The Portland daily press., 1876-03-31
The Connecticut Republicans.

Iuo hepuUlcduS OF COnnocClcut are deter
mined, Cato.like, to deserve success even if
they cannot achieve it. They have planted
themselves upon an excellent platform, have
presented unexceptionable candidates, and
have gone into the campaign with the pur-
pose to win. They are fighting the battle on
live issue, and do not content themselves
with an appeal to their record, good as that
is. On matters of state policy their position
is unimpeachable, and the Democrats, well
aware of this, are conducting the campaign
on national questions. The Republicans do
not fear to squarely meet their opponents in
the wider field, and their standard bearer,
the Hon. Henry G. Robinson, in an address
of great beauty and power delivered at New
Haven Monday gave reasons for the faith
that was within him, and clearly set forth
the position of his party on the great ques-
tions which now divide public opinion.
These questions he held to be the currency
question, the results of the war, and official
purity and fitness.
The financial issue is neatly summed up by
Mr.. Robinson in this one interrogatory
Shall we pay our debts? He held it high
time for the nation in these days of peace 10
do away with the temporary financial expe.
dents which were measures of necessity du1-
ing the war; for by the continuance of our
paper currency industry is paralyzed and un-
certainty waits at the gates Cf trade. He
clearly pointed out that the only hope of re-
lief is in the Republican party, for that party
is committed to the prompt fulfment of our
| promises and the earliest possible return to
| specie payments. On the other hand the
Democracy has no policy upon this subject.
| Its sole endeavor is to avoid and confuse the
question of resumption, to harmonic all
views and to express none. While the in
| dustries OF the people are languishing, while
vast debt is burdening business the De-
mocracy shows a shuffiing avoidance of the
means of relief, and makes no attempt to
| promote the commercial and business inter-
| ests of the nation. Even so moderate a
| measure as the Payne bill fails to command
its support.
The second question of great importance
is: Shall the lessons of the late war be held
in honor2 When we find that the defence
OF the national integrity upon the battlefield
has become matter of apology and regret
we may well hesitate to entrust the control
of the government TO the apologsts. Mr..
Robinson points to the Democratic majority
in the House and asks the voter TO consider
who are their representative men, what is
their arrangement of committees, whom
have they elected for officers? The mounds
of our soldiers graves have scarcely settled
| to level with their surrounding earth when
Mr.. Hill of Georgia, rises in his seat in the
House of Representatives, and with unparal-
leted insolence upholds the right of secession
and defends the atrocities of Acdersonville,-
and not one Northern Democrat cares to re
buke him. On the contrary he is raptur-
| olsy applauded. Nor does the Democracy
content itself with empty applause. Judg-
| ing by its recent demonstrations there is every
reason to fear that it will increase our bur-
| densome debts hundreds of millions by re-
| funding the cotton tax and by other measures
compensating the people of the South for
those damages which are incidental to war.
| lhC 1Ahu HuOoltOh 10 IuO quCStiOu vi Ull-
cial purity and fitness. Does any man be-
| lieve, asks Mr.. Robinson, that we can hope
better things for official purity in the success
! of the Democratic party than in the victory
| of purified Republican party? The DEM
| ocracy has ever shown itself averse to reform
| in its own ranks, has ever endeavored to
| screen its own criminals. 1t is the author OF
| the civil service which it now decrys. 1t
planted the seeds of what corruption is now
| fourishing, and now its investigating commit
| tees of which it boasts are acting solely as
partisans. "They gave tone in loud chorus,
| like the bay OF full pack of hounds, when
the hot scent of fraud led into one political
organization, but when it trailed away to-
| wards the camps where they themselves slept
| they were as still as cast iron dogs set up en-
lawn. They are glad to find corruption-lf
it is Republican corruption; but they run
| away down wind with the speed of yacht if
the fraud in the air is Democratic Instead
OF looking upon corruption in high place as a
| national disgrace, they hail it with ill-conceal-
| ed exulta1ion. On the other hand the Re-
Puoilcdu party LAS always ebuedVoIeu W un-
| cover frauds and nnworthiness in whatever
| camps soever they could be found, and to
bring their authors TO disgrace, defeat and
| punishment. 1t has recognized that the
brotherhood of thieves is confined to no no.
| litical communion.
Upon these issues the Republicans of Con-
necticut invite comparison with their oppo-
nents. There ought to be no doubt of the
choice of the people OF Connecticut. There
would be no doubt if the state could but once
redeem itself from its vassalage to the cor
rupt politicians Of Tammanv,