The Portland daily press., 1889-09-17

lew ptOpI6 WIZ otuuy aiuduaCo thCy Wouiu
not be noticed In four years out of five.
The Maine Commissioners will unveil six
teen monuments on the battlefield of Gettys-
burg for which the State of Maine has ex-
pended In all twenty-five thousand dollars.
All of the regiments whose positions are
thus marked took gallant and honorable
part in the battle; while part of them, no
tably the Third, Fourth. Sixteenth, Seven
tenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Infantry
and Steyens's Battery performed deeds of
conspicuous gallantry emitting their monu-
ments to places on the spots which have
been made precious by the most abundant
libations Of loyal blood. A gentleman ia
miliar with the field, both at the time Of the
great battle and at the present time, recently
expressed the opinion that the position
allotted the monument to Stevens's Battery
was the best on the whole battlefield. Be-
fore 1t stretches the long slope over which
was made the fierce Confederate charge. the
force of which the battery did so much to
break, while around are the monuments to
the bravest regiments of the loyal States. 1t
will always be matter of pride and pleas
ure to the people Of Maine that these spots
have been marked with the beautiful and
enduring moments which the Commission
ers have had erected. As the years 60 by
and the great West fills up with the hun
dreds of millions who are destined to inhabit
1t, and as the small New England States
grow smaller by comparison with the great
Western commonwealths, the battlefield of
Gettysburg will gain in interest year by
year, and it will eventually become. if it is
not already, the most famous and the often
est visited battlefield on earth, Maine may
by that time have no more than two, perhaps
not more than one, member in the popular
branch of Congress. With her political
prestige largely diminished, with the rever-
ence felt now for her by her sons and daugh-
tiers who are building up the Western States,
diminished to half-forgotten sentiment by
its passage down through several genera
tions, Maine will yet have by the endurance
OF the work her commissioners will complete
next October, the credit and the fame of the
duty her sixteen regiments and batteries did
on the battlefield where American liberties
were saved. In honor of the dedicatory
ceremonies on Maine Day there should be
and undoubtedly will be, large attendance
of citizens Of Maine. The occasion will be
both important and memorable, and the COM
missioners have arranged an excursion
which will make attendance easy and COM
paratively inexpensive.
III President Harrison's administration
can rehabilitate the Republican party
in the South to such an extent as
to give 1t a local strength on which
1t can maintain itself irrespective of federal
support. it will perform service in states
manship that will in its results far surpass
in value the party advantage, valuable as
that would lie. or course the Republican
party of the South to be successful must be
built up with local material, and above all.
be led by natives of the South. The political
influence of Northern men will for long
time be hampered in the South, as the politi-
cal influence Of native of the South would
be hampered in the North. The "carpet
baggers," so called, were necessary for the
leadership and management of the Republi-
can party in the South when the natural
leaders of that section were all the sworn
enemies of the principles of the party. But
things have changed in twenty-five years.
In order to maintain the solidty of the
have been forced recently In Virginia to
trump up the old cry that white sup remacy
is endangered. 'White supremacy" is an
expression that means, when translated "the
rule OF the Democratic machine" Some
thoughtful white men In the Old Dominion
have already translated it, and decided that
the supremacy of order and law does not
depend upon single party. In Georgia the
Atlanta Constitution is using the ancient
methods to prejudice the white people
against the Republican ticket; and is de-
claiming loudly against Mr.. Harrison's ad-
ministration for appointing carpet bag
gers" to federal offices. Col. A. E. Buck,
leader OF the Georgia Republicans, has made
reply to these attacks, WIFI II shows that
Mr.. Harrison, In his appointm has built
upon the solid foundation of local interest
COL Buck, after reviewing the list OF Presi-
dent Harrison's Georgia appointments finds
that there are only three out of 100 who are
not men born In the South, and those three
are men Of long residence and thoroughly
identified with the business interests of the
State. All the appointments made in the
department of justice, two United States
attorneys, one assistant attorney and one
mai shall, are natives of Georgia. The only
appointments made in the treasury depart
ment, the collector Of internal revenue for
the State, and the surveyor of customs, are
also natives of Georgia. In the railway
mail service, the superintendent is North
ern man of long residence in the South, but
the Republican organization of the State
strongly urged an ex-Confederate soldier
and a native of Georgia for the place. The
appointment was made by the Postmaster
General, only on the ground of the expert
ence of the gentleman appointed and the
needs of the service. His appointment has
been generally commended by the Southern
press. Very few Of the railway postal clerks
who have been appointed since March are
men of Northern birth, and since April 30
no political influence has had to do with
these appointments, as they have been made
under civil service laws. Col. Buck himself.
as he went from Maine, might be called
carpet Dagger" If there is anyone In Geor-
gia small enough to give this epithet for an
adventurer to man who has spent the best |
years of his life in idartiftinr ,.,;4h