The Portland daily press., 1876-08-17
The Issue.
10 the Editor of the Press:

OF the resumption of specie payment, whether
1t Is to comes sooner or later, not that it is a
matter of small moment, but in my view, it is
q question of infinitely less importance than
other questions which are certainly involved in
the approaching Presidents election. The
question of the resumption of speciespayments
10 mere matter of money, of the business
prosperity of the country more or less, but it
does not touch the honor or the life of the ma
ton.
There are involved in the issue of the next
election, some questions of infinite importanc g
to the honor and even the existence of the gov
eminent. have been asked sometimes: ''Isnt
Mr.. Tiden respectable man? Hasn't he man
ifested disposition to hunt out fraud and to
punish those who betrayed public trusts?
Wouldn't il be safe to put the administration
into his hands?" L do not care to consider
those questions, hecause they ale really irrela
vent. We are not to look to Mr. Tilden, but to
the party behiud him, which would constitute
the moving and controlling power of HIS ad-
ministration if be should be elected. If Mr.
Tiden should come into the White House the
Democratic party would come into the capitol
and would control and direct the policy of the
telligent man who has kept himself we'll in
formed in relation TO events which have trans.
pred since the war, can possibly be in doubt as
to the resutssof Democratic triumph at the
next election.
There wouldfbe speedily repeal of the law
requiring the payment of duties on imports to
be made in gold: this would render it inevita-
BILE, that interest on our public debt would be
paid in greenbacks, thus involving the nation
in the shame and dishouor of reputation
There would be repeal of the law requiring
our public debt to be paid in gold as it natures,
aud that would strike a staggering blow if not
fatal one to our national character and credit,
30 as to render it impossible for Us henceforih
for many years to borrow money in the worlds
markets. This is not an idle fear, sipce macy
of the most prominent politicians of the coun-
try have boldly and freely advocated that policy
In the press, upon macy platforms, and even
In the halls of Congress, and have vebemently
urged its adoption as ready and easy way for
the nation to pay its debts. Ii was attempted
to build up party upon that issue, bat hilher-
to it has failed, but the success of the Demo-
cratic party would involve the adoption of taat
policy.
There can be no case which more clearly
than this proves the wisdom and truth of the
old saw, Honesty is the best policy" After
the close of the war our fve-twenties were a
drug in the London market at SO, while Eng
lish three per cents. sold readily at SO. A fair
price for the five-twenties as compared with the
English consols would have been $50. The diff
ference was just the money value in the market
Afo aSta had Cos osa1
honor and integrity There had never been .
suspicion of the good faith of the British gov
eminent in the honest payment of its debts,
while at that time many of our prominent pub
Lie men were urging the country and the gov
eminent to the payment of our debts in paper
money. But for the doubt of the world in our
honor and integrity, the great money markets
ct LONDON, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Frank
Tort would eagerly take all our bonds at three
and half or four per cent, and thus enable US
to fund our entire indebtedness at that low fig
ure. %. ....
At that time was guest in Quaker fami-
ly in England, where often was. An estate
had Just been sold for ESQ, OO0-$250, 0OO--and
one evening the question arose between the faith
er and son as to the best investment for it. For
some days before the son had inquired of me
carefully as to the probable safety of our Unit
ed States bonds, and in this consultation with
his father, in my presence, be urged the pur
chase of our five-twenties. which then stood in
London at So; but the father was afraid of re-
pndiation, and purchased instead English three
per cents, forfwhich he paid SO. The actual
difference to him was $500, which may be fair
~ considered as a premium of insurance on
American bonds that IS, it was considered to
be well worth fifty per cent. to insure against
American bad faith in the payment of its debts
If the Democratic party should come into
power, this event would also eventually occur.
An immense amount of Southern claims
would be urged successfully upon Congress for
the pay ment of rebel losses by the war; In
deed the rebels are already stimulated to urge
their claims n consequence OF Democratic
majority in the lower house of Congress-
Many millions of such claiias have already
been urged for alo vance.
If the Democrat party should come into
power, rebel soldiers, their widows and orphans
would be pensoned precisely as our loyal sol
ders have been and are, and these pensions
would be ''equslz-d"-why rot? That is, they
would be retrospective and would be made up
from the date of the wounds, disability or
death. We should see the rebel generals, COLO
aels and captains back again in their old places
in our army, and we should see Semmes back
again in our navy, with the rank of senior adj
niral. Why not? Since We know what the
Democratic majority in the House of Repre-
sentatives did in expeling from all Offices un-
der its control the loyal soldiers who he'd
them, and putting in their places the rebel sol
der sand officers who did their best to destroy
the nation and blot it out from the map of The
world Why Dot? When here in Maine on a
public occasion. at which we're present the
officers and soldiers of our loyal armies, we see
the standard bearer of the Democratic party of
theistate praislng and eulogizlug Robert e
Leo, who, more than any other man, contrib
tributed to give force atd power to the rebel
lion, to involve the nation in tremendous ex-
pense, and to burden it with enormous debt.
and to slaughter hundreds of thousands of loyal
men aud to wound and MAIN hundreds of
thousands who yet live to emphasize the hor-
rors of the Democratic rebellion.
This flag bearer of the Democratic party of
Maine had no kind word for the loyal men who
with fortune and life stood by the dear old
nag in the dark days when it seemed to all
casual lookers-on that it must go down in sor-
row, shame and blood. He had no kind word,
no sympathy, for them, by many Of whom be
was surrounded at the moment, but all his
heart went out towards the man who was edu-
Gated by the nation, and by the nation put in
to position of great Influence, power and trust,
and who deserted lis country at the hour of
her utmost need and carried away to the rebel
camp the secrets of our civil and military SER
vice, and then did his best to crush out the life
Of the nation to which he owed his all.
Let it not be said that this incident does not
mark fairly the animus of the Democratic
party of the North, because it is not too much
to say that in no state is there more respect
able Democratic party than that Of Maine
and if we may fairly consider such to be the
tone and tendency of Maine Democracy, what
may we not expect from the entire party
directed and controlled as it will and must be
by the rebel element of it, which sought to
blot the nation out in fire and blood?