The Portland daily press., 1879-02-11
Oar New York Letter
The Capture of the Custom HOuse-Two
or Three Points Settled d-Nt gative and
Positive Virtues-ColoneI PeIton as the
Sacriflcinl Goat-Mr. 1ilden's Testi-
mony.

NEW YORK, February 10, 1879.
Well, the Administration party in New York
has made good its title to the Custom House,
and the Republican party will have chance
by and by to ascertain by actual demonstration
whether patronage is help or hndrance in
keeping up the energy and vitality Of irs organ
izaton. l have always believed the party
would be stronger and mora compact without
1t. Ofice-holders are naturally influenced BY
double motives; certain degree of self-interest
mingles with their patriotism. The laymen
can have nopersonal ends to serve. They will
work for the love Of it. The Republi-
cans were strongest when they had no places
to dispose of. The good old days from
1854 to 1860, constituted an epoch of puri-
ty, OF cisinterestedness and zeal which has had
no parallel in the history of the Republic.
There were always plenty of volunteers to re-
cruit the ranks, and plenty of sturdy campaign
ers to manage all the details incident TO the
conduct of an election contest.
Sill it is not pleasant thing TO be beaten in
the house of your friends. The President owes
his seat to the Republicans of New York.
Their delegates gave him the votes in the Con-
vention which secured his nomination and
their Senator contrived the plan of the Electo-
raj Commission by which he was finally lifted
into the coveted chair. Regardless Of this
double obligation he turns upon them and picks
out one Of the leaders Of the revolt Of 1872 and
confides to him the highest position he has to
bestow 10 New York. of course they are not
meek enough to bear this indiguity with pa
thence. They are drawing comparisons be-
tween the past and the present. They look
with subdued feeling upon the escapades of
Tyler, Fl lmore and johnson, and fiud in the
record of each of them some redeeming traits
which render the comparison between the pre-
cedng dynssties and the existing one decidedly
favorable to the former.
This little episode n politics has settled one
point beyond peradventure, perhaps two or
three. 1t is entirely safe to predict that the
next Republican candidate for the Presidency
will not bear the name of Sherman aud it is e
reasonable guess that no Ohio man will get the
nomination. While we are in the line of spec
ulation it is not ventuting very far to prophesy
that we shall not have total abstinence man
in the Executive Chair next time. The public
seem to be getting the notion that statesmen
p" ~ "AO sHoAouSuiy up III buC negative Virtues
are not so sure OF being equally well endowed
in respect of the positive ones They are in-
clined to take the same view that Lincoln did
when some parties went 10 him to represent that
the most successful General of the Union
armies drank too much whiskey. His answer
is familiar to every body. "Let me know what
brand he drinks and will see that all the rest
of the Generals are furnished with it," 1t is
a bad thing that the temperance cause should
experience set back simply for the reason
that the first cold water Administration has
proved something akin to failure, but there
has been such an extensive advertising of the
aestemousness of the present occupants of the
Executive mansion, that when the people do
make change they will be ept to ba radical
about it.
The subcommittee of investigation has been
sitting for three days at the Fifth Avenue
Hotel to trace the history OF the cipher des-
patches. Col. Pelton accepts the position Of q
sacridcial offering and takes upon his own
soul the entire sin Of the negotiations. He not !