The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-07-10
Anything to Beat Blaine.

simply been to soil their own regulations and
to advance the Republican cause and candi-
dates. The desperate straits to which the OPP
/ position are reduced are clearly indicated by
the groundless and puerile charges made against
Mr.. Blaine. Most of them carry with them. TO
all fairminded and intelligent people. their
own refutation; while others are calculated to
make votes for and not against the Republican
candidates Mr.. Blainc's religion WAS among
the first objects of attack but. strange to say.
! while in some quarters he WAS denounced
Roman Catholic in others he was heraded as
the bue>t of Presbyterians. We have always
! been under the impression that in this country
mans religious belief is his own private con-
/ Germ and that he is not to be prescribed either
as Catholic ora Presbyterian. or as Il member
of any other denomination. So far a. Mr..
/ Blaine is concerned he has never paradcd his
religion. or traded upon it, perchance some
of his traducers have done. but we have had
The unsolicited testimony in his favor of pastors
of the church Mr.. Blaine attends. one of whom
7 says: Not only his presence on Sunday but
| his influence. his wise counscls. his purse are
! freely devoted to the interests Of the noble Old
I
say that on this question Of religion the Demo-
! crats have ''called OFF their dogs" realizing at
last that there is nothing to be gained by at
\ lacking a mans religious belief. Then the
\ Democrats and assistant Democrats declared
/ that it would be impossible for them to support
Mr.. Blaine because he is opposed to civil SER
vice reform. 1t might be asked what has the
} Democratic "a pr la
civil service: Every step in that direction has
been made by the Republican party in the face
of Democratic opposition. The first Civil Ser
| vice Commission, of which George William
| Curtis was a member. was established in ac-
cordance with the recommendations of Presi-
dent Grant, and went out Of existence because
IA Democratic House refused the necessary APP
preparation to continue it. Mr.. Blaine has
been in complete harmony with his party on
| this question: and his speech delivered at Win
/ terport two years ago, III which he outlined
practical plan for reform was endorsed by
| Harpers Weekly. which is now opposing him
ostensbly on the ground that he is not a civil
service reformer. In his eulosv on President
Garfield Mr.. Blaine said It lad he lived a com
prehen>ive Improvement in the mode of ap-
pointment and in the tenure of office would
have been proposed by him, and. with the aid
of Congress, no doubt perfected" We have
been repeatedly told that Mr.. Blaine was the
leading spirit of President Gartield's admins
tration. and that his influence was paramount
1t is impossible therefore, TO deny him some
portion of the credit for Il reform measure
whose realization was defeated by the bullet of
an assassin. Mr.. Dorman b. Eaton. a member
of the present Civil Service Commission, re-
ferring to the passage from which we have
quoted above. has said: my opinion of Mr..
Blaine was greatly modified by reading his
eulogy on Garfield. That address showed me
a side of Mr.. Blaine> character that | did not
! before recognize or appreciate" And it may
be further said that Mr.. Blaine has never made
such use of public patronage as have many of
our public men, who take this means to main
| tain their influence and to reward their friends
and punish their enemies. Mr.. Blaine is above
| that His advancement and influence have
been due to his great abilities and qualities of
craftsmanship, and not to the bestowa of Of
fetal patronage.
With charges SO uniformly grouEdless. and
III LlOSt cases SHY, IL Is ucult 10 ulScfllnalt,
but perhaps the fools cap should be awarded to
the New York Evening Post for its attacks
upon Mr.. Rlaine's record with regard to specie
resumption. That paper stated that Mr.. Blaine
had not only taken no part in the legislation for
a return TO specie payments but was opposed to
it. This is Il case of objectionable ignorance
on the part of the conductors of public Jour
nal. or evidence of INSCRIPTIONS malignity and
the Evening Post has been guilty of either ,ne
or the other offence. The records of Congress
show that Mr.. Blaine was one of the earliest
| can policy for a return to specie payments at
the earliest possible moment, policy that was
opposed by the Democrats with whom the Post
is now in utilization. In a speech delivered in
the House Jan. 10, 1876, Mr.. Blaine said: Il
am told, Mr.. Chairman in tones of most sol
emn warning, that this country is not able to
maintain its paper money at par with coin.
Sir, reject the suggestion with scorn and it
seems to me if l could be persuaded of its truth
| should be ashamed to rise in the American
| Congress and proclaim it," 1t need only be
added to complete the expose of the disreput-
able methods of the New York Evening Post
that although its attention has been called to
the facts it persists in its false accusations.
This is a fair specimen of the charges brought
forward by the papers whose policy is anything
to beat Blaine.