The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-30
[Biddeford Times.l
A New Departure.

The Boston Post desires that its party take
higher stand 1t feels competent to define De-
mocracy and feels like bouncing every dissent
er from its schedule of principles. 1t sees
what we have endeayored to bring to the at
tention of the Democratic rank and file, that
they have suffered from bad leadership. 1t
says that fthe weak cunning that seeks to beat
the Republicans at their own bad games, must
be sent into permanent exile" For once, the
Post is in accord with the people. if it will con-
ent to amend by emitting that part rejecting
on the Republican party. They do and have
believed that "the weak cunning that has
characterized every move of the Democratic
party makes it in no wise safe depository of
public trusts. In that faith they sent it into
exile in 61, since which they have not seen fit
to recall it.
The Post would see ga healthful manliness
take the place of he non-committal policy that
has always lost" AS to any statement that
the Democrat party has been nos-committal,
we file protest. In fact the party has been
only too committal, TO anything and every
thing that possessed the substance of shadow.
At one and th. same time it stands committed
to the most discordant IDEAS
To say nothing of the past, its present atti-
tude is an endorsement of every existing ism
and phase of political error. 1t is committed
to free trade and protection to civil service
reform theoretically and to the spoils system
practically, to hard money and soft money. It
endorses anything that develops local strength.
To the charge of being "non-committal" the
Der ocIacy can plead, not guilty. The people
would like to see it less ready to
commit and more honest in perform
no dc of ha Poet
tThey have been juggled with by
political tricksters and hypocrites quite long
enough"
The Post in the first lush of its patriotic
fever. proposes to go through its party, to
sweep up and out every unworthy element.
Those who bend not the knee to the idol of the
civil service reformer, and those who fail to
see the beauties of free trade 'must CO." Tho
temple of Democracy as purified and renovated
is to afford no asylum for the Greenbackor.
This is the manner after which this Democrat
ic scavenger bruises the head of Governor
Plaisted, and is worth attention by every
Greenbacker who proposes to vote the Demo-
cratic ticket. 1t says the party has been too
long loaded down by men who are ardent sup
porters of the paper money invented by Re-
pubicans.
What beautiful and easy job this journal
plans. 1t is to bring harmony out of chaos.
The Post is to adjust its glasses to each Demo-
cratic nose, and the proprietor of said nose is to
else he will be treat 3D. to the toe of boot ap-
piled to another part of his anatomy, and out
he goes, banished from the Democratic party.
The Post will sit in judgment and banish ev-
cry unclean thing-eyerything that doth
offend.
With supreme egotism it says: ''The loas Of
the men who have weakened the strength and
turned aside the purposes of the Democratic
party would be the party's great and lasting
gain"
The Post should reflect before entering up
on this work. The Democratic party exists
only as it affords standing room for men of
every shade and form of political opinion.
Attempt to bring this loose and discordant
to the Republican party and it goes to pieces.
The Democratic party must be as free as the
wind to change. 1t must be free to endorse
everything and hold to nothing. ANY attempt
to remodel and bind it to principle is but
proposition to disband. May the Post perse-
we're in its self-imposed task, and may success
crown its efforts, is our humble wish.