The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-07-06
Maine Politics.
COMMENTS ON THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
AND PLATFORM.

the start of the hard money men by about four
weeks. as they nominated Plaisted on the 30th
of May. Plaisted is the present Governor of
Maine. He enjoys certain prestige as being
the Greenback-Democratic candidate in 1880,
who received congratulations letter from Gen.
Hancock. then the national Democratic candi-
date for President, facilitating him (Plasted)
on his election true exponent of Demo
cratic opinions. Plaisted had then been elected
a Greenbacker, by aid of Democratic votes.
although he was renegade Republican who
had never voted the Democratic ticket in his
life until he voted for himself. There are in
Maine two factions of the Greenback party.
one, under the leadership of Scion Chase, stead
lily refusing entangling alliances with any party
or other political organization. The other is
ready to make bargain with anybody. This
latter nominated Plaisted in May. And now the
old, original. and straightout Bourbon Demo-
cratic party has nominated Plaisted. The nomi-
nee. therefore, straddles two platforms, one Of
which calls for unlimited greenbacks and the
other denounces greenbackS as an invention of
the devil.
In point of fact imitation is a bygone issue.
The business of the country has SO adjusted it
self TO the changed condition of national finance
that the questions growing out of the regulation
of bank currency are merged in the more easily
understood proposition to extend the charters
of the national banks. Very few politicians
WOrrN themselves over any proposal to issue a
new volume of irredeemable currency.
Nevertheless the average American citizen
Will wonder why it should be thought necessary
to put an intiatOnst on a hard money platform.
The nomination of Mcclellan by the Demo-
crat> in 1864 was a similar exhibition of fatu-
BUSINESS disguised as craft. AT that time the
only platform of the Democracy was a peace
full compromise with the rebels. The Chicago
platform affirmed the war to be a failure Yet
Mcclellan was nominated on the anti-war plat
form. Mcclellan was a war candidate. Plaisted
Is a Grcenbacker and an intlatiOnist. TO do
him credit. it should be said that his most open
bids have been for the nomination of the Green
hackers. He has boldly asked for this favor at
lheir hands Nevertheless. the hard money
Democrats have also made him their nominee
1t j it'll" to say that party that blows hot or
cold. rs III This instance, has any principle What
ever. Scion Glasses inVincibles refused to trade
with any party. The Democrats of Maine stulify
Themselves and cast reproaCh upon their own
record and platform by nominating man who
has TWO opposite and wholly irrecOncabe
characters to maintain. The Maine Democrats
are really in no more hopeless condition than
their party associates in other States They
have 40 principles They are casting about for
a candidate without convictions. They think
they have found him in Plaisted. ~ y. Times.
The currency resolution adopted by the Lew
iSton convention would make hazardous cN-
pcdirn, adopted in the eXigency of Il civil war
tn" foundation of permanent system twenty
years afttrWard. and commit the country ire
Nocahly TO national bank of the worst type
q treasury bank. with the two houses Of Con
gr'>S for directors. The American people will
never consent to any such scheme. 1t is the
part OF Congress to regulate the transaction of
business not to take ii out Of the hands Of the
people. The coinage and the paper currency.
like the trans pnrtation of passengers and freight.
should i'd regulated by law: but Congress can
not successfully manage railroads or manipu-
late the money market. Portland Advertiser.
The chief interest attached to the alleged
Drf1lrInIt> ~
form. II i easy TO be indignant or amused. as
one reads the resolutions sOberv or regards
them aS >atirical and somewhat humorous. 1t
>HNorS of lmpudcnce. for men to dtnOunce bri-
berry at elections. whose political career las
illustrated the worst phases Of vOte-buyng Ii
l. prep0>tcrous for a party to plead for civil
NcN lee reform. when its governor has sought
to li>e the state offices personal perqui>ite,
and violated the first principles of the doctrine
in which the Democrats profess to believe.
The talk against the tariff commission is en-
torSed by convention which renominate> Mr..
MWch. who voted for the commission. IBo>-
ton Advertiser.
~ to the platform, it is a charity to suppose
that il has been mangled in Transmission, for it
presents an awful wreck of the Queens Eng
li>h. to say nothing of a noticeable absence Of
logic and good scnse Enough of il can be made
out 70 show that ii Mas framed more With re-
gard to rhetoric than to definite issues. and it
has faint interest as 4 specimen of SIovpnlv
THE CIVIL sERN ICE PLATFORM OF THE MAINE
DEMOCRACY.
Those editors who do not know the peculiar
titles Of the Maine Democratic managers will
cause those gentlemen 10 smile when they limo
Gently assert that the civil service plank Of the
Democratic Convention is an indication Of
change of heart. That platform was prepared
by Il gentleman who has all his life been dis
clpI" OF the spOil> SYSTEM or. rather. has al
ways held that the offices when the Democrats
are in power. should be given TO Democrats:
and we have 10 doubt if the Democratic party
should come into power that every member of
that Committee on Resolutions would insist
that every position from lighthouse keeper to
Collector Of Customs should be held by Demo
erals. II i not generally known. but it is new
erhecSs fact that the platform was given
out 10 be put in type before the convention met,
The resolutions having been agreed upon by the
magnatr> the night before the assembling of the
convention. Not half of the delegates heard
the reading Of the platform and very few took
amy interest in the matter. If they have since
made Themselves familiar with that extended
dissertation, they have had considerably more
leisure than falls to the lot of men of affairs If
there were any prospect of a change il admin
i~raton which would insure a Democratic
President. and If there We're on the Part of the
delegates the remotest idea that such resolu-
ton was intended As an honest declaration of
Democratic purpose. it would MOI get ten votes
u, ,oni = phlels possible lhai
ti "u!ilol VI iie r'soutIoii mus no" discovered
i 5''i' ,l> rouise ~ leauns democratic once
lo'PI r VIZ TEons, nui we aoupt H. As Tor
n"sttt.: HIS lil;!lh Pafposf mas peen 10 re-
G!I'I tiiclen f'ePllollealls ana MI the
~ usl9hIsis. IN stFera instances
~ i' '"Ih,lpS ne mas refused TO con-
LINN III once ieihs OF courts ana other Re
p"p1lO.1A touhtH 1iiiGels whom lne voters would
Il, '-eIrI' IL lntH lad me opportunity and has
ij''il'! me NPriIthceu men III thelr stead. IN
III !il' VI ~ numerous uittiances ne mas
u'!a['" III I"N OF Vi changes IN olHceholders, so
lha! me tlta OF Ile-tehurt snail not become the
poo!itA 81 the country. In snort, the hope Of
in Maine. and is now ;hC lgature which kept
hah@ ana Eng OF the Fusion party together in
Name; convince The managers on both sides
thal inc Denlocfatlc ascendency which they
are working Tor would carry out the pledge in
l4e CIV service plank OF the Maine Democratic
plaIorm ana 1hey would scatter like Fourth
"l July picnic oVeftaken by hail-storm. The
men WIN" wrote the resolution know that the
Democratic party stu believes in the spoils
system a. II always has They simply hope
thil me resolution VIII deiude few we'll
meaning voters. or to use a more fitting express
SION. 'Wlil gun the Hats. That Is the whole of
II. b"S'oh journal.