The Portland daily press., 1872-09-28
The Infamous J. 8. Pike.

The ELLSWORTH american under its new
management has become Republican jour-
nal and naturally, in its first issue after its
regeneration, brands the vile bribery ISLANDERS
of ]. S. Pike as absolute falsehoods. Mr..
Greeley in his speech at Sunbury, Pa repeats
the Pike scandal, saying,
81 tell you that right down in honest old
Vermont, where the people never heard OF
money being paid before, there money was
poured out like water to induce Democrats
to vote for the Grant ticket or stay away from
the polls. So in Maine. a hundred dollars
acas paid IN Maine for uotes." %
Now Mr.. Greeley knows, if he reads the
papers, that this fable which the fellow Pike
sent to the Tribune has been positively and
peremptorily refuted; that an open challenge
has been given to prove any of the charges
made with such circumstance; that we have
statutes and courts in Maine sufficient to
convict and punish all participants in any
such practices; that, if there were "open
bribery at the polls'' as alleged, the proof
might be readily made; and, finally, that,
with all the rage of the Pixies against the
men who beat them, they have not even at
tempted to bring to punishment any of these
gross malefactors(?) 1
tits disgraceful and degrading for man who
is eminent enough to be prominent candi-
date for the Presidency to repeat for political
effect such sweeping charges, of whose falsity
he must be fully conscious. He evidently
relies upon the distance of his auditors from
the place thus viliied and their consequent
want of familiarity with the character of the
people maligned. He makes his accusations
unscrupu!ously, knowing that the large body
OF his hearers will never see the refutation of
them. This is style of warfare much favor
cd by liberal orators and journals and Mr..
Greeley's utter degradation and loss Of per-
sonal integrity are demonstrated by his adop-
ton of the low partisan tactics of his motley
followers.
One good thing results from this villainous
attack upon Maine voters. Our citizens can
accurately guage the value of Greeleyitic as
sertions respecting the people of other States.
Ec atao, disco omnes. Here is what the Amer
ican says about this man Pike-this beaIer of
false witness against his neighbors:
Mr.. James S. Pike, whom many of our
readers will remember as -. s. p" of the
N. Y. Tribune in the better days of that
newspaper. has just been heard from since
election. He writes to the Tribune. giving
what he claims to be true account of the
election in the 9Th District, and especially in
Calais, where, we take it, he spent most of
of his time for the two months preceding his
election, running an abusive and scurrilous
sheet called the Calais Tribune, as campaign
paper in the interest of his brother, F. A.
Pike, and generally managing the home Can
vass of that brother. In this letter Mr.. Pike
pictures Calais as a scene of corruption and
bribsry, and accuses its business and political
men, who had been his neighbors and friends
all his life, of shamelessly buying and selling
votes
There is no call for us to defend the gem
tlemen in Calais who conducted the late
canvass for the Republican party and its
nominees, nor the 800 voters there who cast
their votes for Mr.. Hale against the 514 who
cast their votes for Mr.. Pike. No doubt the
thickest Of the fight was in that city, but the
whole district was aroused and interested
this year as it had never been before, and the
same general considerations as to national
politics and the positions of the two candi-
dates who were running for Congress affected
the vote in Calais as it did everywhere else
Nor have we much doubt that the howl
about money and corruption which has been
SCI up 81 ny udllcu anu ulSdppUllt-
ed crew who at one time expected to get con-
troll of the politics of this district, is set at its
exact worth by every observant man.
Ii there was money used improperly in this
election, we ask any one of our readers to tell
us where it was used upon the Republican
side. Somebody must know about it for the
whole district, as indeed the whole State
shows uniformity of gain on our majority
that indicates the presence Of the same con-
trolling influences. The truth is that in any |
well fought battle the State of Maine and the |
9th Congressional District are Republican by |
large majorities, and the majorities are made |
up OF men who no more would sell their votes |
than they would sell their wives and children. |
They understood in this contest the radical |
difference in the past between the record of |
President Grant and Horace Greeley, |
they appreciated the difference in the |
promise for the future between the two men: |
nobody needed to tell them much about the |
merit OF the organizations which are behind |
the two; and to speak of narrower influences,
the people OF this district, set at lust its |
proper estimate the apostacy of Mr.. F. A. |
Pike and his desperate attempt to once more |
scramble into seat of political influence. |
There was no money needed nor used to buy |
such people. If Mr.. j. S. Pike wants to |
know where, or how money was used in buy
ing voters, we refer him to the exasperated ut
terance of his brothers lieutenant here on |
election day, that 'Ethe Democrats and Lib
erals have made so much talk about money
that the ID thing has come back on us |
ana l have had to peddle money from my !
walstcoat pocket all day to get our own men
to vote" ~ 'E "