Daily Kennebec journal., 1876-03-29
Erom the-Chicago 90 Tribune

: The ignorance Of the Democratic press
> of this country is remarkable. In the
, first place, it is remarkable that 1t has
heard nothing of the Republican VIC
tory in New Hampshire, and the large
Republican gains in the recent town eiec-
tions of Maine, New York and New Jer-
sew. In the second place, it is still more
remarkable that it has heard nothing OF
the peculiar transactions of such proml-
ncnt Democrats as Mr.. Pendleton, Gov.
Hendricks, Sam Randall, and Gov. Til
den, which have been developed since
the Belknap investigations commenced
How is it that none of these papers which
are busy from morning to night pratlng
of the national morality have heard OF
Gentleman Georges neat little operation
in railroad claims, of Gov. Hendricks Pc
culiar STYLE of financering in waterbonds,
of Sam Randall's crooked operations in
philadelphia, of Gov. Tlden's railroad
squeezing operations, and OF Marsi's ex-
odus through the courtesy of Hester Cly-
mer9 We have looked and looked in vain
for them to launch their thunder-bolt
against these tall democrats, and we had
a right to expectit. They have not allowed
a day to pass without preaching us SER
mons in morality, without Wanting DEM
ocratic reforms and condemning Republi-
can rascalities. They have printed long
ESSAYS upon the shame of Belknap's con-
duct. Their distress over the corruptions
which have been unearthed has been SIM
ply piteous. They have moaned and
mourned and refused to be comforted.
They have added to the dreary cata-
locue of existing evils by invent
ing new ones and piling up sensations
and calumnies without number. The oc-
!. casion has been we'll improved by them,
!, and they have seized upon it as an admir-
;. able opportunity for moralizing and for
+ convincing the country, with patriotic and
= centennial eloqueuce, that moral purity
and principle should always De superior to
f partisan purposes. In point of fact, there
never before was such an exhibition OF
weeping. and wailing, and grieving, such
pitiful lamenting. such indignant iulmln-
: ating. such righteous wrath and raving.
In view of The exhibition, it was but nat
ural to expect that it was sincere, but now
it appears that corruption is odious only
: when it is Republican, and that it may be
overlooked when it is Democratic; that
, the Republican who is guilty OF malfea-
sance in office or violation of public trust
must be condemned and punished, but
! that the Democrat who is caught in the
{ same transaction may retain his place in
: the Democratic party, and his operations
G may pass uncriticised and unchallenged
. . in the Democratic newspapers. MIR. Pen-
l. dleton has been guilty of a transaction
{ which has lost him his place among hon
s. orable men; but the Democratic papers
have not neglected to condemn him for
;. it. but many of them have even failed to
print the acknowledgements extorted from
him in cross-examination. Gov. Hen
dricks stands charged with damaging ac-
d silent. This shows the exact measure Of
e Democratic sincerity and consistency !;
c shows that political immortality is only
9 reprehensible when it is practiced by the
g opponents of the Democrats; shows that
y all this ravng, and fuming, and bluster,
g all these Investigations, sensations, and
calumnies, all this bowling for reform,
: and political purity, and partisan principle
3 are simply buncombe for the delusion of
credulous voters, intended to operate to
Republican disadvantage next fall. Be-
, yond all this, the silence which these
Democratic newspapers observe with re-
: gard to the charges Instituted against prom
inent Democratic candidates shows that
they themselves only wait for the oppor-
tunity of place and power to perpetuate
abuses and corruptions ten-fold worse
than any that have occurred under Repub-
} lican Administrations. Between this dan
ger and that infinitely worse one e,-lhe
; practical operation of the State Rights
heresy, which is now affirmed upon the
floor of Congress by the Southern Dem
ocrats and indorsed by the Northern ones
the people of this country ought to see
the necessity of keeping the Government
in the hands Of those who are now en-
gagged in sweeping out the corruptions of
some of their leaders, and who preserved
it in the hour Of need against the designs
of those who now seek to gain control.
4 DEMOCRATIC PEN-PICTURE OF ET-
SPEARER BLAINE.
In series Of sketches of Public Characters in
Washington, the New York Worlds correspond
ent gives pen portrait of the republican leader,
which is of interest the work of political op-
ponent:
J Judging by the number of people who ask,
GLOW does Blaine look I" the gentleman from
Maine must be considered one of the most impor-
tant men in Mashington. He is moi by any means