Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-12-11

at home, that he is injuring the republi-
can party, and that she is in short very
unfit man to return to the Senate" 1t
also says sit is charged" that by his con-
tlol of government patronage and servi-
ces of office holders he has secured ma
Iiority of the republicans in the Legislature.
Having thus stated what SIS charged
against Mr. Hamlin, the Tribune inquiries
whether the minority in the legislative
caucus will submit to the voice OF the ma
iority, supposing he is the bad man which
he "is charged" with being, and very
broadly suggests boiling Now we pre-
sumo the members of the Legislature will
be permitted ia exercise their own judg-
meut as to the truth of these charges
against Mr.. Hamlin. They know that it
is common to charge public men with
grave offences. George Washington was
Wiley Sian dered during his public career;
Adams and Jefferson were "charged'
with the worst offences; Jackson was
''charged1 with being a murderer and
scoundrel; Abraham Lincoln was "charg-
ed with all the viliainies human being
could perpetrate; but the American peo-
pie put no confidence in these charges,
and sustained all the more earnestly for
the ISLANDERS heaped upon them their tried
and faithful public servants.
The people of Maine know Mr.. llamlin
very we'll He was born amongst them,
and has spent the greater part of his lite
in their service, in positions of the high
est honor and greatest trust and response
bility. When they look at his record they
find ii one of unwavering devotion to the
best interests of the State They find ii
record of honesty, industry and integrity,
ranking in ability and influence with the
best, as is admitted by his colleagues in
the Senate. If he has been long in public
service, 50 much the more valuable his ex-
perence. The charges against him there
fore as to his want of efficiency in the
Senate, are not true As to the charge
that ne has packed the Legislature in favor
of his reelection by the power of the Of
e-holders in the State, that cannot be
true, since one of the candidates against
him holds the best Office in the State in
the disposal of the government, and wields
large influence by the patronage he con-
trolls. To find the Tribune urging that
his election will injure the republican par
ty is a grim sarcasm. Republicans would
rather listen to the advice Of their friends
about what is best for the safety of their
party. 1t may have been asserted by some
republican paper that Mr.. Hamlin's cleo
ton will hurt the republican party, but
that is better evidence of the zeal of
such paper for its own candidate than OF
its discretion and judgment. We have
full confidence that the Senator nominated
in the republican caucus will have the
full support ofthe republican party. Never
contested nomination took place yet
that threats of injury to the party were
not made, but it was long since learned
that such threats are not fatal, and are
usually forgotten as soon as the struggle
is over. The charges, then, against Mr..
Hamlin will not be sufficient apology
for boiling his nomination, should that be
the result of the caucus. Charges are not
proof, and proof is utterly wanting to
make good a single charge against Mr..
Hamlin.
In what we have said of Mr.. Hamlin
we are only replying to the article of the
Tribune addressed to us. We do not pur-
pose to force our advice upon the legisla-
ture us to whom it should elect to the
Senate, neither do we intend that our ST.
lence shall give the Tribune or any of its
readers reason to believe that we have
any sympathy with its apology for bolt
ing. There is not the shadow of an ex-
cuse to justify any republican boiling
Mr.. llamlin in case he is nominated