Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-06-18
The Father Of the Maine Green
back Party.
Prom the Lewiston Gazette.l
soLON CHASE As A POLITICIAN.

with the Democrats IN one OF Two elec-
tons During the war he was elected by
the Republicans to the Legislature for
two wears. In 1867, when Johnson had
his break with the Republican party, he
undertook, by the use of federal offices
and the vast patronage at his command,
to buy the support he sorely needed, so
that ii was well understood throughout
the country that any active politician who
would enter upon his defence and support
would get his due reward Accordingly
our UNIQUE "friend Of the poor man
speedily developed into a Jealous johnson
tie and the substantial result Of this novel
exhibition OF consistency was his APP
pointment a. Collector of Internal Reve-
nue. tor this District. In the mean time
Congress passed the Tenure Of Office Act,
and when the Senate assembled they
would not confirm the appointment, and
an ungrateful country turned this strug-
cling patriot out Of his comfortable berth
in less than SIX months. BY curious
coincidence, his interest in the johnson
movement was observed to suddenly col
lapse Just about this time. He then
transferred his valuable allegiance TO the
Democratic party, until, by subtle pro-
cess of evolution from his inner conscious
ness, he was suddenly converted to
greenbsck principles
EoION A. A FINANCIER.
We do,not here refer TO Mr. Chase 5
experience as practical hnSncier IN ms
own interests, but TO his curiously "con-
sistent' record as a fnancier IN the Ma
tional interests Eleven years ago he had
A. definite and positive views about Ma
tional finance as he has to-day, aud, ami
mated by those principles, he published
eleven wears ago his "Poor Mans Tract,
copy Of which now lies before us, and
which We 6nd"mighty interestin reading
in connection with his more recent utter
ances
Mr.. Chase is never weary Of expatiat-
ine now upon those flush times which
made perfect paradise for the poor man
until 1.-The robber resumption act came
aud swept 1t all away. Nevertheless,
writing IN the midst Of those flush times
he declares, in the opening sentence Of
MS Tract, that 1T is a hard winter for
the poor man" That Is the keynote Of
the entire pamphlet Neither was that
the first hard winter He says, I'VE
must eat less meat and cosrser bread, 20
thinner clad, and burn less wood than we
did last winter, and then We had to prac-
tee strict economy in all these things ~
Again he SAYS, Taxes are high, work Is
dull, and wages low, and many OF Us have
a hard time TO earn living This was
in the flush times" he now talks 20 much
about when paper money was plentiful,
and before contraction had done It's
deadly WORK
SOLON on DEPRECATED CURRENCY.
Now he delights to dwell upon the
"run" which continually followed the
financial policy of the government before
the war. But in 1867 he said-"Beiore
the war We never knew anything Of the
burdens OF the United States government :
We only knew It's blessing" Now MIR
Chase cannot say too much IN favor OF
an irredeemable paper currency, and Is
cesseless in his demand that 1t be made
the permanent currency of the country.
Eleven wears ago. before there was any
complaint OF a scarcity OF the article, be
said that the poor man is robbed by
a deprecated paper currency. The IT.
redemsble paper currency he now advo-
Gates he then referred TO in almost every
page OF mis- Tract as one of the chief evils
OF the working man, and IN his enumera-
ton of needed reforms in the poor mans
favor. continually insisted upon the ne
cessity of doing away with the currency.
SCION DEMANDING SPECIE PAYMENTS.
In the name of the people he demanded
a reform "by which the dollar will cease
TO be an unknown and variable quantity,
but will be a known quantity worth one
hundred cents And he states how this
reform must be brought about when he
saws, I'VE are robbed by debssed paper
currency and want specie payments, -
And because the government was not
then prepared TO resume"specie payments,
he reluctantly confesSes that Ave must
bear the disgrace spell longer Of seeing
the crippled soldier paid his pension in a
debased currency" Mr.. Chase has be-
come wonderfully reconciled to this dds.
grace" since then AgaiD,specie payments
as Mr. Chase then correctly understood
It," "means to pay your debts" and the
government, he declared, did not pay Its
debts, and that the only "plsn of resum-
Ing specie payments is the old-fashioDed
one Of paying your debts, which can only
be carried ont by work, thrift and taxes, F"
soLoS DEMANDING REPUTATION.
Mr. Chase's views OF reputation and
on the question Of the payment Of the
bonds we're also very different eleven
years ago from what they appear to be
now, and the passage is worth quoting as
showing what Mr.. Chase then took to be
the prevailing sentiment and understand
ing on those subjects among the poor men
whom he claimed to represent. He says :
"Since Congress first opened the ques-
ton Of reputation, men in Congress and
out of Congress have advocated theories
squirting toward reputation, conspicuous
among whom IS General Butler His
theory is 70 pay the principle Of the Five.