Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-04-02
From the Boston Traveller.
Truck and Dicker in Politics.


The public now have those famous or
Infamous letters of Stanley Matthews and
Charles Foster OF Ohio, containing the So
called agreement" for surrender of the
Southern republicans into the hands of the
disloyalists in consideration of allowing
Hayes and Wheeler to be counted in
They amount. simply, to the personal
promise of Matthews and Foster that the
administration shall do certain things pro-
vided that the democratic leader would be
decent and assume an air of loyalty for a
limited period. The trade of course is in
valid since President Hayes has refused to
confirm it. But 1t would have been a
pretty big business transaction had Mat
thews and Fosters right to deliver the
goods been equal to their assurance in
negotiating such delivery. Perhaps they
may justify themselves on the ground
that the decency and loyalty OF the demo-
cratic leaders in Congress, even for brief
period, would be worth almost any sacri
flee, even to national humiliation.
But. laying aside the practical effect of
this particular transaction as one which is
inconsequential because it failed, it is
worth while to consider such efforts at
truck and dicker in the moral view and as
elements of reform in politics. 1t is a
never failing rule. in the first place. that
when decent people stoop to trade in af-
fairs where principle is involved, they get
cheated. This is not an exception. As
in the case of the Missouri compromise,
the fugitive slave law, the popular SOW
ereignty scheme and all other bargains
with the slavocratic political dictators, the
persons who demand the compromise af-
terward demand its violation in their own
behalf. They are maddened because the
concessions that were to be made to them
are not made, while yet they have per.
formed no part of their conciiiatory duties.
They may Cypress and slaughter still, but
the federal troops must be Withdrawn and
the Southern republicans must be ADAM
doned because that was the promise.
Their dues must be paid, but other peoples
dues from them must await their sweet
pleasure. Intelligent men like Matthews
and Foster would have appreciated this
kind of logic In advance but for the panic
into which a certain hysteric and thin
blooded clique ofthe republican party were
thrown by the democratic mob in the
House of Representatives.
1t is another never failing rule tina.
every effort at truck and dicker in politics
weakens because it demoralzes the party
that approves it,. We are glad that no
important representative part of the re-
publican party entered into this bargain.
because now the party, like the Presi-
dent may wash its hands Of it, and 20 on
strongly in the straiter path of right.
The party knew that President Hayes
was fairly elected and that no trade was
required or justifable to confirm that re-
suit. Whoever traded Or promised, sold
and compromised only themselves, and we
are sincerely sorry Tor the disagreed
BILE plight into which Matthews and
Foster have thrown themselves. Of the
Southern democrats, many of them at
least, we could expect nothing better
than sale of their principles or any,
thing else of a commercial value for
the full restoration of their autocratic
and oppressive domination. Patriotic cit.
liens can have no confidence in the Cor
dons and Browns who are open to traffic
invariably In behalf of their own class in.
terests, and in destruction of the rights of
the freedmen and the ''po' white trash, OF
the South. In rejecting upon the dis
homer that should attach 10 this particular
trade In political principles, we are at
loss to imagine the amount of abuse that
would have been heaped upon such uncom-
promising leaders as Blaine. Morton and
Chandler, had they committed the offence.
The Independent Pharisees pass very
lightly over this little affair because its
agitation is not calculated 10 sweeten the
perfume of that political congl6meration