The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-30
VIII the 'LiberaP Republicans Of Maine
Play the Part Assigned to Thema

There is no doubt that at the famous 'close
conference" between the Democratic Kim
ball and the Liberal Lang, following the
Preble House meeting of Democrats and dis
appointed officeseekers, the former told the lat
ter exactly what he must do to win his spurs in
the new enterprise on which he was now full
ly embarked. We cannot of course give the
exact language used, but it must have been
in effect something like this, judging from
subsequent developments. "You will OBJ
serve," quoth the Democratic Kimball SHAT
our great leader, Horace Greeley, is on record
with letter in which he says that SO far as
the distribution of Offices is concerned he
shall regard all his supporters as equally his
friends, making no discrimination between
Republicans and Democrats. There being
then, several million Democratic supporters
of Mr.. Greeley and only few thousand Re-
publican supporters, you will perceive that
only the most distinguished services, like
those of Schurz, Fenton and other very prom
inent gentlemen, will avail to give Republi-
can an Office, if our chief should be SO FORUM
ate as to have offices to dispense" We can
now imagine the great working-men's advo-
scate warming with his theme and proceeding
thus: SIN short, Republicans are going to
count for very little with the incoming pow
ers. Faith will not save them; they must
show Dorks. And as for you personally, Col.
Lang, it is preposterous for you to expect an
easy, comfortable entrance into official life by
the mere lazy throwing of a vote for the Gree
ley electors-who are all Democrats-in No
vember. The most efficient aid that you can
give to the future dispenser of collector
ships and surveyorships, is by way of making
me Governor of Maine, and Mar
celus Emery and the other Democratic
candidates, members of Congress. And this
aid you must gioe You must not only vote
for us yourself, but urge your friends to do so.
Mr.. Greeley, if elected at all, is to be elected
by Republican oOtes gioen for Democratic
candidates in the September and October cleo
tons. Ii Maine, for instance, gives anything
like her usual Republican majority in Septem-
Der, it will be almost the death-knell of Mr..
Greeley's hopes. Go to work then! See
how much you can cut down the Republican
majority for Governor, and how near you can
come to giving me the place now occupied by
my friend Perhan. Then, if we succeed
finally, we Democrats, who will now be in
full possession of the State and general gov
ernments, with the exception of a Radical
Senate, will consider your case. But in no
event, is there any salvation for you outside
of sincere and effective effort to make Kim
ball Governor. and Emery and the rest Con-
gressmen." ...--.. ..s -...........
Whether this was substantially Mr.. KIM
balls language or not, it is clear that it was
agreed between him and Mr.. Lang that the
latter should carry as many Republicans as
possible into the Democratic camp before the
September election. Accordingly Mr.. Lang
rushed away to Bangor with characteristic
impetuosity, to advise all men to vote for
Kimball and Emery. We have been at con-
siderable pains to explain this matter fully In
order that Liberal Republicans may know ex-
actly what is expected of them. They are
not only to vote for the Greeley ticket in
November, but for Greeley's Democratic
friends in September. 1t is not pretended
Kimbal, Emery and Clifford are Republicans
or that they have changed their political opin-
ions in the minutest particular in the lastfew
years. 1t is not contended that they have
said or done anything whatever to commend
themselves to their Republican opponents.
But this is the only way that Col Lang and
the other members of the selfconstituted
Liberal Committee can obtain the Offices
which they crave. We shall soon see wheth-
er the acceptance of Greeley means an ac-
ceptance of Kimball, and of the man who
said, and has never taken it back, that jeff.
Davis was no more traitor than Washington.