Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1871-08-08


ocratic State Convention which met in
this city to-day, was evidently upper
most in his thoughts, and he seemed to
swell with the conviction that the fale OF
the entilc nation depended upon the re.
suit of what that body was to do.
Going to Augusta ?" he inquired
blanIly after clearing his mouth OF an
enormous quid of tobacco.
"Yes, sir that is my destination"
"You amt Il delegate to the Conven.
ton. are you ?"
mo sir"
Then suppose you're going to make
II visit ?"
mo sir; | am iourneying upon busi-
ness"
might | inquire what business you
are following now?"
81 am newspaper correspondent, SIR"
"a newspaper correspondent BY
gracious Why, you are just the fellow
| wanted to see. My name is Blank
Mr.. Blank. of Blanktown. and am go.
ing to the Convention. You fellows in
the newspaper offices don't understand
just how things are going on down here.
The papers have been telling the people
that everything has been arranged har-
moniOusly, and that us old Jeffcrsonian
democrats had agreed to keep still and
yield up the management OF affairs to
tho young folks. We've read articles
which said that the conservatives" of
the democratic party are 10 be laid on the
shelf but | tell you that the fellows who
wrote them lied. The real truth is Just
this For years past we democrats have
had To contend against majority OF from
twenty To thirty thousand votes. We
put the best men We had in nomination,
cnunciated our principles clearly and in
4 vigorous manner, bat it was no go.
We couldn't elect a page in the Legs.
latule. Finally, after years of strug.
CLING almost against hope. we arrived at
the conclusion that il vast so much the
unpopularily OF our candidates II; it was
the general opposition TO our platform
which insured defeat, and so. in 1870, we
took advantage Of local disagreements
among the republicans, put Colonel
Charley Roberts -one of the best fellows
and most popular among what is called
the young democracy"-ln the field,
and the result was that we reduced the
radical majority to little over min e
thousand votes. Bon Bradbury, Ed.
Pillsbury and the rest of us kept our
ultra ideas to ourselves and gave no pub.
lie expression of the opinions which
gained for us the odious title Of "cop-
perheads" during the war. That's the
way we won that victory, for it is victory
when majority OF twenty thousand is
reduced more than one half in twelve
months time and we are so well salts
fled with the result Of the experiment
that we are determined to Try it again
"What is the programme tomorrow ?'
| inquired rs The old fellow stopped n
moment 10 take breath.
"rhc programme he said. "is 10 put
some young and popular business man
in nomination Tor probably
Charles Z. Kimball-avail ourselves OF
all the advantages we can gain by Val.
landigham's new departures and the
public feeling against Grant and the
liquor law, and Try by every possible
means to get majority of the Legisla'
ture, even if wc fail TO elect our Gubcrn-
aiorial candidate. IL we, who arc the
outs can once get 'in,' we'll make a
general overhauling, like what they are
doing in New Hampshire. Up there they
are so gerlymadering the slate that they
can retain power in the future. and wei
do The same thing here Such fellows
rs Emery, and Boynton, down ut Ban
gor, however, say they won't ever tenn
porize with the enemy, and | glory in
their spunk They claim that it wouk
be cowardicc TO ever disguise our idea'
for better prospect, and by Jove
think they're right. am little weak
kneed, perhaps, but think shall keep
still and let the young folks go it. Emery
remembers how those cursed abolitionists
pitched his printing press out of the win
dow and made bonfire of his Office furn-
iture during the late unpl easantness, ant
it will be mighty hard for him to keer
still TO morrow
Here the old gentleman mopped hi:
face vigorously with his handkerchief,
while venturcd to ask if the labor re
form element possessed any strength in
the Dirigo State.
"No, sir, he replied lit does not, tc
any appreciable degree. There arc
more farmers than mechanics among oul
population, and there is little discomfort
or occasion for bringing the matter into
political canvass
"Then the new DEPARTURE as it i:
called, is more political than popular il
your Stato?"
ayes, sir, any confounded fool can see
that Vallandigham wasn't going TO cvel
he seen TO abandon the principles fol
which he suffered exile, unless he had G
point to make by doing so. | believe