Daily Kennebec journal., 1879-07-04

times of doubt and darkness in the financial
history of the country, when even the best
disposed failed to see their way clear to a bet
ter state of things; but that exists no longer
The country is now on the full flood of sac
cessful resumption and certain prosperity
the mission of the croakcr is gone. He is
thing of the past Those who atoretimc
doubted. and we were among them. must now
see and acknowledge their error.
There has been Il strange pcrversity,
contradiction almost past belief, a shifting
and FurposclcSs vacillation on the part of the
democratic leaders in respect Ia this question,
which would be past belief. hut for the tcsti-
mony of the record. In 1874. the old time
hard money traditions of the party had 50 far
regaincd their aSccndcnrv that the Maine
democratic convention of that year declared
its financial principles in the following de-
cided language -
Resolved That an inflated ard irreccnabe pap'r
currency is among the worst evil that can aihiet
community. II enables cunning and unScrupulohs
spectators to rob producers of the fruits OF tn,
lnbors aud alcts every reputable business with III"
peril OF continued panic and disaster. We regard
based specie redemption rs the only one
upon which the business of the country can be safely
transacted and hold that We should as rapidly "a pos
sible approximate To such Il circulating medium
The Maine democratic convention of ls1j
was equally emphatic on this point, in the
following words
4 sound currency, coin it. equivalent, essential
TO stability in business and restoration of prosperi
ty; steps toward specie payment and no steps back
ward.
In 1876 the Maine democracy terscly re-
corded t> declarations upon TIE monetary syS-
tenn.
Resolved tha, we are opposed to imitation of our
national currencv and thar gold and silver fuln the
only safe basis of our monetary stem
In 1877 the dcmucratS of Maine rrairmcd
the st. Louis platform. whatever that may
mean. In 1873 weak and wi>hy wa>hy res
oluion was adopted, one intended to mean
any thing and every thing. T.; that year the
proud and decided old democratic party WAS
tempted of Satan. and fell. The exact man
ner and place of the event is not recorded.
But it is supposed that follow ing the Script
ure precedent. the leaders of the democracy
were taken up into high place and shown in
Vulnerable presses printing inflated currency,
and that they fell down and wOrShippcd. At
the election they were found in the closest al
lance with those whose soft money dclusions
they had so repeatedly. vigorously and recent
" denounced. 1t l. more than Il matter 0t
dclusion--it is record Of disgrace and shame
The democracy of Misunderstanding the
trade and dickcr lcadcrS-iS quite largely
made M of honest and honorable men. Can
they intcrrogate their conscicnccs. and justify
themselves, IN view OF thclr duties as cltlZcns
and honorable men, in following the file
leaders who face any way and every way that
holds out the least hope of success, at any
peril to the country:
For a year past we have looked with more
than distrust upon the course of Democratic
party lcadcrs-waiting in the hope that bet
ter counsels would prevail. Our syicws of
duty have ut length diyergcd so widely that
il is vain to hope for anything like reconcile
ment. The financial principles in which we
believe. and from declaration in favor of
which the democracy so suddenly fell
away, still live in their vigor. With an
adherence to the demonstrated ability of the
country to make good its pledges-a belief in
its future. commercial. industrial moral and
political-with the republican party as their
best exponent and cxempar-we place our
self with those whom we believe to be right.
and pledge our best efforts to labor for its
advancement and success.