The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-01-14
Correspondence of the Journal.
Letter from Augusta,
A scmbling of the Legislature. Gathering
of Outside Patriots. The Organization.
The Senatorial Bear Fight. What was
Done at the Caucus.

DEAR JOURNAL: Persons who were never
at the hub - at the opening of the General
Court have but little idea what mongrel
crowd is brought together. The first on the
ground is the swarm of candidates for leSis-
lativc office, from him whose aspirations look
toward the gavel, down to the knight of the
broom anu buster. If there were such an Of
flee as Legislative Boot Black, the dominant
party would furnish plenty Of seekers for
even that position. In the train of these hun
gry searchers after official crumbs come the
81 Third House." the lobbying button-hoers
with numerous axes to grind, either for them
selves or somebody else. In this class l notice
such men as Harmon aud Milliken, of Belfast;
Roberts and Hichborn, OF Stockton; John D.
Rust, Of Rockport, the bloody hero of the Sth
| Me-, who came to g look after my brothers in
terest" | am also permitted to gaze on the
beaming frontispiece of Thad Simonton, who is
wont to travel all the way from Megunticook
| to attend the party conventions, where he usu
ally makes speech TO 60 through the list of
these patriots would take more space than
care to give. Just imagine that all the Gus
tom House, post and revenue offices &C in the
| State have swallowed Iohelia ami thrown their
|
contents into this bailiwick, and you haze an
idea Of it.
Partly of this crowd, and partly out OF it,
are the numerous members Of fomer Legsil-
lures making their annual pilgrimage to their
political Mccca--the scene Of intellectual con-
tests and trumphs when they sot here in
IS" Evidently they were giants i'll those
days, Last if not least, came the aem5efS-
those laWgiving Soons from hamlet and town
fully sensible of their great responsibility
and keenly aware that the eyes of the State
are upon them. Their gait, manner and look
all Indicate that they not as other men
not much great many Of them ''didn't want
to come-tred to get excused, but their con-
stit0oeuts wouln't take no fox an answer
| Each is Oh Urged with Il load that must Dc fired
OF sometime during the session. Some viii
make il noise, while others will flash IL the
pan. This will aim at tnkeriDs the judic-
larry, Or be diving into some great question Of
moral reform, while that one viii go his length
| for Il bounty on crows, or am act d. prevent tho
destruction of pickercl in some pond with a
great long name to it. Be sure that each viii
have his name IN the Daily journal sometime
during tIle session, If its only on motion o
djourn. And when it does appear what 4 nj =
! l6tle mathematical problem viii be solved to
see how much fifty extra copies viii come to at
two cents apiece, IN future letters 1 viii de
scribe the celebrities ct both branches, tax NJ
| them As fast rs they rise to the surface.
| In the organization of the Senate there vas
virtually no contest, everything having hecn
cut and dried long in advance.
| The House caucus followed in the wake OF
the Senate, and went according to the slate Of
the chief fuaer5. There had been the promise
OF lively g milF' over the Speakcrship- but
the stakes were pulled up and The ropes let
down nstanter Us the Cumberland bruiser SHY
| eG his castor into the ring. Stone OF kenne-
bunk, was the first to throw up the spon 5e. In
a few oily remarks, he advised his friends to
hoe 10 for Drumrnonl. He died easy and was
| sensible to the last. In his wake wa Rust
the sage Of Ia9saggasSaWakeag, who came
slowly and with apparent reluctance from his
corner us . time was called After thanking
the = Barkias who had expressed themselvc,
rs 6 Wiin to 60 for him, he . secono ed that
motion" The Chairman soothingly reminded
him that no motion had been made and lie gent
| " subsidized. n Bath man who wanted to be
Speaker failed TO decline, but the omission was
not noticed, and Drumlnond had it all 70 him
self. The other officers Of the House are the
same as last year with the exception OF Assist
ant CLERK, which Nash Of the 9 State paper"
yacatcs fer Col. Zemro A. Smith OF the Somer-
set Reporter, who has learneda little something
from the experience of last, winter when he
! turned up from somewhere down cast, Us q can
dldate for Secretary Of State, which he lacked
only about one hundred and fifty votes OF get
ting In this he learned the valuable lesson not
to try to roost too high at irst, so he content
ed himself on odd Jobs as d cCpyist---a berth
kindly given him in the office where he would
have been Chief Zemro is persevering, and
may yet succeed i'll shedding State ink on
Official paper in the Secretary's office, but it
| will DO a good while first
| But leaving all minor topics III hasten to the
absorbing question, &C. Who Shall be SENATOR
and boss the distribution Of the plunder From
the gathering of the clans, about Il week be-
fore the session commenced, to the very night
fof the caucus, the friends OF morrill, and Ham
lin had their candidates nominated about a tloz-
| Ell times day, each receiving at least about
twenty majority Brag was the order of the
! day. Both sides We're contident-Doth detemn-
med to win, The g ms were bound 10 keep
the pap from the hungry outs" The 6 GU s.
| were bound to Dust The " ms" Never before
was such 4 political fight ut the Capitol APP
peals OF every kind were made to passion, pref
| udlce and pocket. Rum and righteousness went
| hand in hand prosely ting. 1t claimed that
/ to defeat Morrill, would be construed into a
condemnation Of his vote en- Impeachment, that
he was fairly entitled to 4 Reelection, had
earned ii, anG ought to have ii. While Ham
| Inns friends claimed That he WAS narLyred in
| the National Convention Of lSGl when thrown
overheard for Johnson. His giving up the
| Boston Custom House rather than hold Office
under Andrew, was also dlated upon. Argu-
mcnts pro and con We're used al tnintunI, but
| 10 the locker Oh it was evident from he first
| that Che rca! claims Of both ami all the ur1u-
| inents III their favor Were but secondary hlut-
| lers, and that the hash would finally BE- settled
IN each members mind by considering the
question from which candidate he might cX-
! pect The most broth for his polrngcr. llanlm
had more offices to pledge than Morrill,, and he
| also had the additional advantage that h. could
make one office 60 great Way, 50 ltr rs prom
lses are concerned. \ careful counting Of
noses brought to light quite number who
We're neither fish nor fowl who were play
| Ing a - snigdom game" watching for the main
chance, as to jump on to the right cart at the
| right time, and come forth III fi bloom as
original NORTH, or llamin men, as the case
might be. These men were counted on both j
sides mp to the moment, when the ballot brought
them to their work As name after name was
called and the ballots that were to ten the story
| OF victory OF defeat were deposited, 4 dead 81
r1ibnnI nnnrul;pu Iva I.