Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-12-04
Thomas +. Bayard.

Thomas r. Bayard.
The Boston Herald declares that the
Hon. Thomas F. Bayard is presidential
possibility! 1t appears to have overlooked
the fact that the American people have
recently declared with some considerable
emphasis against that class of American
public men-it is misnomer to call them
statesmen-who serve British interests
in preference to, and to the detriment OF
those of their own country The indica-
tions are that the Presidents of the
United States, for some time to come will
not be Anglomaniacs. On the other hand
they will be Americans, with patriotic
love for American institutions; men who
are proud of their country and who believe
that there is nothing too good for its peo-
pie. Thomas f. Bayard is emphatically
not of this class. There is nothing in his
whole career that has ever evinced the
first spark of patriotism. He apparently
believes with the Herald that the Ameri-
can flag is merely "a textile fabric. y
During the war he was rank copper head
and his public utterances did not stop
short of positive treason, he even going so
far as to advocate the permitting of the
Southern states to separate peacefully
from the Union! He was of the expressed
opinion that it would be better to have
two republics than to have one strong
enough to command respect for the laws
and to enforce obedience at the cannon's S
mouth This was Mr.. Bayard in war
times. An infationist who advocated the
payment of the national debt in a depre-
ciated paper currency, a disunionist, and
a man of very limited culture, he was
originally boosted into public life through
the influence, of his family which had long
held sway in the Democratic politics of
Delaware. His weak and un-American
policy during his service of secretary of
state in President Cleveland's first ad-
ministration will not soon be forgotten by
the American people, although it is,
doubtless, true that the even greater un-
patriotism of the Gresham regime, which
has not stopped short of positive infamy
and asininity, has done much to detract
at least Mr.. Bayard has been consistent.
He has always been a sincere friend
of England In his early career he advo-
Gated the peaceful dissolution of the re-
public: as secretary of state he gave Great
Britain practically everything it asked
for, and threw in few additional con-
cessions for good measure. His English
sympathies were further and strongly
strengthened by the marriage of daugh-
ter with sprig of British aristocracy
He has always been an outspoken and ar
dent advocate of the free trade policy that
would, gratuitously, open the great Ameri-
can market, the best in the world, to Eng
lish products, at the expense of American
industries and American labor,
His cordial reception in England, when
he went UTcFC us stIllustSstuoE VIC
United States was, therefore, a matter of
no surprise. His exuberant praise of Eng
lish WAYS, has still further endeared him
to the people of that country. He certain
ly has the faculty of very thoroughly de-
Matchmaking himself and thus ingratia-
ting himself in the affections of the Queen
and her subjects.
To talk of such a man as a possible can
didate for the presidency of the United
States is folly. Even the Democratic party
would scarcely be able to make so eyre
gious a blunder in the selection of a
standard bearer. If such an improbability
should occur the American people could
be depended upon to bury him beneath
an adverse majority, compared with which
the recent political landslide would be as
gentle summer shower.