Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-09-14


struggle that will be interesting and lively
when Greek meets Greek" &C.
MR.. SUMMERS NOMINATION..
The nomination of Hon. Charles Sum-
ner as the democratic candidate for Gov
ernor of Massachusetts denotes terrible
lapse in his political standing. Who
would have thought six months ago that
he would have fallen to this? But the de-
scent in politics as we'll as morals is rapid
when once commenced Evil associations
drag men down almost imperceptibly to
themselves. And so Charles Sumner has
dropped by degrees from the high position
of one Of the leading Senators on the re-
publican side of the United States Senate,
to be the candidate for Governor of the
democracy of Massachusetts. All owing
to his own unbridled passion and over
weaving self conceit The Boston Adver-
tiser says:
"If Mr.. Sumner consents to do the work of
the democrats in Massachusetts, they may
succeed in dragging him down-he cannot
ddence of the republicans of the Common
wealth, and that he has CONTEMPORARY
thrown away. At home he will be the stand
ard-bearer Of all that is reactionary, repres-
sive and demoralizing in our politics, lin the
Senate he will be the representative of Massa-
chusetts no longer, but OF the faction which
has fought her most deeply cherished convic-
lions from the beginning Of the present politi-
cal epoch to this hour. By the usages of the
I. Lii 1n aLn xla TIA,
which Massachusetts is entitled on the floor,
and which her Senator had no right to DELHI
erately put in peril If his sense of duty re-
quires him to accept the position of defiance
in which his new friends have placed him, it
10 unquestionably his duty to resign his seat
in the Senate. While he remains, Massachu.
sets will have no voice there"
The Boston Journal thinks the nominal
ton will fire the republicans of Massachu-
sets to active exertion. 1t says:
"We had been thinking what there was, or
could be, in this campaign to call out our full
strength and put US abreast of the most ad-
vanced republican lines of the Union-just
that position to which the republican party of
Massachusetts is prescriptively entitled. We
cannot be goaded by the prospect of close
election, the national struggle does not bear
specially upon any of our interests or make any
peculiar demands upon our enthusiasm and,
therefore, we seemed likely, yesterday morn
ing, to be dependent for our indictments to
campaign duty upon those ordinary obliga-
tons Of our cause which are felt alike by
every republican citizen of the Union. To-
day this disadvantage is gratuitously removed
by our opponents. In taking DER chief de-
serter for their own standard-bearer, they
fling us challenge which fires every true re-
publican In the Commonwealth. Do they
think that the Ink of past record, however
glorious, can obliterate, in our eyes, the errors
and wrong Of a present position? Do they
think that any one man, however esteemed
for his former services to our cause, can for
one moment affect our devotion to its present
and future demands Every such case of
recreancy, indeed, but appeals anew to the
fidelity of those who remain to carry on the
good work especially when the recreant is
singled ont to become the test of our fidelity
and the target of our efforts"
The Boston Globe considers the nomi-
nation of Sumner the greatest joke of the
campaign next to to the nomination of
Greeley
"But what shall we say of Charles Sumner
as the democratic candidate for Governor
Simply, that wonders will never cease. OF
all names In the country, this is the queerest |
nomination to place before Massachu sets
democrats. what will he do with it?' is
the spontaneous question on every hand |
One sturdy democrat remarked as he read
the news upon the bulletin boards If l |
must vote for Sumner, l hope they will repeal
the shutdown law, so that l can do it in the
dark! I
As to the Sumner candidacy, it is the great
est absurdity of all the farcical movements
which the present erratic canvass has given
birth to. The Senator is as far from the de-
mocracy in sympathy and sentiment as Ga
briel from Lucifer, and the most sedate
veteran of the 'unterrifed' will find it hard
to keep from laughing in the inspectors face
when he offers his vote at the ballot box. |
Besides Mr.. Sumer is sick man; be has |
drawn himself out of the contest and left the
country in the feeble hope of preserving his
lite. Under these circumstances, it is little
less than cruel to drag him anew into the po-
htical arena. and make him the sport of an
eiecnoneering contest from which nothing but
contrasts and antipathies can arise, and whose
aeieat Is written upon the very portals in ad-
vance"