The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-09-12
Our New York Letter
A Republican Victory Morally Certaiu--
Waiting 10 Hear from Maine-The stiii
Hunt-Tilden's Man In New Yerk-An
Instructive Companion.

fought tomorrow, and will have been ended
"hen tnls reaches you, will either deepen or
weaken 1t prodigiously. The Republicans en-.
tertaln great expectations of your state. To
them it has been for twenty years the star In
the east 1t has guided and lighted the way to
those grand political conquests which have
purified and ennobled American politics For
hve successive Presidential campaigns 1t has
illustrated the appropriateness of its motto
"Dirigo"-setting the tune of the Insignificant
anthem of liberty, in which the majority of
the free commonwealth of the Republic have
| joined, as their turn came, with harmonious
and hearty accord. 1t is not to be wondered
at that Maine has become the pet member of
the family of Republican States The time Of
her election, her geographical position, the va
rety and diversity of her occupations aud pro-
auctions and above all, the thrift, the virtue
and the culture of her people combine to place
her IN the foremost rank of self-governing
communities. Her vote will represent as much
intelligence, conscience and patriotism as ever
found expression from a multitude of equal
numbers since the ballot was instituted as
mode of declaring the popular will. 1t must
be conceded, therefore, that the issue of Mon
days contest, whatever it may be, will exercise
potential influence upon the fortunes of the
| contending parties, in s1l parts of the Union
where the right Of suffrage is maintained. II
the Republican majority is small, the effect
| upon Republicans elsewhere will be dis
| piritng and rueful; if large, the animation
and encouragement that will be infused into
their ranks will make them irresistible in the
states which have been reckoned doubtful II
| neither so little as to render the cause despe.
| rate nor so great as to give assurance that
1t presases decisive overthrow of De-
mocracy, it will have to be called drawn
battle, and the conflict must perforce be
transferred to Indiana and renewed in Octo-
ber
1t cannot be denied that our friends have
been less hopeful of Maine this year than usu-
al. Your majorities have dwindled down so
continuously of late, that they nnq1estionably
had grounds for the apprehension that you
could not recover your former prestige. Thirty
days ago, when was in Portland, tina languor
that prevailed in political crcles was painfully
ominous. L have never before seen 80 little
enthusiasm or buoyancy Of feeling among you
as was plainly perceptible at that late stage of
the encounter. The most sanguine Republican
met was not bold enough to calculate on
more than 10000 majority, and there was
general leaning to much lower figures i in
| fer from observation that the conditions have
undergone marked change since thsn. Both
parties seem to have grded on their armor for
sharp struggle and you are likely to poll
very heavy vote. Local questions have proba-
bly, been swallowed up in national ones, and
such disturbing elements as temperance and
state affairs will lose something of their po-
tency for mischief by the absorption. These
things may have a favorable influence upon
the final result. But it must be taken into
the account that the enemy appreciate
the supreme importance of making o good
show in Name, and have made prodigious
efforts in that behalf. Mr.. Tilden claims to be,
and his supporters boast that he is q good or
ganizer. 1t is one of the curious inconsistent
cies of "reformers" that they denounce ina
chine" politics, and yet have selected Presi-
strength as skillful handler OF machinery.
He is Regulating the local affairs Of several
| states. He has just furnished his brethren In
| the Bay state with gubernatorial nominee.
| At first he conceived the idea Of carrying the
| State election in Maine by sort of coup de
| main. or in sporting phrase, "a still hunt"
1t is only within two or three weeks that this
ambitious design has been abandoned as an
utter impossibility. The next best thing to be
done was to supply the means of weakening the
| force of the impending blow, aud to that end
| his operations have been directed. We shall
be better able to judge of the efficacy of his
| tactics when we get the returns. They will bo
| awaited by both sides with breathless impa-
tience. 1t is not worth while to speculate about
| matter which will be settled before this letter
| gets in type, but it is fact too patent to ad-
NIT of dispute, that your state election, which
| ever way it goes, viii be very important fac
i tor in solving the problem of the Presidential
l campaign. s--
Word reaches US from the State Capital that
Gov Tilden has directed that Samuel d. Bab-
cock of New York City shall be the nominee for
Governor. If 90 he has made an excellent Sc
lection. 1 cannot imagine Democrat who
would be more acceptable apart from his pres
ent political affiliations. He is gentleman in
the prime of life-has been a successful mer-
chant, is now banker, possesses an ample for
tune, is an. energetic. shrewd, clear headed and
popular man; has very pronounced opinions
without being dogmatieal, enjoys an enVisble
reputation for integrity and force OF character,
and is in all respects one of our very best citi.
zens If there had been more like him we should
not have endured the disgrace of the terrible
robberies which were committed during the
| reign of Democracy under Tweed. BE has these
signal advantages over Tilden, that he was Wig
orously for the war all the time it lasted, never
showed the smallest sympathy with the Tam
mary Ring when it was in the ascendent, and
was among the earliest and heartiest to join the
movement for its dethronement and extirpa-
ton -1i
For my part should be sorry to see 30 good q
man slaughtered as he probably will be II b
runs. In an off year, or with less satisfactory
candidate than Gov. Morgan, Mr.. Babcock
would command good many Republican votes.
But of course he cannot take one from an op-
| pom ent who is his peer in the qualities which
ennoble both. And there is nothing whatever
about him to commend him to Democratic fa-
vor. He comes a great deal nearer to the Re.
| publican than to the Democratic standard In
| the higher attributes of human nature. He 10
altogether too good man to be set up rs the
figure head of SO bald an imposture as that Of
trying to inveigle The people into surrendering
the government to its btterest enemies under
the pretence of reforming it.
doubt whether the nomination would be .
strong one on the score Of availability. The
better class of Democrats would support Mr..
Babcock with great cordiality but there would
be a lurking feeling of sulkiness among the
lower strata at seeing their expectations of par
ticipation in tine spois exposed to the danger
of sacrifice upon the shrine of respectability.
1t is all very well to try such experiments In
Massachusetts, where there is not an earthly
chance that any candidate on Democratic
ticket will come within several score thousands
OF election. But the Democrats Of New York
are exceedingly unwilling to relinquish the
fancy that they can carry the state. and until
| they do, they will be obstinately averse to TAX.
| ing any candidate whose past record shows thai
J he may in great emergency prefer country to
} party, as Mr.. Babcock did when the Southern
Democrats fired on the flag to svenge the elec.
ton of the first Republican President. So the
+ H. AuUa Z.