The Republican journal., 1881-12-01
A Still Hunt for the City Offices.

Some profound philosopher, we do not
now recall his name, once wrote dis
QUESTION on "the happening of the uneA-
pected.' 1t may be doubted whether a
more striking example of his theme can
be cited than the fact that, thus early
before our annual city election, move
and to commit them, under the com
pulsion OF a promise, to vote at the city
election, four months hence, for a cone
idea" city government. Books for their
signatures have been carried around to
our citizens, with a printed pledge put
therein, which binds them to vote next
spring for such men only for city officers
as will turn out the present board of
railroad directors, and elect others who
will divide the rental 50 that the nom
preferred stock shall receive equal divi-
dends with the preferred.
An attempt like this, so many months
in advance, to forestall the political action
Of our citizens, and to secure by mort
gage, as it were, the fruits Of an election
not Yet taken into consideration, has
never we are glad to say, been known in
this State. Cannot the aspiring men, who
are thus secretly engineering this project,
submit their claims to these offices to the
free judgment and action Of their fellow
citizens next March Are their chances
so slim that they must bind the voters,
hand and foot, before they realize what
they are doing
We think it our duty to warn our cti-
zens against giving any aid or comfort to
such scheme. We entreat them not to
manacle themselves by signing any pledge
as to their future political action. Next
spring they will have duty to perform
a duty which, for its proper discharge
may require careful consideration and
deliberate Judgment and they have no
right to fetter themselves with pledges
that will render them unable, when the
time comes to perform that duty as they
may then wish.
This railroad question is but one of
many questions that enter into our city
elections. Shall we bind ourselves to "a
party with one idea only If there is one
idea that we ought to attach ourselves to
it should be that which represents the
true interests Of the city And if there
are any men who should be trusted and
followed, it is they who have done and are
doing most for the city and its interests
The great scheme we have so much at
heart as being so important for the city,
is the retunding scheme If harmony
among ourselves exists, and the cooper
alton of all is secured, the retunding
movement will 90 on to successful ac-
complishment. If our railroad and bank
directors are stigmatized and denounced.
and war is made upon them and our
heaviest tax payers generally, and the
question of the rights of our citizens, who,
through their interest in the city, were
induced to take railroad stock that they
did not want, is to be settled by method
like this, and not by a fair and proper adj
Indication, who is bold enough to declare
that refunding will not be a failure
And is the division Of the railroad
rental contended for, as all important to
the city compared with the success Of
refunding? Then consider the delay.
These railroad directors cannot be ousted
until next July, and there will be no
rental to be divided till next fall, one
year from now.
But this scheme puts 4 stop to all
measures, either for refunding or adjust
ing our differences on the railroad ques-
ton. 1t means war, not peace. Men
attacked will strike back. The railroad
controversy in all probability will go into
the courts. Suits and injunctions will tie
up the income, and no one can say when
the end will be.
Who, then, is the true friend of the
city 1? He who is promoting dissensons,
denouncing cur heaviest taxpayers, ar
raging those who have no stock in the
railroad against those who have, and
seeking to secure decision by the peo-
pie at the polls next March by getting
hasty pledges from them to-day-or he
who wishes and seeks for harmony and
co operation of all our citizens for an ad-
justment Of all questions upon the basis
of right and justice, having us the ulti-
mate end TO be achieved the refunding of
our debt and the great reduction thereby
to be gained in our taxes?
The Belfast Journal declines to engage in dis
cusson of the financial question with the Calais
Times on the ground that, the game is not worth
the powder" We find that lard Money par ers
generally manage to avoid such discussions with
well Informed Greenbackers on one pretence and
another, but take leave to doubt if contempt
for the game" is the real reason of their disincli
nation to meet their opponents in fair argument.
We suspect that the actual fact is that they
haven't got the powder lRockland Opinion.
The Opinion labors under a serious
mistake. The magazines of the hard
money papers are we'll supplied, but it isa
poor sportsman who wastes his ammuni-
ton on dead game. The fiat money fall
lacy is dead as a door nail. 1t no longer
a living issue. Its advocates have gone
to the wall, and their prophesies have
proved as futile and as foolish as those of
Mother Shipton. Resumption, which was,
in the opinion of these ill-starred proph-
cts, to ruin the country, has brought un-