The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-24
Henry Ward Beecher and the Mug
wumps and Democrats.

To the Editor Of the Press:
A late number of the Bowdoin Orient in
dulges in mild editorial criticism upon the
intolerance of the Oberlin Faculty, in re-
fusing to permit Rev; Henry Ward Beecher
to lecture before the students for fear of his
communicating influence upon the religious
standing of the college," We differ from the
Orient, and commend the Oberlin Faculty
We are glad of their action. The Brooklyn
pastor ought to be snubbed for his course in
the presidential campaign of 1884.
We shave always entertained high esteem
and reposed an entire confidence in Mr.
Beecher ever since, as college boy, forty
six years ago, we read his lectures 20 young
men, We have watched his course with in
terest, and felt admiration for his talent and
eloquence; and cheerfuly award to him our
highest need of praise for the courage and
energy with which he faced hostile English
audience, while he plead with the enemies
of the nation in behalf of the Union cause
in its darkest hour. We felt profound sym
pathy with him, and indignation for his
sake, when he was compelled to reilerate
Il didn't" because every bucollc idiot VINO
could send his sprawling chirography in
slanting lines down the page, felt 1t lncun-
bent upon him to write to Bonner's Ledger
l.
mon with the phrase, sits damned hot" We
thought it an outrage when that crack
Drained Theodore Tilton, proclalmlng HIM
self cuckold, and accusing Mr.. Beecher OF
him to say 81 didn't again, and to defend
himself at cost of thousands of dollars.
But the next occasion of his saying Il
didn't" was the means OF his forfeltlng all
the sympathy and confidence we had bestoW-
ed upon him so long. Affiliating himself
with the Mugwumps in their unreasoning
personal hostility to the Republican eandl-
date for the presidency; violating commence
by reporting not too correctly Dreak1ast
table conversation, and when taxed with lts
incorrectness reiteratiDg it with clrcum-
stance, his host gave him the lie direct, he
could only reply with 81 didn't" with less
success than before.
And now, what is it for which we are in
Mugwump ilk? 1.-TWO hundred and fifty
pounds of buffalo beef" for President who
has succeeded in selecting for constitutional
a1visers-what? A Secretary OF State who is
disgruntled because the Senate refuses to
permit the Administration to place the coun-
try at the mercy of another Halifax commits
sion swindle. A Secretary of the Navy and
an Attorney General of the United States,
conspiring like q pair of political bunco
steerers to cheat John Roach, to drive him
into bankruptcy, and dragging in the United
States government as pdrticeps crdmtnls! A
twopence ha'penny Postmaster General, who
grudgingly pays American steamers TWO and
a half cents per mile for carrying the ocean
mails, and ''makes no bones" about paying
British steamers sixty cents for the same SER
vice. An Attorney General of the United
States, and no end of rebel brigadiers high in
| Office who have befouled their fingers and
| besmirched their 'honah" with Pan Electric
| stock, and are calling on the United States
| to purge them through the Department OF
| Justice! That is the sort of Reform with a
| big r, which Mr.. B. and his Mugwump
| crowd have given us-the entertainment to
| which the whole country has been invited
| whether they intended it or not.
| And by way of corollary. we have Demo-
| cratic House of Representatives who are sc
| virtuously shocked at the bare idea of q
Subsidy" that they overwhelmingly vote
| down the Senate appropriation OF $SOQ,OOC
| for carrying the ocean mails in American
| bottoms, and yet insist on taxing the people
| "a millions of dollars year, and even more
| to SUBSIDIZE the owner of silver mine
| and pile up in the Overdowing vaults of the
| Treasury millions upon millions of cunt
brous and debased currency which nobody
| wants or will take except upon compulslOn
| And to cap the climax of an asinine lonei
tude of ears, we have the horizontal chair
| man of the Committee of Ways and Mean,
| reporting tariff bill, Surrenderng to the
| Canadian Dominion without the least equiv
| alent privileges which they have been mop
ing to obtain by committing acts OF wal
against citizens of the United. States, and
| which would destroy our fisheries, and I'M
| poverish thousands of American citizens
| And this is the kind of REFORM undel
which we are to groan and labor two and ;
! half wears longer! God save the Common
wealth Of the United States
HENRY I. CUMMINGS.
Portland July 20, 1916.