Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-01
Facing Both Ways.

The democratic party has trick OF ap-
pearing in different localities upon different
sides of the same question. In the South
it is one thing, in the North another, and so
of the East and West.
In this State at this time the democratic
party is driven to the wall on the tariff
question as being in favor of free trade.
What course do the democratic news
papers take to get out of the difficulty in
which they find themselves' Why they
deny that their party is for frse trade.
The Argus in a recent editorial satd:
In this extract Mr.. Blaine assumes that the
intelligent workingmen of Maine are ignorant
of the fact that the democratic party is not a
free trade party, does not claim to be a free
trade party aud has never established-neVel
attempted to establish, tree trade. The as
sumption il therefore public insult to tbs
intelligence of Maine workmen.
Everybody understands that this is q
dodge, an evasion, falsehood. on the
part of the Argus. to deceive voters in re
gard to the true position of the democrat
ic party. Mark how it is contradicted by
the New York Star, President Cleveland's
organ in New York city. The Star Of q
recent date says editorially;
Falsehood and evasion concerning the tar
i'll question can, therefore, add nothing to the
strength Of the democratic party, and, on the
contrary, they weaken it in two ways. First,
they repel the large number of revenue re.
formers still held by prejudice or habit with
in the republican ranks; secondly, they
weaken the hold of the democracy on its own
members by creating the impression tina,
there is something disgraceful in the accuse
ton constantly brought against the party by
its opponents. There is no use in attempt
ing to deny that the tendency of the demo-
cratic party is toward free trade, and hence
disclaimers of such tendency merely alarm
the ignorant and make them ready to abandon
the party when the charge is proven, as, of
course readily can be done.
The Star, as dem Dcratic paper, is weary
to disgust of policy based on lying-a policy
that demorslizes its own party and prevents
natural accessions to its ranks; and it is
therefore in favor of making tariff reduction
an issue, not only this year, but every year
when national questions are brought before
the people.
The Stars article is centre shot at the
Argus. Its expressed disgust with a
''policy based on lying" hits the case OF
the Argus and the Maine democracy ex.
actly. 1.-The tendency of the democratic
party is toward free trade" says the Star
but the Argus facing the other way to suit
the present exigency says it sis not free
trade party" Which of these democratic
papers tells the truth we all know, and il
is not the Argus. 1t pursues "a policy
based on living" not only in regard to the
tariff but in relation to prohibition likewise
The average designations under Cleve.
land for four months exceed by fifty-five
similar period under Arthur. But this
was not enough. Resignation and death
did not make vacancies rapidly enough
so that removal without cause was resort
ed to, and to these removals, so directly
in violation of his reform pledges. is due
almost one half the changes made in the
post-oilices of this State. Little would bt
said had the democratic party proclaimed
its spoils purpose in the presidential cam
paign. But it did not. Its canddat,
made pledges, which, as President he ha
not kept. and his course has been sucl
that no defense of him is made on tina
point Philadelphia Press.