The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-01-12
Hurrnut NOtnS


the weak point in the armor of the opposite
party. AS a prominent champion of the
Republicans, he bears his honors gracefully,
and discharges the duties incumbent OH him
with vigor and power acknowledged by his
political antagonists Transcript
While we are about it, if we are to ex-
punge all religious, pagan or atheistic''
tests from our laws and institutions, we
might as well do it thoroughly and make the
Blaine amendment-since that seems 10 be the
practicable measure on the subject-broad
enough to cover the case of New Hampshire,
which requires that teachers shall be protest
ants, aud that of North Carolina, where all
persons who deny the existence of GOD are
disqualified TO hold Office and all the cases of
religious tests applied to witnesses when sum-
moned to testify before courts OF Justice
Boston Transcript.
We want retrenchment, we want lower
taxation, but we shall net have either until
we take new departure, by adhering strictly
to the few duties which devolve upon state
and municipal government. In a republic
this is all-essential if we would escape the
evils of monarchcal governments. One of
our great dangers in this country lies in the
army of office-holders, and this army in the
nation, state and city is increased by the per-
Torrance of duties rendered necessary by en-
gaging in enterprises which may, without
detriment to the people, be left for indivd-
uals to carry out.-BostOn Journal.
Or the recent currency debate in the senate
the Albany Journal says: Mr.. Eaton of
Connecticut was another Democrat who un-
dertook to speak upon the subject without
throWiDo aDv lioht 11nnp II Ha od
making it party question-but how can
that be helped when the Democracy declare
for iLfation? He pronounced himself fol
resumption-but what hint did he give OF
any way to reach it? Mr.. Thurman took
hand in without being more decided than he
was in Ohio, and Mr.. Bayard said he could
never get the majority to support his measure
though he failed to show that he had ever
offered any worthy of support
The new spirit of independence in The
Baltimore Gazette is leading it 20 speak of
Democratic brethren with exceeding disre-
spect. Il says: "There are couple of score
of lunatics in Congress wearing the Demo-
cratic uniform, and about an equal number of
editors in various sections of the country, into
whose heads it seems impossible to beat the
idea that a paper dollar is not as good as
gold one, and that the only way to make the
country prosperous is to give it an honest
currency and a fixed standard of value"
The Gazette continues: eff these men have
their way in the next National Convention
we might as well make no nomination at all.
Even Grant, unpopular and Objectionable as
he is, would certainly sweep the country
against any soft-money candidate. These
men must be made to understand that if they
are not willing to accept and stand by the
! cardinal doctrines of the Democratic party
| they had better leave it. As it is now they
are doing more to injure and weaken it than
| the worst enemies Cf the party"
The soft money men can denounce the OBJ
ject sought by bills looking to resumption,
and the professed hard money Democrats can
approve with such appearance of sincerity as
they can assume, the end proposed, but re-
| ject their particular measure, because, as they
will attempt to show, it is aot adapted to
| secure that end. 1t is not likely that twenty
| Democratic votes can be obtained for any
| definite and practical measure for making the
| resumption of specie payment more certain
| or more easy, but it is none the less the duty
! of Republicans to propose such measure.
demonstrate its practicability and value, and
make it as acceptable as may be, without
| sacrificing anything essential to the more
reasonable portion of the Democrats. The
| final responsibility of accepting or rejecting it
must at least rest upon the party, and the Re-
| publicans should see TO it that the Democi ats
do not escape the responsibility nor its conse-
quences.-WorceSter Spy.
The assertion of Southern correspondent
that the "weight of Southern favor gravi-
tates toward Gov. TilGen'' as a Presidential
| candidate rouses the ire of The augusta (Ga)
| Chronicle and Sentinel, and prompts it to
make this retort: "it the correspondent has
been in nearly all of the Southern States
during the past year, and after Studying the
| political situation carefully asserts that the
! Southern people favor the nomination of Mr..
| Tilden, he is either liar or a lunatic The
Southern people do not favor the nomination
| OF Mr.. Tden, and the truth of this state
ment will be fully proven by the votes which
will be cast by their delegates in the next
| National Democratic Convention. We bave
| no doubt that New York wishes to force him
upon the South, but it is one thing to wish
and another and a very different thing to do.
New York has been intriguing for a long
time to secure his nomination, but New
York will not be permitted to control the
next Democratic Convention. Gov. Tilden
may rest assured that the West and South
will nominate the next Democratic candidate
for the President-and his name will not be
Tilden."