Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-11-17
THE SENAT0RSHIP.
Letter from Speaker Blaine.

paper, has gained considerable currency to
the effect that am in some way attempting
to be Mr.. Hamlin's successor in the U. S.
Senate. Permit me to say through your col
umns that such is not the fact. l have en-
gagged, by an accepted candidacy and election,
| to serve the people Of the Kennebec District
| as a Representative in the 44,h Congress, and
from that duty could not be turned even were
the Senatorship offered me; and of that l
have seen no indication.
| In making this correction you will allow
me to add that an impression prevails Gin
which cannot share) that in your opposition
to the election of Mr.. Hamlin you are ready
to counsel an abandonment of the time-hon
ored usage of the Republican party by which
| its nominations for office have been settled
by a majority vote in free, fair and open
caucus. cannot believe this is true and yet
think you owe it to the party of whose prn-
ciples you have long been an honorable and
| able exponent, to make frank declaration on
the subject
Mr.. Hamlin has been many years in public
life. He has served his State with a zeal, dis
erection and devotion that have never been
surpassed, and rarely equalled lie has never
given a vote that was not in harmony with
Names best interests; he has never swerved
| from the strictest line Of principle; he has
never failed in any emergency to be present
at the post Of duty; he has never broken faith
with any man; he has never proved false to
any obligation; he has never been touched
even by the shadow of a suspicion Of his high
personal honor and purity. In his party re-
lations, from the hour of his brilliant triumph
in the Gubernatorial campaign of 1856. by
which Republicanism was firmly established
in Maine, he has been, at home and abroad.
in the national and state councils, in peace
and in war, in prosperity and in adversely, a
very tower of strength to the good cause. To
deny to such a man the ordinary courtesies
and usages Of the party he has done so much
to strengthen and maintain, would be to pro
claim the end Of all party organization among
Maine Republicans and to hand over the State
to our opponents. refuse to believe for one
|
destructive course.
Do not understand that am questioning
in the remotest degree your perfect right as
Republican to oppose Mr.. Hamlin's return to
the Senate. That is fair subject for the ex-
ercise of discretion, and if you prefer any one
of the excellent and honorable gentlemen who
have been named for the place, 1t is not only
your right but your duty to advocate his
election. For myself and for all good Re-
publicans with whose views am acquainted,
l can frankly say that if any one of the able
gentlemen mentioned as Mr.. Hamlin's COM
petitors should be designated by the Republ-
can Legislative caucus, it will not only be my
highest duty but my greatest pleasure to urge
his election.
great deal has been said in certain papers
about Mr.. Hamlin being the candidate of the
office holders implying that he is to be
forced by some indefnite power upon the
people of Maine against their will do moi
pretend to speak with absolute accuracy but
have the impression that, if not in numbers
yet certainly in emolument, the majority OF
the office holding influence in Maine to-day
is against Mr.. Hamlin. The Federal officers
in my district are few in number and there is
not one of them of any grade from whom the
slightest duty or labor in regard to the Sena-
torshp has ever been exacted-nor is there
one who does not feel perfectly free to 60 for
or against Mr.. Iamlin as he chooses, without
In any way endangering his tenure of office.
Several of them are known to me to be op.
posed to Mr.. Hamlin-two of them, holding
lucrative places, are couspcuously SO. Blu,
into this subject l do not care to go at any
length, because my knowledge ofthe people OF
Maine has given me very high estimate Of
their intelligence, their manhood and their
independence, and l am very confident that
the Custom House officers, Revenue Agents,
and Postal Clerks, ranged on the one side or
the other, will not be very large eleme INT in
deciding the choice of U. s. Senator.
But think the efforts and interference OF
these officers sasy have been greatly exagser-
atsd. Judge 90 because in the same papers
that parade it and denounce it, l constantly
see myself mentioned as engaged in desperate
efforts to manipulate votes for Mr.. Hamlin. A
casual reader would infer from these papers
that since my return from Washington have
been engaged in little else except plotting and
planning to promote Mr.. Hsmlin's re- election.
And yet as matter of simple fact have up to
this day and hour spoken on the subject to
but two members Of the Legislature, and to
them only by a chance meeting-nor have l
written to single one, nor sent word or
message of any kind to one. have not even
spoken to my near neighbor and old friend,
Hon. James w. North, and do not at this
moment know what his views on the Senator
question are, nor how he will vote in the Leg
;slative caucus. At the same time l have
never concealed, nor on proper occasions
failed to frankly express, my deliberate judg-
ment, here and now repeated that Maine
would best consult her highest interest and
honor by returning Mr. Hamln to the Senate.
And see nothing in the recent political re-
verses elsewhere to weaken that conclusion