Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-08-17

The Democratic Nomination
for Congress i'm the Third Dis

tr1ct.
The democratic candidate for Congress
in this congressional district is Thomas S.
Lang. We believe Mr.. Lang claims to
be liberal republican. As we understand
it there are but two parties in the field at
this election--the democratic and repub-
lican. We know there IS an attempt made
to keep up the appearance of something
different, but with only two candidates for
President in the field, two candidates for
Governor, two only for Congress in each
district, and only tive tickets for Senator'S
repres entatives and county officers, the
talk about a third party or ticket is totally
absurd. The holding Of Two conventions
to nominate Mr.. Lang was only a farce.
Mr.. Lang was brought into the field by
the democrats, his nomination was worked
up by them, and all the votes he will re-
ceive will be democratic. He and Mr.
Pillsbury have perambulated the district
together, put their names to paper togeth-
er, plotted together, and are democrats to-
gether from this time hencelorward. If
Mr.. Lang could be elected he would be
bound in honor by his acceptance of the
support of the democrats to act with the
democrats in Congress and sustain their
policy and party everywhere. lie IS
as certain to be a democrat in the future
as Mr.. Pillsbury is.
| But if there had leen the least doubt
about this thing, it was settled by the pas
sage of the resolve in the liberal conven-
ton, which pledged the liberals to vote for
Kimball for Governor. That resolve holds
every liberal to the democratic party.
1t binds them to vote the whole democrat
ic ticket Whatever liberal republican
votes for Mr.. Lang is pledged to vote for
Mr.. Kimball. The resolve was put
through by the democratic managers. 1t
was one OF the little threads with which
spider-like they bind their victims aud
draw them into the democratic net. Mr.
A. or Mr.. b. is not allowed the opportuni-
ty to exercise his judgment about the man
he will support as liberal republican, but
he Unjust 90 the whole hog or none"
There are to be no steps backward among
the Greeleyites in their march toward the
democratic party. They must go forward.
Up to the time of the convention they had
received nothing but earesses and praises
for the stand they had taken, with eulogies
upon the beauty of independence and free
thinking, but when Lang was nominated
the democrats were careful to take mort
gage by this little resolution Of every lib
eral republican $50 calledD. Pretty soon
the whip will be applied to all who finch.
We know that there are some republicans
| who do not see the end of the liberal
movement, do not understand that it leads
| them surely into the democratic party, but
| let them examine the resolution passed in
Mr. Lang's convention and if it does not
open their eyes they are hopelessly blind.
We had no doubt where they were going
without such a resolve, but the resolve is
the written compact which the democrats
exac ted and hold rs security that Mr.. Lang
and his friends shall vote and work for
the whole democratic ticket every time
from now forward This is liberal repub-
licanism in the Third district.
The nominee, Mr.. Lang, left the repub-
lican party because he tailed to get the
office of Revenue Collector. This private
grievance he nursed until through it and
the taunts and batteries of the democrats
it carried him off. This is no secret. Mr..
Lang has told it. Many have heard it
from his own lips. We have stated it in
these columns before without denial from
him, and he will not deny it now we pre-
sumo, although latterly he is not SO ready
to tell his story MS Il few weeks ago. He
has asserted that he had private letters
from Mr. Blaine in relation to this matter
which would be very damaging to the
Speaker, but although we have repeated
ly asked him to publish them he refuses
to do so. We would like to see them now
and have the public see them. Mr.. Lang
has been democrat, republican, and now
democrat again. He changes his politics
readily. If he is pleased with his present
company we have no objection to his re-
naming there. His new friends will not
treat him any better than the republican
party of Kennebec has, which he has been
doing his best to betray and destroy in
the past few weeks. They must be very
careful not to offend him; if they do af-
front him he will back upon the republi-
cans again, telling doleful stories of hard
usage and seeking revenge. A man with
such a weakness of disposition rs this is
incapacitated tor any public position.
He is moved by pique instesd of principle,
and as liable to change as weather cock.
But it is with Mr.. Lang as the demo-
cratic candidate for congress in this dis
tries that the republicans have to deal.
Appeals will be made for votes for him to