The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-08-22
Mr.. Pike and the Shipping Interest.

The Congressional contest in the Fifth
District attracts much attention from the
loud, but we think fallacious, claims of Mr..
Pike and his friends of a possibility of car
rying it by their shameless bargain and sale
contract contaminated at Belfast by concur
rent action of the Democratic and 'sLiberar'
Conventions.
At this political love feast Mr.. Pike took
occasion, unwisely for himself, to present his
own record especially upon the shipping in
terest. His speech there made exhibits a
self complacency and egotism which finds a
parallel only in letter from England by the
same gentleman which we print in another
column, together with letter in reply by
Hon. N. G. Hichborn, to both Of which we
invite the careful attention of our readers in
the Fifth District.
In this remarkable speech Mr.. Pike claim
ed to have originated all the measures for re-
lief which have been before Congress but for
got to State to the Convention that he &C.
compHshed nothing. So Judas might have
claimed something of originality in the early
PRONUNCIATION of christianity though the
claim would have come from him with ex-
ceeding bad grace after he had betrayed his
Master. But did Mr.. Pike originate these
measures? The principle of rebate of duties
is old and has been understood for years by
every one at all familiar with National Juris-
prudence. Mr.. Pike, then, only copied and
the copy in his hands was about as effective
as the spade in the hands of Mcclellan max
ing his way to Richmond.
Had he, however, tried as he did and failed
as he did and there left it, his position would
have been more tolerable. But this was not
enough. Having left Congress with nothing
accomplished, as usual, he went to England
in the summer of 1859 and there in a single
day became the victim or the concert of our
natural enemies in all navigable relations,
who had been for years in conspiracy with
rebels and every other wicked element which
they could use for the utter destruction of
American commerce.
That Mr.. Pike received any direct pecuni-
airy reward for his advocacy of English built
iron vessels, we do not believe. In this bust
ness, although he is ordinarily very acute
rather than wicked, and was mised by the
representations Of his astute entertainers.
But these Clyde shipbuilders we're liberal in
their dealings with others. The notorious
Goldman was employed by them for wears at
an annual salary of $4,000 to press upon the
attention of Congress the very views which
Mr.. Pike then advocated, and constantly
quoted Mr.. Pike a. authority. He proclaim
ed in pamphlets, before committees and on
the corners of the streets, that "the day of
wooden ships is gone by" ''your Maine tubs
have got to surrender, &c. ad infinitum.
eff you don't believe it take the steamer and
go to England, as Mr.. Pike said to Mr..
Lynch and his committee"
Thus it will be seen that Mr.. Pixies posi-
ton was most damaging. He had, as he
claims, espoused the cause of American ship
building most theoretically and then deliber-
ateiy and conspicuously recanted, abandoned
all his former theories and .tultified his whole
record in such way as as to give the ut
most possible aid and comfort to the adverse
ry, making it the more difficult for his present
competitor, Mr.. Hale, and the other MEM |
bers of Names Congressional delegation to
obtain the measure Of relief which their en-
ergy and labors have at length secured
The letters speak for themselves. Events
have proved the correctness of Mr.. HIGH !