The New York herald., 1879-12-25
The Great commotion In Maine.

The Great Commotion In Maine.
It is said that violent storms purify the
atmosphere. The meteorology (if such On
application of the word is pardonable) Of
the moral and the political world conveys o
similar truth. Every person who has spent
much time in reading the lives of eminent
saints can recall numerous instances in
which they have owed their conversion
to their sense Of shame. alarm and
horror on finding that their pas
sions had hurried them into sins of
which they had not deemed themselves
capable. This strong recoil does not, in
deed, take place in natures which have be-
come stepped in iniquity, but only in those
which have not become hardened. The
same principle operates on a larger scale
than isolated individual experience. The
wonderful spread of Christianity in
the first centuries is attributed by
historians to o strong moral revolt
against the hideous corruption which
permeated Roman society. It was
like establishing sanitary regulations in
cities decimated by pestilence when
physical salvation is felt to depend upon
them. It is to the plaques by which Europe
was scourged in the Middle Ages that
modern cities are indebted for the drainage
and cleanliness which make Wholesale
vsitations of that kind 80 infrequent. 1T
seems to be in the order of Providence that
mems vices and imprudences should thus
become their instructors.
There is political cancer which has been
for the last two or three decades eating out
the core of our free popular institutions,
and if the general heart of the people is
yet sound what Ia now taking place In
Maine may be productive OF o wholesome
reaction. But the case OF Maine cannot
be considered alone. The ulcer which
breaks out upon one part of the
body is the symptom of bod state
of the blood. 1t il of little use to cauterize
that particular ulcer unless the corrupt
humors from which it proceeds are purged
out of the system. There were similar
political ulcers in Louisiana and other
Southern States just after the Presidential
election. We hope these ugly and recur-
ring symptoms may serve a useful purpose
by proving the necessity of radical cure
of tho disease.
The case Of Louisiana in 1876 and that
of Maine in 1879 are parallel. There has
and perjury such rs were practised in Lou
isinna, but in both cases the will Of the
people has beon overborne by tho officials
intrusted with the duty of counting the
votes. Although the offence is less aggra-
vated in Maine it happens to have been
committed by the other political party.
''The boot is on the other leg," which makes
great difference in the republican sense
of the enormity Of the man@uvre. When
the republican bull gored the democratic
OK it was thought trivial matter and was
rather enjoyed rs a clever piece of political
strategy. But now, when it Is the demo-
cratic bull that cores the republican OK,
the republican party flames up with burn
ing sense Of outrage, and even ministers of
the Gospel stand up in their pulpits and
advise q resort TO force. "Offences must
needs come" snys high authority; and II
there was destined to be a new trouble OF
this kind we are not sorry that republicans
are the sufferers. They have now an OPP
portunity to "know how it Is them
selves"
1t is alleged that for every instance of tho
rejection of republican votes by Governor
Garceion and his Council there are prece-
dents by the republican Governor and
Council in 1877. We do not know whether
this is true to the extent alleged, but, SO
far as it is true, 1t proves that both parties
in Maine have put the same construction
on the election laws of the State. But
sharp practice on one side Is no justifca-
ton Of sharp practice on the other. The
fact that both parties have operated in
this way, not only in different parts
of the country, but in Maine itself,
shows how pervading is the disease,
and demonstrates the necessity for
q thorough remedy. Honorable men OF
Loxb sxs~;as ebo,,ld bo arofead IN fba