The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1884-08-07
FOR GOVERNOR,
FIR EDERsCk Robe.
OF GORIIAM
The Independents Dilemma.

After The nomination of Blame and Logan
the independents announced that they could not
support the Republican candidates. and declar-
ed that they We're Cooking with -oc.ude to
the Democratic party" The campaign must be
conducted on moral grounds. they said. and Mr.
Blaine was not good enough for them. Yet
James q. Blaine is Il man whose record is Il
citizen, husband and father. is unimpeached
ana unimpeachatle His ntghbor> admire and
resi- ect him. and hi, pastors have certified that
he is generous, charitable. and Il Christian
gentleman. His public record has been a>>ail-
ed. ii Is true. but those who Were active in cir
culaing The charges against him some years ago
have since investigated them and are now among
thu most ardent supporters Of the man they had
accused uDiustly. The mud thrown at Mr.
Blaine has only socd he fingers of those who
threw it. There is no stain upon his person or
garments. The charges preferred against him
are utterly grounde>>. They are the spawn
of hatred and magnity on the part of his
political opponents. But wise in their own
concelt. and filled with contempt for the peo-
pie, TO whom Mr.. Baine'- nomination was due
these so-called Independents are either
free traders i'll disguise or men hidebound
with egoti>m and Vanity-declined to support
the Republican candidates and "looked with
sollritude TO the Democratic party"
Mr.. Baine'> great and admitted ability and
large experience in the public service, and Gen
eral Logan's brilliant military and civil record
ale ignored ignored, too, is the platform
upon which they stand, which proclaims the
principle of protection to American industries
and the American laborcr sand ignored also the
further fact that Blaine and Logan are the fair
~ chosen standard bearers of the party which
saved the Union, and under whose admni>tra
ton this country has become great and prosper
Gus. All this goes for naught with these So
called Independents. They "looked with solicit
tude to the Democratic party They hoped
for the nomination of Cleveland or Bayard-
the latter on record as giving aid and comfort
to the rebellion-and the Democrats gave them
Cleveland. They ought to be happy. They
wanted the campaign conducted on moral
grounds, and they have got Il man for a leader
who has been published far and wide as a liber-
tine and drunkard One Democratic editor eX-
presses the belief that Cleveland is ga moral
leper,' and has laid down his pen rather than
support him, but the Independents, who say
the campaign must be conducted on moral
grounds, are shouting for Cleveland Just the
same. They claim to be reformers, but Gov
Cleveland sees only "a single issue in the present
campaign, and that is, 'the supremacy of the
Democratic party This is diplomatic way
of expressing the fact that the struggle so far
as the Democratic party is concerned, is merely
one for the spos. The tail of the ticket ought
also to suit these so-called Independents and re-
formers. hendricks was Il bitter copperhead
during the war At IA speech in Shelbyvie
Indiana Feb. ), 1868 he denounced Lincoln
and the conduct of the war, encouraged resist
ance to the draft and advised "A compromise
with the rebels. Then and later he was peace
at-any-price man. He opposed in Congress an
increase of the pay to the negro troops, after
they had shown their vaor on the field of bat
tie. voted against the repeal of the fugitive
slave laws, and was one of six Senators who
voted against the Constitutional amendment to
abolish slavery. This is merely leaf from his
record. More and worse can be said of him :.
but he is part of the ideal ticket of the men
who cannot support Blaine and Logan, and the
platform upon which the Democratic candidates
stand is on par with the standard bearers
The Independents profess to be satisfied; but
really they have greater cause than before to
''look with solicitude to the Democratic party. :"
and they will certainly have to abandon the
idea of conducting the campaign on moral
grounds if Cleveland continues to head the
ticket.