the ma
terials tor all this within themselves. Let
us therefore have an early convention, a
full convention, and one at which shall be
laid the foundations of thorough and eff
flcient campaign. Out from that gather
ing can be made to 60 spirit of reyolu-
ton and courage which shall arouse the
democracy like the blast of a trumpet.
Once in motion, the enthusiasm can be
kept up and kept going until election.
And when the returns are counted up on
election night, our friends in other states
will see that Maine has partaken of the
lnfhnSIqc anA 1ofn 4:
mates the democracy.
We know there is much to contend with
The state is over-run with federal officials
Money is theirs without stint. Mr., Blaine
is a leader of great ability and shrewd-
ness, who will devote his whole efforts to
the campaign. But there are times and
occasions when money loses its power.
Connecticut would have been carried if
money could have done it. Federal officers
swarmed in the state, and the President
himself came to New York and gave his
personal attention to the Connecticut can
vass And he went back crest-fallen. Mr..
Blaine, as we have said, is an able leader,
but he is not invincible. He failed in New
York last fall, he failed in Massachusetts,,
and he came out of Connecticut at the
head of beaten and demoralized army of
federal emissaries. With an earnest and
thorough effort, some approach to a like
result can be reached in Maine. Let us
remember that stirring maxim of old Ben.
Franklin, "God helps them that help them
selves"