Year: 1869

force rather than weight The appointment OF
Mr.. Thomas Hughes as referee for the race
gives great satisfaction on both sides of the
water aud is alone guarantee of fair play.
The author of 'Tom Brown at Rugby" is as
popular in America as in England.


Massachusetts Politics-A Chance for tho


Democrats.


The democrats of Massachusetts have car
dinal maxim-''Never go in to win." In for
mer times, when the national government was
sure to be in the hands of the democracy, there
was no necessity for the faithful in Massachu-
sets to exercise themselves to overcome the
whig predominance that generally prevailed in
the State. So long as there were federal
Offices to be filed that was enough for the
Massachusetts democratic leaders, whose
policy was to keep the party Conveniently
small in order that there should be no moro
mouths agape for public pabulum than posi-
BILE. But now that the democrats of the Bay
State have not enjoyed even lunch at the
public collation. table-having been denied an
appearance at that Of the federal government
for some eight or nine years, with the pros
pect of continued abstinence for over three
years longer, and having never had crumb
from the State crib since Marcus Morton was
Governor-an event that happened just subse-
quent to the deluge-and Boutwell, and Banks
were only hybrid democrats, it is not surprising
that the old harness makers of the party
should by this time have an itching for re-
assuming the reins of power, for hitching into
and running the car of State if not of the
nation, and for managing the public machine
in Boston if not in Washington.


The Massachusetts, democrats have now in
their hands the means of redeemng the State
from its chronic affection of radicalism and
of placing her-as one Of the wonders of the
nineteenth century-on the same side with lib
eral and tolerant States In the sisterhood It
is rational to suppose that the leaders of the
party, ambitious as they are to be at the top
of the heap somewhere, would see the
opportunity and be wise enough to seize
it. Their opportunity lies in the present dis
tracted condition of the radicals on both
national and local issues-upon national
issues from disappointment and chagrin;
and upon local Issues, such as the
prohibitive liquor law, which has rent the
party in twain and set thS\. managers at
work with all the machinery tHsy can COM
mand to heal the break or to construct a
bridge over which the recusants can be made
to trot until after the election. Now, how can
the democrats take advantage of this opportu-
nity9 Is it by olinging to the old fogy and
antediluvian issues of the dead past2 By
acting as If the Fugitive Slave law were still in
existence; that another slave Simms or an
other slave Burns were still held for rendition
in the Court House, and that the blood of an
other murdered United States marshal, like
poor Batchelder, remains unatoned for? Just
as it may be not to forget the latter, It is
equally wise to remember that the law under
which the unfortunate officer paid the forfeit
Of his life no longer exists, and that the neces-
sity for the enforcement of such law has
passed away from this land forever and ever.
II Is well known that there are some old
bunker democrats in Massachusetts,, with lig-
numvit@ heads, who may never consent to
surrender title of the old dogmas of the
political faith in which they were baptized.
But even this class must be aroused to an ap-
preciative sense OF the crisis, and it may be
effected by the passage Of sledge-hammer
resolutions at all the liberal democratic public
gatherings. 1t must be declared and made
distinctly understood that the liberal party Of
Massachusetts, is the democratic party. That
il the P. L. L.'s-or whatever they may be
called-do not come to them with heart and
hand they must 60 to the P. L. LIS with
open arms, and make no fastidious
grimaces about the embrace either. Further
more, they should hesitate to make a nomina-
ton for Governor until they see who is the
favorite of the anti-prohbitive party-that is,
If they mean to eschew for this time their
hereditary creed Of never attempting to win
and for the first time in the history Of the
party in the State they should endeavor to ac-
commodate themselves to circumstances; to
realize that this is an age Of progress; to COM
prehend that since they held power in the
State or nation big war has been gone
through with; that the Old and the New
Worlds have been connected by cables, stretch
ing from both British and French shores to ouI
own, and one of them landing upon the
shores Of. Massachusetts, herself; that O
railroad to the Pacific has been con-
structed; that the nigger question has


''gone where the good niggers CO." and that


another question, several shades lighter and


not carrying with 1t the darkly prejudices


of the old one which wrought 80 much mischief


to the country, has arsen-namely, the Chinese


or coolie question-composed of material ou


of which good many true democratic voters


can be manufactured in the future, If 1t bt


managed rightly. The Massachusetts, demo
Gratis should remember these things, and
nj nd from xl..k H.