The Portland daily press., 1879-08-09
That Corruption Fund.


others of the apostate Democratic press are
raising the old howl about the Republican
corruption fund with which they have deaf
ened the ears of Maine voters for years
Unless those voters have grown very credu
lous of late they will pay as little heed to the
clamor as in years past.
The Democratic papers have been accus
toned to make the most eXtravagant and
scandalous charges against the Republicans
in this particular. During the war they
swore that the money raised for its prosecu'
ton was diverted from that object and cor
ruptly used to ''ix upon the people the reign
of the tyrant Lincoln Ever since then
they have been swearing that the Republi-
cans have been drawing upon the United
States Treasury for their campaign funds
and falsifying its accounts to cover up the
robbery. This year these bold and brazen
lies have been taken up and repeated by the
Greenback press. Those who originate them
are liars, and those who repeat and believe
them fools. These two classes-liars and
fools comprise great many Democratic
and Greenback papers-but not we trust, a
large proportion of their readers.
The only truth in all the statements made
is that Republican officers have been asked
to contribute toward campaign expenses.
So were Democratic officers in the old days
of Democratic rule. The Democrats them
selves originated this plan, and practice it
to-day upon their candidates and the holders
of State and county offices wherever the
Democracy is in power. This is true also OF
the Greenbackers. Why, there is not man
upon the ticket nominated by the double
headed convention the other day who has
not been or will not be assessed for the ex-
penses of this campaign!
The Democrats surely should be chary OF
talk concerning corruption funds, consider
fund treasury was the treasury of the city of
New York. Not all the great sums stolen by
the Democratic government of that city
went in riotous living. Some of it found its
way into the hands of Democratic leaders in
other States; even into this State. NOlonger
ago than 1868, into this First District of
Maine, $4,000 came from Tweed and his
ring for use in the Congressional contest.
Two years later application was again made
for aid from the New York city treasury,
and refused on the ground that the previous
sums had not been honestly expended, but
had stuck to the fingers of the "disbursers''
who had charge of it. Think of the Tam
many thieves ques stioning the honesty of the
in Maine!
As for the Greenbackers, who boast OF
their rigid virtue-a virtue so rigid that it
breaks sometimes, as in the case of Major
Smitll-how do they stand? 1t is notorious
that they used more money for campaign ex-
penses last year than the Republicans did.
They might tell, if they chose, of a certain
check for $4,000 that came out of the State
and was cashed at an Augusta bank for use
in the campaign!
Nor are these condemners of the Money
Power one whit better than the old parties
in the matter of campaign contributions.
One of the delegates in the Convention held
the other day openly boasted of the number
of men that contributed $500 apiece last
year for ''the cause" and gave it as his
opinion that they would repeat the perfor-
nance this year. The Greenback papers are
continually telling of contributions received
from people out of the State. Isn't it a
little curious that while contribution for
political expenses is a crime in a Republican
voter, it is righteous act when done by a
Democrat or a Greenbacker?
How much the Democrats are contribut-
ing in money to this campaign we have no
means now of knowing. The Argus says
they have only their principles. That will
be the smallest contribution ever made in
the history of any political campaign. The
arrangement seems to be that the Green
hackers shall furnish the money and the
Democrats the votes-an arrangement with
which some Democrats are already tolerably
familiar.