The Portland daily press., 1870-08-05
THE PRESS.
Friday Morning, Aug. 8, 1870.



The statement of Col. Sweat at the Demo-
cratic district convention, that of the z+4 uei
egates in attendance, not one was desirous vi
the Congressional nomination; taken i'll Gull
nection with the fact that the gentlemen re-
ceiving it was notorious by averse 10 having
the honor thrust upon him, will not strike the
Sewerage common sense of mankind "as an
augury of success"
Democrats, even in this Congressional dis
trict have never shown any remarkable dis
inclination to nominations likely to prove sue
eessfu at The polls. On the contrary where
ever there is ghost of chance" tie
scramble to secure the hopors of the copven-
tienis as reckless and indiscrimnate as one
could wish to see. Had the Democracy of
this district considered the chances of success
as 4 to 6, the wonderful apathy among the
many able and ambitious Democrats whose
names have at various times been mentioned
in connection with official station, would not
have been so apparent. score at least
would have been willing to try their luck
even with such desperate chances and half
score would have wrestled fearfully with
friends and fate in order to secure the ticket
that might possibly draw the prize.
AS though Charles A. Shaw, the last DEM
ocratIc nominee, and gentleman OF
great shrewdness and sagacty, would
have fed the field without firing a gan, if he
had supposed there was possibility of being
elected! And then there is Ira f. Drew of
Alfred, who was ouce honoied with nomin-
alton and then dropped to make way for
Thomas. NJ. Hayes-does anybody suppose
that he is Indifferent to substantial honors, or
would fail to remind his numerous friends, in
case success looked possible, that the right
time to correct the little irresuarity whereby
he was overlooked had come? And how
about Caleb r. Aver of Cornish, and Il. H.
their party in York county, and III. X. Brad
bury of Hollis, who never yet had strength
enough to refuse anything in the way of a
nomination.? Does their determination not
to seek nomination indicate victory? The
absence of contention and strife between
York and Cumberland may also be construed
by the same process to be an "augury of sue
cess" but men who have had much expert
ence in political affairs naturally incline to the
opinion that it indicates a conviction of de-
feat. Now let us look for a moment at the
converse of Col. Sweats proposition, and .sk
what would have been the "augury" if the
convention had shown fierce rivalry be.
tween all or part of the gentlemen named
Aud if in addition to these names the "Youne
Democracy" of Cumberland had sent up to
Saco aregment Of workers in the interest Of
ex-Mayor Putnam, and another delegation
had urged the claims of Bion Bradbury, and
still another those of Col. Sweat, what would
have been the augury then? ....
The fact is, the Democracy were not lit,
tie disturbed at finding their nomination fol
Congress wasn't considered worth having by
anybody and, so far from regarding it San au-
curry of success" they deemed it matter nee
essary to be explained by the ingenuity of the
lawyer. But it is one OF those matters which
no ingenuity or sophistry can explain differ
emily from what appears upon the face. A
nomination for Congress is forced upon man
whom it is known doesn't want it, and, dis
posed of thus because no other responsible
party will take it, can never be explained up
on any reasonable hypothesis consistent with
the expectation of victory.