The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-10-01
The Ku.Kiux Riots at Augusta.

Our A,1onsta CORRESPONDENT, damon" has |
given graphic description OF the Democratic |
riots in that city and the causes which induc-
ed them. These riots were such an unprece
dented disgrace to the State and have render
ed the very name of Democracy so odious to
almost our whole people that it is new proof
of the Emersonian adage that the devil is a
fool when Democratic papers continue to re-
Ter 10 them To the crime of inspiring just
such outrages the Standard and Argus have
added the crime Of originating falsehoods in
regard toprominent Republicans who were in
the city at the time. This is like the reioinder
OF the New York Democratic papers to the
charge that the July rioters in that city muir
dered children and burned orphan asylums-
they averred in ertenudtiOn of the crimes COM
mitted that the editor of the Tribune took
measures TO protect himself from mob violence.
As to the facts in relation to the Augusta
riot the Kennebec Journal has the following:
The Portland Argus and the Augusta Stand
ard among their many falsehoods concerning
the Democratic riots in this city, have affected
10 make merry over their own forged allega.
ton that Mr.. Blaine saved himself from out
rage at the hands of the Democratic roughs,
by running away from the scenes of violence
the implied admission of both the Argus and
Standard that gentleman of Mr.. Banes
standing IN this community had to resort TO
flight to save himself from the lawless outrage
OF drunken and dissolute mob of Democrats
"a mob egged on, as far as the record appears,
by many of the party leaders of this city, and
actually opposed, SO far as we know, among
Democrats, by Judge Rice and Mayor Will
liams alone. 1t the Argus and Standard deem
| it matter Of boastful congratulation that
oh Of narnopratS had Snrceadat in ~
| a city where they are in full possession of mu-
nicipal and pO ice power, so lawless that Mr..
Blaine could only be protected by flight. we
leave them to enjoy the full fiuits and rewards
OF tneir assumed triumph over civil rule and
public order.
But as a matter of simple fact in the case of
Mr.. Blaine, the assertion of the Argus and
STANDARD has no foundation whatever. During
the whole of the riot Mr.. Blaine was within
thirty feet of the crowd, and in the height OF
the melee was on the street exposed to the
| plan view of the Democratic rioters, and when
the disturbance was over and peace had been
| restored Mr.. Blaine and Senator Morrill, rode
| away together in Senator Morrill's carriaee.-
| And we can just here inform both the ARGUS
| and Standard that if there was any gentle
man in Augusta that day safe from Democrat
| ic outrage, it was Mr.. Blaine. Not indeed
| that both parry leaders and drunken followers
| would not have been glad to assault him, but
there a0ere reasons achy they did not and ,ohy
they dared not-redsonS aoeU kaaoUn to as and to
many Democrats but possibly unkno0n to Mr..
| Blaine A hint" is sometimes sufficient" to
| The wicked as well as to the wise, and IL
| is particular instance the hlnC was so well
understood that both the Demo ratio lea 1ers
| and their brutalzed tools carefully abstained
! from any attempt either to assail or insult Mr.
| Blaine. The story repeated by the Argus and
| Standard that MIR. Blaine made incendiary or
| threatening speeches during the campaign, is
| an absolute falsehood-known to be so by
| those who utter il. Hundreds of witnesses
| present every time MIR. Blaine spoke in our
| CITY, can testify that his speeches were of pre-
| eisey the opposite character.
The city of Augusta was for many years un-
| der Wing rnle, and for the past twelve years it
has enjoyed Republican administration. Dur
1 ing all that period 1t has prospered in Its mate
rial interests, it has had peaceful and orderly
| government, and the general social feeling be-
| tween Republicans and Democrats has been
| perhaps more cordial than in any other city OF
| the State. But last spring, in an evil hour.
and by sort of accident, the Democratic par
| ty came into municipal power, and nothing
has since flowed but waters OF bitterness in
| our midst. Six months of Democratic mis-
rule has given us three displays of mob VIC
| lence, has rendered 10 rowdysm the assurance
| OF police Indifference if not absolute conni-
vance, has attempted and well nigh executed
gigantic fraud on the ballot-box, has sunder-
ed in more than twenty instances the social re-
lations of Democrats and Republicans, hither-
to and for a lifetime personal and cordial
IfleuuS, ana mas reacned climax IN the BOAST
ofthe two leading Democratic papers of the
State, that Democratic mob held such riot
Gus sway or the day of our annual election as
to force the Representative in Congress in this
district, so long an honured resident in our
midst, to seek personal safety in flight. 1t
does not matter that the assertion respecting
Mr.. Blaine is totally false in itself; that is of
small consequences; but the spirit that glories
in the assertion reveals such purposes and
plots, and such poisonous tendencies in our
that it may well alarm all good citizens, re-
gardles of party connection 1T our city is to
prosper in the future as in the past, its admin
stration must be taken from the hands of
those whose only claim to public gratitude is
that they have made our community famous,
or rather infamous, for personal broils, for mob
violence, for public disorder, and for aliena-
tons and arrangements among those whose
interest it is, and whose pride and pleasure it
has always been, to co operate tremendously
and zealously in everything pertaining to the
cornr,er.,-..Aal and common prosperity OF our
beautiful city.