The Republican journal., 1882-12-14
Prof. Bateman on the War Path

Prof. L. G. Bateman, of Searsmont now in
Pennsylvania on lecturng tour as follows:
Knowing that you in common with thousands
desire to unite the Grcenbackers of Maine and
Of the country into one harmonious party,
write this to you to correct an impression that
some honest GreenbackerS out of the State have
of the situation in Maine. 1t il said that the
''straight'' Greenbackers of Maine refused to
support Gov. PlaSted. Congressman Ladd
Thing and Murch. because Democrats voted for
them. Was there not more than that to it : Do
you believe that Greenback principles would be
advanced any by Democratic aSccndancv: If
you will write out YOUR views of this matter in
full, and give your opinion as to the best course
for the Grcenbackers of Maine to pursue in the
future for publication in Them Steers. YOU will
confer a great favor upon every true Green
| backer i'll this State.
The Professor replies at length-at such
length indeed, that we are unable to reproduce
his letter in full. In the outset he says:
The straight" Greenbackers of Maine with.
held their support from Gov. Paisted and the
Congressional ticket, from a higher motive
than the mere fact of theil endorsement by
Democrats. 1t was because they believed those
men Were not true to Greenback principles. but
were intending to hand our party over to the De-
mocracy as soon rs the possession of power
would enable them TO carry out their infamous
contract.
The following description Of Fusion is graph
c and accurate
| The recent fusion movement in Maine was
| conceived IN niquity and brought forth in sin;
| It was bound together by no stronger ties than
| the cohesive power of public punder, ana its
| overthrow was the legitimate consequence of an
| outraged public conscience. No party in Maine
ever started out with fairer prospects than ours
no party was ever brought down so low by iu-
| competent and faithleSs leadership. A. long as
sspOt1nplinp nj
our party constantly grew, but the moment that
| "Fusion" became the established policy, the
process of disintegration began and has contin-
! ued until the whole organization has been re
| duced to moral cinder-hcap.
| The gallant Pasted and three of the Fusion
candidates for Congress are thus portrayed:
For the past two years we have been treated
| by the Fusion press to such surfeit of Senti-
mental gush about the "gallant Plaisted etc."
as to nauseate any one not possessed Of cast
| iron political stomach. Personally, [ regard
| Harris NJ. Plasted. both historically and Scien-
titically, one of the most cold blooded selfish
| designing ana trGach9r0Us dCmag0guGs, that
ever contributed to the ruin of 4 political party.
lie has never sincerely believed one single prin-
ciple of the Grtenback party. but the sole aim
ana end Of his connection with that organiza-
ton has been his own personal advancement.
| There has never been moment since he has
been the recognized leader of the party that he
! principle and bound it hand and foot over to
| the Democracy if by so doing he could have St.
cured seat in the United States Senate. As a
| leader Of the office seeking horde who consti-
| tutc the fusion party of to-day, he is bright
| and shining ornament: but as Il member Of
| party composed Of true Greenbackers he is as
much out of place as Judas Iscariot was among
the twelve apostles. -As for the recent congress
>lonal candidates, Geo. W. Ladd has never
been anything but 4 Bourbon Democrat. Dan
Iti 1aSt t4l4 Il a., IL L.
anything or to do anything that will give him
/ seat in congress: while the voice and vote of
| the Hon. t. II. Murch are 30 seldom heard or
! recorded in congress as to render it extremely
difficult to place him; but no doubt that when
! the proper time comes lie Will be duly found on
the side Of the loayc> and fishes. \ fine trio to
| build up and lead great political party, truly ,
| Dump the whole three of them into one and
the amalsamated product would not be sutti-
| clent material to make one fourth rate congress
| man.
