The Portland daily press., 1879-06-27
The State Convention.

Inc heDuDllcan state convention winch
was held in Bangor yesterday was one of
the largest gatherings of the kind that ever
assembled in Maine and was as distin-
guished in quality as in numbers. The
delegates who composed it represented the
intelligence and enterprise of the State and
reflected the opinions of the honest masses
OF the people. The croakers who believe
that the country is going to the dogs or are
sorry that it is not the tricksters who dis
honestly suggest that there is a way to dis
charge a debt without paying it the disciples
of school of political economy which
teaches that money is simply creation of
law and that anything is dollar which the
government sees fit to call so; the jugglers
who profess to be able to revive business by
using the currency as magic wand; and
the communists who think society owes them
a living and denounce capitalists us rob-
bers were none of them there. Neither
were the men who believe it safe to turn
over the country to the rebels and traitors
of 1861. The convention was distinguished
as well as by the men who were excluded as
by those who were admitted.
The work of the convention was two-fold
to construct a platform rejecting the
opinions of the Republican party and to
nominate a candidate acceptable to Republi-
can voters. Both duties were performed
well. The platform is clear and concise
statement of the cardinal principles of the
Republican faith, and is evidently the work
of men of strong convictions who had the
courage to say precisely what they thought.
Nothing could be better than its declarations
regarding the currency. Not the faintest
concession is made on this point. All
schemes to tamper with the currency, of
whatever kind, are condemned. The Repub-
lican party of Maine once more announces
to the country that it believes in currency
based on coin and redeemable in coin, and
that only, and that it will not abate one jot
or title of its demand on this point in
answer to a senseless clamor no matter how
loud and general it may become. The reso-
luton commencing the action of the Pres-
dent in vetoing the appropriation bills is
timely and well deserved recognition of the
firm and uncompromising course of the
Chief Magistrate.
There will undoubtedly be feeling of dis
appointment in the western part of the state
over the nominee of the convention. Es-
pecially will this be the case in Portland,
because two of the candidates before the
convention were residents of this city, and
were men either of whom would have made
a worthy standard bearer But that some
should be disappointed was inevitable. The
convention had to choose from a large num-
Der of candidates and the substantial unanim-
ity with which it united on Mr.. Davis at
the last is conclusive proof that he was re-
garded, under all the circumstances, as the
strongest man that could be nominated. 1t
shows also that he was the candidate of no
one man nor ring of men, but the popular
choice. Undoubtedly the fact that the east
is to be the battle ground this year had
strong in1luencc III bringing the convention
to the conclusion it finally reached. Mr..
Davis is a resident of PenobscOt county,
lawyer by profession, and has been mem
sentatives In both tn Sc bodies he enioyed
the reputation Of being man of sound judg-
ment, a wise and cautious legislator, honest
and upright. In his section of the state
VIII re he is very popular, his candi-
dacy will at once arouse enthusiasm
and it is safe to predict that the
fire thus kindled in the Penobscot towns
will spread throughout the state, and that
the disappointment now felt by friends of the
defeated candidates will pass away, and
the conviction that the convention acted
wisely take its place. The enemy that the
Republican party has to meet this year is
formidable one, but it can be overthrown by
united and untiring-effort. Its strength de-
pends upon its success in deceiving the
people. The surest way to defeat it is to ex-
pose the fallacies Of its doctrines.