The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-10-08
NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 1873.

New YORK, Ocs.7 7, 1873.
1t Is the time Of year when political COM
binations are being formed both in respect of
State and local affairs. The business future of
the country is SO largely dependent upon wise
disposition of the currency question that it fol-
lows as matter of course that there should be
deep interest in the pending Congressional
elections 1t is of vital concern to the welfare
of every human being in the Republic that
there should be no further legislative interfer-
ence with the finances If things are simply
allowed to take their own course without let
or hindrance, the advent of prosperity will be
speedy and permanent If they are meddled
with at all, we are likely to experience contin-
uance of the distrust engendered by sense of
uncertainty in regard to resumption, which
more than all things else is an element of dis
turbance to the general thrift The vagaries Of
the infationists are absurd and impracticable.
No scheme for diluting and depreciating the
value of the circulating medium can succeed.
The common sense OF the country is guarau-
ty against that. But labor cannot find its full
development until capitalists are assured that
they can invest their means without danger of
being despoiled by acts of lawlessness and vic.
lence. Consequently everybody is waiting anx-
iously to see whether the fall elections will re-
suit in the suppression and overthrow of the
mischevous demagogues who are striving to
infame the passions of the mob, and stirring
up discord between the men who do work and
the men who hire and pay them. Victories for
Rspublicanism and hard money will do more
to set the wheels of industry in vigorous motion
than any and all other agencies There is an
intimate association just now between the bal
lot and the pocket, and every vote that Is cast
will represent an advance towards or a retro
gression from the haven of safety which must
be gained before the last vestige of the panic
disappears.
In this State the Democrats have not shown
a disposition to coquette with th Q soft money
fanatics, as far as the action of their State Con.
vention was concerned. Their platform is
sound. But it is nevertheless an established
fact that they are not so irreconcilably hostile
to the Greenbackers as the Republicans are.
If there are any coalitions formed in the State
they will be between Democrats and Green
hackers. The latter will not, because they cam
not, coalesce with the Republicans in a single
district or town. The Republican party is es-
seutially and emphatically the exponent of the
principle Of resumption and the full payment
of the obligations of the Government. Under
that banner it deserves to win; it can afford to
fai'. 1t is an ensign which must bs borns aloft
in triumph sooner or later. 1t is only ques-
ton of time when the cause it typifes will be
espoused and honored all over the coatinsnt
But it will be we'll for every inhabitant of these
United States if on the 9Th of November all
doubts of the determination of the people TO up
hold the honor of the Republic shall bs set at
rest and the last obstacle removed that stands
in the way of restoration of good times.
Our local politicians are evidently getting
ready for an old fashioned scramble for place
and pslf. The struggle between the Tammany
and anti-Tammany forces is likely to be ami
mated and virulent. Morally speaking there is
very little choice bstween these contending
factions. 1t is only the difference between a
despotism and an oligarchy. The Tammany
organization is under the sway of single indi-
vidual. He was enthroned by its suffrages
Its obedience to his will is voluntary and un-
questioning. Mr.. Kelly has the merit Of being
an honest man. He exercises wholesome re-
ouioius upOh hAo AOuOWCAos Luo Nof0lt d2hiust
him among Democrats is not inspired by the
desire to prom ote economy or good government
but simply to escape tyranny that has become
intolerably irksome to those who are not in ia
vor at headquarters. The i-Tamm any lead
ers are no better than the average of their party
Their ambition to rule is good deal stronger
than their patriotism. The Republicans, being
in conscious minority, naturally look on
while the Democratic lines are forming with
feelings of comparative indifference to the re-
suit. 1t really matters little to them, from q
partisan stand point what the issue may be,
As taxpayers they are more likely to be losers
than gamers by a change. 1t Is always danger
Gus to turn over the municipality to new set
of rulers 1t is especially so when there are
among the seekers after power great many of
the men who have been identified in former
days with the practices of fraud and wrong
which disgraced New York so irretrievably.
There are good men on both sides; SO there are
bad ones. The chances Of improvement by the
substitution of the class that is out for the class
that is in, are not favorable enough to warrant
a combination with either. In fact, looking at
it merely as a calculation of risks, 1t woul
seem that it was rather better to endure the old
than to try the new dynasty.
This is the way the Republicans are situated
in the metropolis. They fall SO far short in
numbers of third of the voting population,
that they cannot elect candidate of their own
no matter how excellent he may be or how un-
worthy an opponent may be pitted against him
Once in great while they fuse with one or the
other of the Democratic factions, but such COM
binations are rarely successful. Democrats are
hard people to make bargains with, because
they cannot be depended upon to keep their
agreements faithfully. Three years ago the
| anti-Tammany and Republican legions united
and routed the Tammany Hall organization.
| We gained by that movement a District Attor-
| ney, and the reward repaid the investment
Since then Tammany has had everything it,
own way, it having been found impossible to
array an imposing force against it, AT the
| present time it is supposed to be exceptionally
| weak in consequence of the prevalence of dis
| content among the unwashed, who complain
| not only that they cannot get wages, bat that
the city authorities have not Appropriated
sufficient money from the treasury to provide
them with employment. Their lgrievance is
that there has been too little, instead of too
much wasteiulness. II they have their way the
tax levy will be prodigously increased and gi-
gantic plans set on foot for inaugurating public
works that will furnish unlimited opportunity
for laboring men to obtain support. We all
know whittier such projects tend They impose
heavy burdens upon the Treasury for very
small equivalents. Tweed maintained his as
tendency by devices of this kind for years.
While he was in the height of his domination
! he was continually quoted as the friend of the