Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-14
The Path of Duty and Safety.

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publican party. That it will be annihilat-
ed if it falters or bubbles, on questions OF
the currency or the public faith, Is as
plainly declared by the vote in Maine as
it has been by the Tribune for years.
Those who would not believe before, those
who sought personal safety in straddling
fences, those who hoped that great ques-
ton of National honesty would somehow
elbow over" or settle itself without in
convenience to them, will now be forced
to take position, either for public faith or
for public swindling. Such men will have
to bear, moreover, all the disadvantages
to which their prolonged refusal to con-
front error manfuly. and their weak dis
regard of solemn pledges of the republic
can party. now subject them. Their only
hope is to make amends, by courageous
and earnest effort, Tor the harm which
tmidity aud indecision have done to them
selves and their party. In any attempt to
compete with the nationals for the favor
Of those who want more greenbacks no
bank notes. taxed bonds, or partial or to-
tai re- pudiation, the republican party would
be thra shed out OF existence. In any at
tempt to rival the democratic parry in
cheating voters, pretending to be tor hon
esty in one district and for knaveiy in an
other, for hard money in Eastern and for
soft money in Western States, the repub-
lican party would be not only thrasbed on,
of existence bit forever disgraced. Its
voters are not of the sort to be fooled by
the shallow tricks which democratic lead
ers have practised so long. Whether even
democratic voters can be thus cheated any
longer is another question The one
thing absolutely certain is that republican
voters will either form wrong opinions and
act upon them, if their leaders neglect to
present to them needful information and
convincing reasons for better course, or,
forming sound opinions for themselves.
will take care to punish the party for I'M
faithiulness to its pledges. In Maine, this
year. some thousands deserted the repub-
lican party because they had formed
wrong opinions. At the West, in many
recent elections, thousands have refused
to support the party and suffered it to go
down in defeat. because some of its can
didates courted the favor of regulators
or communists.
What may become of the democratic
party is a matter of little consequence.
II it is put out of existence by the green
back movement. nevertheless all that
makes democracy dangerous will 60 into
that movement-its ignorant and preju-
diced voters. its spilefu hatred oil those
who saved the Union, its inscriptions
demagogues. and its blind and passionate
fanatics. Resolutions do not make par
ty, nor do candidates. The permanent
tendency of the mass of voters composing
the democratic parry is dangerous to the
public honor, the public prosperity and
the public peace. 1t will not be less dam
gerous if that mass of voters goes into
any other party or takes any other name.
The honest and intelligent democrats.
who want sound currency and strict
fidelity to public obligations, will probably
be balanced by such ignorant or dishonest
republicans as embrace greenbackism only
because it is not above their moral and in
tellectual level. If democracy swallows
greenbackism. it will lose It's best and
worthiest supporters. but will gain few
republicans. If greenbackism swallows
democracy. larger body Of republicans
may join it, but larger body of democrats
will refuse to be transferred to party oil
regulators and communists. In either
case, the struggle must eventually come
between those who stand by the right and
those who demand the wrong, and the
| former class will be mainly composed OF
republicans, while the latter will be main
ly composed of democrats.
| In that contest it Is the duty of the re-
publican party to take position as an or
ganization, and to put forth all its power
on the right side. 1t can live no longer
by dwelling on the past. Indeed, its mos
sacred duty to the brave men who gave
life for the Union is to see that the Union
shall not be dishonored. Its most sacred
duty to the dusky millions who became by
emancipation wards Of the Union is to see
that they shall not be robbed by false
money. and forced into a condition little
better than slavery by the destructive
warfare which communism seeks to wage
against capital. The duty of that party
to the country is to hold sacred all pledges
of the public faith, and TO count any man
its deadly foe who would barter off one OF
those pledges, or neglect one, for any
office on earth. Its duty to itself is to
keep sacred its own solemn pledges. and
to cast out of Its ranks utterly and forever
the men who would crawl into Office by
any betrayal of the plighted faith OF the
party to the country. 1t cannot hope to
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