The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1880-10-01

:. Methinks be doth protest too much"

'Methnks be doth protest too much
The recent letter Of General Hancock as
serting his personal hostility to admitting
any OF the rebel war claims for payment
by the United States is . remarkable one,
and was wrung from him, after weeks OF
consideration, by the Northern demand
for an expression Of his views. 1t may
seem strange to Montanians that this ques-
ton should be deemed of sufficient import
ance to compel Democratic candidate Tor
President to repudiate the designs OF his
Southern Supporters in the heat OF cam
paign and avow bis determination to OPP
pose and veto any measure having that Oh
ject in view. But when 1t Ia known that
rebel war claims to the amount OF nearly
four hundred million dollars are already In
the hands OF agents that they will DO
pushed with determination to have them
paid, that tho realized danger OF the
movement being successful would ira
trisvably lose New York and every other |
doubtful Northsrn State to the Democracy, |
and that this four hundred millions Is but
the entstjng wedge for many times the
amount II becomes more apparent Why
I Hairot. should pubIish such aJettes~ A.nda'
tits the more humiliating to thu Northern
| Democrats who were staunch Union men
| that he should have to. 1t Is the dern'er
resort of y candidate Ia desperate straits.
lie knows that 1873 Of the 1856 votes he
must have to elect him would vote to q
man for the payment OF rebel war claims,
even IL 1t compelled reputation of the
Union war CLAIMS and yet this disavowal
10 forced upon him.
General Hancock begins to realize. the
painful position in which he placed him
self by accepting the Democratic nornina-
tiop-a glittering gift it |. not in humanity
TO refuse, and yet one which comes to bin
Paudora's box Of evils. A patriotic
soldier, he is dependent uron the secedicg
States for all bat Al Of the votes required
to elect bim. Koow,cg the fraudulent
character OF their cl,ins, he sees four hun
bred million dollars of them held BY the
very men upoa whom he must rely for cleo
ton, and yet which failing 10 repodiats,
his No, .he,a camp al n is hopele a. He be-
gins to SEQ that it is not HIncock the
Republican party Ia fighting, but 1t is That
which Hancock rep 1 se ots-the Democrat
10 party, blackened with sia and tainted
with treason. And as representative Of
that party he cannot divest himself Of re-
sponsibility for it's record or purposes. In
fact, he is unequivocally committed to it
by bis Letter Of Acceptance, placing him
self squarety on the Cincuuaei Platform,
10 which tue National Convention says ::
We pledge ourselves anew to the Consei-
"tutional doctrines aud traditions Of the
Democratic party" Emery A. Stors in a
| recent article cites what some Of those
doc trines and traditions are. In 1850 th
Democratic party asse rted the sovereignty
Of States and denied the right Of coercion.
There Ia Constitutional doctrine and
tradition Hancock accepts and fou ght
FIVE years to destroy. In 1856 the Demo-
cratic party declared it would faithfully
abide by and uphold the doctrine of States
Rights a. one of the main foundations OF
Its creed, and in 1880 Hancock accepts that
COO, as q Constitutional doctrine and ira
dition," and yet necessarily denies the le-
gitimate effects OF that doctrine. In 1854
1t declared the experiment Of war to re-
store the Union was failure, and Hancock.
who was then leading his oattallions to
victory, in 1889 accepts that, too, rs a
" Institutional doctrine and tradition Of
tho Democratic Marty" In th- adoption
of the foul teenth end fifteenth amend
ments to ths Constitution, every Democrat
in the House aud Senate weed "No" and
opposed every act looking to the enforce
ment OF those amendments. He has an
accom- modating conscience or poor MEM
ory. General Hanceck's recent letter was
especially designed to couciliate the money
interests OF New York, yet among the
constitutional eoctIioes AID traditions
OF tie Democratic patty" the facts stand
boldly forth that since 1856 the Democratic
party has not ouly denied the power OF
Congress- to cbarei . National Bank, but
1t opposed all measures for the creation Of
greenbacks and NaGioual Bauk notes, even
when the country was 10 direst financial
dist ess, and favored practical reputation
OF the government deo. by demanding ii
should be paid 10 aieeobacks and tbrowiog
every hindrance possible 10 The way oil
specie resumption. These are but few
Of the principles asd traditions +" Hancock
accepts as his platfo,m while avowiug to.
day principles ut direct variance there
with. HIS declal aiioa IN relation TO ,be
payment OF rebel war claims il proper.
But the question rises: II Haa cock can 80
readily accommodate htnseif 10 the nu-
msrous diverse dsctl ines enumerated above
and 20 gracefully Tide horses goiog 10 OPP
posite directions, what is bis p.omise We, Cd
that be will oppose aod disapprove the ieb.
oil war claimsf He has already promised
too much. He 10 oommisted to too many
democratic doctrines and traditions" " be
trusted. #~-st .-.s-..-.u