The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-07-19


threatening to cut off the needful supplies to
carry on the Government unless he signed
certain political measures which neither the
business of the country nor its other inter-
ests demand. 1t sharply condemns the
wicked attempt to renew the financial agita-
tion as menace to business and certain if
prosecuted to bring disaster upon it. Upon
this point it speaks thus strongly:
1t is known to the leaders of the Democratic
party that its infamous tendency toward repu-
dlatlon will bring utter defeat upon it if the fl
nanelal issues ever come uppermost. Yet those
leaders did not dare to stamp out the silver
heresy, or the greenback heresy, or the tenden-
ey to reputation in any form, lest they should
lose the support of Greenback men and other
repudiators In order to dodge the issue yet a
little longer without really curbing the knaves
and idiots whose votes they want, these lead
ers contrived the fictitious issue about the use
OF the army, and made an attempt which they
knew would fail to repeal the election law, and
forced an extra session and resorted to coerce
legislation, in the hope that the President
might get frightened and yield. In order to
escape the punishment due to repudiators they
assumed the role of revolutionists.
1t is high time for intelligent and conserva-
tive business men to put stop to this mischief
making. The Democratic party has shown it.
self more dangerous than ever to the public
faith, to the stability of industry and trade, to
the security of investments, to the peace and
order of the country, to the maintenance of
self-government regulated by law. 1t is high
time for good citizens to consider very serious
ly whether they have any right or can afford to
encourage that party any longer in its attitude.
Next year there will be sharpEstruggle. IN
less the party can get its repudiators and revo-
lutionists safely under matches before that
struggle comes, it will deserve to be treated as
the party OF repudiators and revolutionists by
every conservative, property-owning, law-abid-
ing OF loyal citizen. But its performances dur
ing the last session give very little reason to
hope that its worst elements can be restrained
or are losing their power in its councils.
This arraignment of the financial agitators
in Congress is none too severe, and the warn
ings of the Public ought not to pass I'M
needed. Business men certainly should
profit by them, and should bear in mind that
the Democracy in its State and County con-
ventions, wherever held, approves of the ac-
ton of Congress, praises it for the mischief
it has already done, and bids it God-speed
in its evil designs. The Democracy in this
State explicitly justifes the course of the
Congressional majority, and asks the people
to support it. Can men, will men, who
have anything at stake in the material inter
ests of the country aid by their votes or by
their silence in lifting into power a political
organization that is capable of doing them
so much harm?
The late Democratic Doorkeeper of the
Democratic House, Mr.. John w. Polk, has
unhitched his tongue, and talks with great
good sense and plainness concerning the
misdoings of the Congressional majority.
In letter just made public he expresses
himself in these words of truth: '"The
Democrats in Congress have done more to
nominate Grant than all his friends have, or
could do, by affirming solidly the extreme
State Rights doctrine in their speeches on
the Judicial bill, led on by the Vice Presi-
dent and Postmaster General of the Confed-
eracy. To that pernicious doctrine must be
charged all the troubles and sorrow that ever
befell the United States; and the people, far
in advance of the politicians on that ques-
ton, so regard and condemn it. No matter
what was intended when the compact was
formed, they look at its operations practi-
cally, and justly charge to it the devastating
consequences of the war and the interrupted
relations of the sections. But few advocate
it in an unreasonable degree, except those to
whom the civil warfurnished the opportunity
to get into Congress. In the minds of the peo-
pie it will be blessed day when it becomes
obsolete and ceases to be an issue, and when
we are nation with government not to be
shaken and rent asunder by the wild leader
ship Of your Toombses and your Yanceys.
1t is almost beyond belief that the leading
Democrats of Congress should have walked
into the trap set for them by the Republi-
cans, led by Garfield. Their blindness can
be accounted for but in one way, and that is
that they entertain the foolish belief that the
party was returned to power on the State
Rights issue. For one, decline to follow
again to my ruin that ignis fatuus The
speeches made on the floor of the House by
the Democratic leaders to-day will cost the
party Ohio in October, and drive it from
power in Congress. Gentlemen, you went
too far, and made the blunder of blunders
by being drawn into general debate on
that question"