The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-01-16


strong enough on their present showing to
assume the responsibilities of governing the
country. 1t is not very clear to my mind that
they ever will be, but then il Is never safe to
calculate what vagaries the people may run
into, nor whom they will choose to rule over
them. There can hardly come time in the
future of the Republic when the lines can be
more clearly drawn, and the path of patriotism
and self interest more distinctly marked out
| than it was last November. If the multitude
came 80 near doing the wrong thing then, what
certainty is there how soon they may plunge
over the brink? A dozen years ago the man
would have been thought crazy who had pre-
dicted that within the century candidate who
had in 1864 pronounced the war a failure,
would come within one electoral vote Of being
President. To have believed such a thing as
that possible was to have admitted that the
war was a failure as long as such a regime
| lasted. And yet the Democrats persisted
braved repeated defeats, maintained their or
ganization, gathered to their embraces all the
disappointed and mercenary deserters from the
Republican camp who had been denied place
and patronage, captured the Southern States
oy establishing reign of terror there, and
came so near success, that for twenty-four
hours it was generally supposed they had
achieved it, and for several weeks the issue was
in painful suspense.
Now, if this same party, which has shown
tsef so tenacious Of life under circumstances
of EXTREMIST discouragement-whose very ex-
istence seemed piece of supreme effrontery
after Lees surrender-whose whole policy for
sixteen years has been apology for and retrac-
ton, recantation of past errors which has
never been right on any subject whether of
war, diplomacy, finance or what not-can gain
point in public estimation by affecting q
peaceful acquiescence in an unfair decision of
the Presidential struggle; who shall say it is
not worth its while to do so? 1t is the best
card it can play. The wsest leaders unques.
ionably so believe and while they will keep up
an appearance of relentless opposition to the
Inauguration of Hayes and declare afterwards
that it is case of palpable fraud, they will
take care that there shall be nothing stronger
than talk introduced into the controversy.
That is cheap commodity and the supply of
it is inexhaustible
VI course the programme does not have the
concurrence of the immediate followers of the
Democratic candidate hereabout. That could
not be expected. Mr.. Tilden's ambition to be
President is too keen to bear the strain of four
years waiting. Hence the Oregon speculation,
which cost SO much money and turned out so
badly. Nothing has done the Democrats so
much harm as the little game Of thimble.rg
played by Grover and Cronin. The party at
large is not to blame for that egregous blum.
der. 1t is traceable directly to New York City,
and amazingly close to Mr. Tilden himself.
Nobody entertains the slightest doubt that he
was principal in the transaction and footed
the bills. The chiefs of Democracy at the
Capital don't like such a performance, be-
cause it tends to make the party ridiculous
Their heat for Tilden has undergone cousidera-
BILE abatement since they got all the particulars
of the case. They are very willing to relin
quish their claims to the Presidency. The only
trouble with them is how to do it, and yet
keep up the appearance OF having been
compelled to in order to avoid conflict. Gen.
orally, where there is will there is way,
and therefore L have a tolerably strong faith
that Hayes will be the next President.
The little affair between Bennett and May
has furnished prolific theme of gossip and
amusement to the whole city, 1t began with
| cow-hiding, which is of itself novelty in met
ropolitan life. In the earlier days of the Her
aid an occurrence Of that kind was nothing un
usual. The senior Bennett must have borne to
| his grave the scars Of many severe beatings.
He lived at a time when men were not as in.
| different to newspaper attacks as they are now.
| He was the progenitor and founder of that
| system of personal journalism, which has since
| obtained to such an extent that it has ceased
| to provoke retaliation. His son and successor
keeps his quarrels outside of his paper. He is
Society man addicted to clubs, yachting,
| polo and the turf. He is by general reputation
. clever fellow, but inclined to be wild and ad-
dicted to acts of extravaganza and eccentricity.
| With an income beyond the dreams of ava
rice,' and will unchecked by the slightest
restraint of discipline or authority, it is no
| wonder that he has a propensity for getting
into bad scrapes He is not an absolute strang-
er to the cells of Police Station. He as
sociates with set of young men, whose high
| est ambition seems to be to initiate the ex-
amples of those scions of aristocracy who were
| won't to achieve dubious notoriety in by
| gone age, and in other lands by assaulting cab
men and wrenching off door knockers between
midnight and daylight. To make the resem-
blance more complete, he sends challenge to
/ companion who has assaulted him, thus re-
viving in this prosaic and matter of fact com
| munity the practice of dueling which has be-
come extinct every where. except in places
where the new lights of civilization have not
| fully penetrated. The doughty antagonists
have had a meeting, have exchanged Shots
II L L.. 1,x.% ow,I kI.a @E H..
challenger is satisfied. This seems ridiculous
enough from any point of view. If one of the
| parties to such combat had been killed, the
| survivor would have been put on his trial for
| murder-if he had not escaped-with q fair
| prospect of conviction. As it is both are liable
| to sentence to State Prison. 1t was necessary
therefore, that they should take adequate pre-
cautions against hurting each other, and then
that they should become fugitves from justice.
| Both these conditions appear to have been
scrupulously complied with. There is story
afioat that one of them was wounded, but it
meets with no credence whatever. The current
report that there was no bullet in either of the
pistols used for the occasion is much more gen.
orally accepted. These young gentlemen are
likely to realize the full force of the coupet:
| "Alas! what perils do environ
| The man who NEEDLES with cold iron."
| If any fatal consequence had ensued from
their meeting one or the other of them would
have been a wanderer upon the earth or a felon
under the law. EscapiDg unhurt, both are des-
tined to be laughed at ad infnitun as partici-
pants in bloodess encounter with blank cart
ridges for weapons, and obliged to keep out Of
the way of constables and grand iuries. The
moral to be deduced from this farce is obvious.
The duello is as obsolete in really good society
as Knight Errantry, and the man who sends or
accepts a challenge commits an absurdity
which rivals the exploit Of Don Quixote.
The President has com mmissioned Stewart L.
Woodford as District Attorney in place of Geo.
Bliss, whose term expired on the goth ult. This
is the most lucrative federal Office in the state.
Mr.. Bliss has proved an honest, energetic and
faithful officer, but his incurable propensity to
pursue with unrelenting rigor every contributor
| to the national revenue who devIated, either
wlfully or unintentionally, from the strict letter
| of a most complicated aud unintellgble code