The Professor asks the question, "WilI Green
back principles be advanced by Democratic ,ts-
cendancy:" and answer, il cmphaticaIly in the
negative. H. continues;
TO begin with. the Democratic party was
never known to advance correct principles of
any kind, anI its political record il one i'll hich
| 10 lover OF his country can take pride. From
| its earliest inception down to the present time
| it ha, opposed every noble and progressive
/ movement, ana in turn has clampiOncd every
| VIE and diSgra2eful cause. Its pathway is
/ streWn with the wrecks of exploded fa laco>
| while il has b!ighted like the deadly una, every
| thing that has come within its whitening iniU-
| ence. 1t never had bur one sincere and devoted
principle, and that principle was to forever en-
! blaIOn the black curse Of Slavery upon our ma
| tonaj esCutchcOn. Go back to those dark days
| when treason reared its CHASTITY head, and the
| fate Of our nation seemed trembling in the bal
ancc ami what Ito Won hnu its recOrIt
After picturng in burning words the atttu ie
! Of Il portion of the Democracy during the war
| the Professor says:
Coming down to the campaign of 1880. we find
| there was only one plank in their platform that
| had any meaning at all, and that was the plank
which declared for a tariff for revenue only"
| However, the sensation of having one statesman
| like plank upon which men who honestly be-
| lieyed i'll Free Trade couli stand. was altogeth-
er too oppressive Il load for the white flag Of
| Bourbonism, and the whole party immediately
shouted itself hoarSe trying to prove that the
plank i'll question didn't mean anything and that
| they We're for Protection all the time! In order
to give greater ec(dt to their sincerity their can
didate, Hancock, calmly anpounced to an Open
mouthed and admiring Democracy that the ta-
| riff was merely local question that had once
! been agitated in his native village During that
memorable campaign did we hear any Demo-
cratic orators upholding the great claim, of hl-
| dlgnation the tendency towards monarchy to
which we are so fast Fastening: Nothing of
| the kind. The great men Of that party were ell
| gagged in pouring out the vileSt abuse upon the
now santed Garfield. and proWng around in
| the dead hours of night chalking over doorWavS
| and on old fences. and Watcr-clo>etS. the cabul-
ist!" figures '':2a. that WAS The highest flight Of
craftsmanship to which the average Democratic
mind could rise.
The lack of consistency in the Democratic
| has ,nD ifs Ianl- ,,f
| pie. 1t has always been willing and anxious to
| join any and every thing that would bring a few
voters into IFS fold. 1t is for hard money in one
| State. and soft money in another. In one see
| ton it proclaims for Free Trade, while in an
other where Protection is more popular it shouts
| for high tariff.
| We regret to see that the Professor does not
altogether approve of the Republican party but
bestows "A portion of his invectives on it, He
admits, however, that ''the Republican party
with all its faults, has always been led by hon
| est men who have had the courage of their con-
yictions, while ''the Democracy on the other
| hand, with its groyelling nature like the serpent
| in Eden, is always trying to seduce some one
from the path of principle, in return for which
it leaves nothing but its Shiny trail behind"
In concluding the Professor dips into finance
| ana lne laNS OF traue auu lntn scars aOtt on
| the wings of prophesy:
| One word TO the Greenbacker> of Maine. and
am done. Stand firm by your colors! The
Greenback party is net dead, Republican edit
| ors and Fusion traitors to the contrary not
Withstanding. That it is at Il very low ebb at
the present writing am perfectly free to aC-
nit. just at the present moment we are riding
on the crest of great wave of commercial
| prosperity, brought about by several causes,
| but more especially by the immense crops of
| the past few years, for which the Republican
party gets the entire credit and God Almighty
none a short time longer and these condi-
tons will be reversed The mutterings of the
coming storm can already be heard in the dis
tance. Let our imports once heavily over
! balance our exports, and it will be necessary to
| send our gold to fore gn countries. As soon AS
| the basis is drawn from beneath our circulating
medium another financial collapse will occur
and the scenes of 1873 to 1873 will again be re-
| peated The hellish financial legislation Of the
past few years will then be apparent to ALL and
the Greenback party will again come to the
| front. In the mean time great political up
heaval is at hand. That the Democrats will
come into power in 1884 is an event by no
means Improbable, That they will he kicked