The Portland daily press., 1876-10-24

ators and other magnates of his party in great
numbers, who Joined with him in declaiming
against the extravaganza and corruption of a
Republican national administration and pray-
ing for its downfall and the advent of ere.
formp'
1t is only justice to record that Mr.. Ely was
not only hostile to Tweed during all that period
but that he was almost alone in his antagon-
isml to the robberies of his gang. The two
men sat in the same board of twelve year after
year, but there was neither intercourse nor
recognition between them. Mr.. Ely braved
the displeasure of his party, and hazarded his
chances of political preferment by standing
py his convictions of right, although he had
no encouragement nor support from within or
without. 1t would be shabby thing to with
hold from him the need of praise to which he
is entitled, for having been upright and faith.
fnl when virtue and fidelity were unpopular
and out of fashion, and for having waited
patiently for ten years for his fellow citizens
to realize and trample down the enormities
which he had been pointing out to them all
the while. 1t is no fault of his that the Ring
was not exposed and overthrown at the very
outset of its ubiquitous career.
If the remainder of the Tammany ticket was
as good as its head, it would have strong
claim upon popular favor, But there is no
other name on it of conspicuous excellence, and
there are several that make 1t decidedly objec-
tionable. 1t looks very much as if Mr.. Ely had
been selected in view of his acknowledged
availability and was to be used to carry through
r
them Of the average party stamp and perhaps
up to the usual standard, with the exception of
Delano @. Calvin, against whom one.charge is
made of 30 fragrant character that unless
some explanation is given of it, he is likely to
prove an exceedingly vulnerable candidate,
even here where the electors as general thing
are not at all particular whom they vote for. AS
Referee he gave judgment against the city
in favor of one John "a. Starin, Jr., for $780,
600 on a claim which from the standpoint of
any layman would be overpaid if there were
ninety-nine per cent. taken off it. The Comp
troller has appealed the case, and the judg-
ment may be set aside. 1t is generally be-
lieved that it is an affair of jobbery, and that
there are great many parties who expect to
get share of the spoil if the judgment is sus-
tanned. This may be an incorrect surmise, but
the award is so difficult to understand that it is
not at all wonderful that imputations of SIMS
ter motives should be made. The only pallia-
ton can imagine for it is that the claimant
and the referee are both lawyers; that 1t is
part of the etiquette of the profession for law
yers to stand by each other, and that no men,
Der of the bar could so far forget bis allegiance
al sc o~lo 90 laka 80 :kxI.z
bill, account or charge, however excessive and
exorbtant it might be. that was asserted by
brother lawyer. But even this plea has its
limitations. 1t wont count for much outside of
the craft, and as voting power the legal pro-
fession is but small atom in the grand mass
who cast ballots.
The anti-Tammany voters and reformers will
bestow their votes upon Andrew H. Green.
He is the actual, earnest, practical champion
and embodiment of genuine reform" With
him it is not catch-word, but a living, acting
fact. Through impediments, misrepresenta-
tions and prosecutions he has defended the
Treasury against all besegers. He has his re-
ward at last in the universal respect and conf
dence of every good citizen of New York. If
municipal politics could be separated from ma
tional he would be adopted by the Republi-
cans, and his election as Mayor could hardly
be prevented. The fear that the concentration
of the Republican vote upon him might work
adversely to the electoral ticket may lead to a
scattering of the opposition to Tammany, by
the nomination of full list of straight Repub-
lican candidates In that event there vial be
triangular canvass with the chances strongly
in favor of Mr.. Ely. The Republicans hold it
to be their first duty to save the country by car
rying the state. Local issues will be subordin-
ated to national ones. The preferences of the
party are undoubtedly in favor of Mr.. Green.
But they will be set aside without particle of
hesitation if it shall appear after deliberate
and careful survey of the field, that by enter
ing into combination with the opponents of
Tammany Hall, there will be any sacrifice of
the paramount interests of Hayes and Wheeler.
The Republicans of New York. state and CITY
are nerving themselves up for gigantic
struggle with their Democratic foe. They feel
that the fate of the Republic is in their hands.
They deplore the possible restoration of the
party of caste and sectionalism as the greatest
disaster which could befal the cause of free
government. All minor considerations sink
into insignifcance when contrasted with the
all absorbing questions shall the Union be
surrendered to the men who sought its over
throw, or preserved by the men who fought for
Its perpetuation? YARMOUTH.