The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-11-30
The Senatorial Succession,
Review of Speaker BIaine's Letter by a
Constituent-The Origin Of the Repab-
lican Purly and how MIR. Hamiin came
in it-A Letter Altogether Worth Rend.

ing.
To the Editor Of the Press:
1t has been believed by many Republicans
who oppose the election of Mr.. Hamlin again
to the Senate that Mr.. Blaine secretly favored
and was aiding Mr.. Hamlin's success. This
has been stoutly denied, ,and the friends of COM
peting candidates have been assured that Mr..
b. rs position was strictly neutral In relation TO
the question. Nevertheless, events have trans
pired which indicated strongly that Mr.. Blaine
was at work quite as hard, if secretly, to aid
the cause of Hamlin noc as he worked openly
to defeat that gentleman when he succeeded
to the place of Mr.. Morrill, six years ago. Mr.
Blaine evidently thought when he wrote the
letter which appeared in the PRESS on the 18th
inst, that the opportune moment had come for
his advance to the front, and, Blucher like, turn
the tide of battle which was evidently pressing
uncomfortably the eastern Senator. As a pre-
textIfor taking the field, he adroitly seizes the
opportunity offered by a stray paragraph that
had appeared somewhere, suggesting that he
was attempting to be Mr.. Hamlin's successor.
Giving brief denial to the rumor, he proceeds
to draw picture of Mr.. Hamlin's public life,
unacquainted with the integrity of the author,
might well consider it an ingeniously drawn
caricature. While the polical household Of the
Senator may urge this picture upon the public
as lifelike, and point to it as the disinterested
work of the distinguished author, more in
quisitive and quite as disinterested portion of
the Republican party, will criticise the truth
fulness of the effort and discuss the probable
forces that brought the Speaker from his ''neu-
tral' position to blow, with unwonted fervor of
eulogy, the horn of the modest, but neyer reti ir-
ing, Senator. To suppose that Mr. Blaine has,
for moment, contemplated making an eff
fort for the Senatorshp as successor to Mr..
Hamlin, thereby giving two Senators to Au.
gusta, is too preposterous for consideration
Does Mr.. Blaine honor himself by rising to
such denial, thereby admitting his own sense
OF weakness and trepedition; alarmed by the
merest shadow that might cross his path
way? But to leave no doubt as to his inten-
tions, Mr.. Blaine points to his engagement with
the people of the Kennebec district to serve them
as Representative in the XLIVth Congress, and
therefore could not be Mr.. Hamlin's successor,
and would not take the place if rendered him!
There is another reason which may in due time
occur to Mr.. Blaine, and which now suggest
that he may be further strengthened in his de-
termination not to compete with Senator Ham
lin. During his present engagement with the
Kennebec District, and near its close, sue.
cessor to his neighbor, Senator Morrill,, will be
chosen. May not that contingency open an
easier way to the Senate, and would not the
ueteron Senator whose praise the Speaker now
proclaims with such stirring pathos, remember
his efforts and aid, and pay back in kind with
usury?.
But turn to notice other parts of that ex-
traordinary letter, which, in my Judgment, de.
mard criticism. Mr.. B. does himself inius-
tice when he attempts to wink out of sight the
fact that great efforts have been made by Mr..
Hamlin and his friends the state over, through
the caucus system, to pack the Legislature
with members favorable to his succession. To
deny that such an effort bas been made, open
and broadcast, is self. qualification in any man
of Mr.. Blaines position and opportunity for OBJ.
servation. Is Mr.. Blaine ignorant of the fact
that Mr. Hamlin has more camp followers and
appointees under the Federal Government than
any man who ever held Office in this, state?
And will Mr.. B.deny that that drilled corps has
been most active in packing caucuses for Ham
lin on all hands, as in the city of Augusta? Did
not the Speaker read the result of those caucus
no minatiOns as announced by telegraph to the
Hamlin organs in the state and even ont of it?
Is Mr.. Blaine ignorant of the fact that Mr..
Hamlin and all his henchmen have arrogantly
proclaimed that he has secured, by these dis
graceful efforts, a majority of the Legislature
elect, and shat he is to be his own successor,
is fixed faet?' No man in the state knows
these truths better than Mr.. Blaine and yet he
would have the people to understand that to
deny Mr.. Hamlin the benefit of his caucus
packing is simply ''te hand over the state to
our opponents"
Does Mr.. Blaine need lie informed that the
Republican party in Maine was not organized
in obedience to the caucus system for which he
pleads, but in direct opposition to such politi-
cal machinery? Did it not grow from hand
full of defiant boilers, in spite of the most un-
scrupulous efforts ofKing Caucus to crust it out
until it had come to be the most important party
in Maine in point of numbers and character, and
at which period of its history Mr.. Hamlin's
name was not borne on its roll? Does the sa-
gacious Speaker think it is versing to its fall
because there are signs of manly independence
manifested in the ranks of the laymen of this
great political church? Such cheaply gotten
u . bugbears will be properly appreciated by
the people of Maine wEo shave given me (NIr
Blai ne) very high estimate of their intelI-
gence, their manhood, and their independence
Such constituency can but feel keenly the
grave mistake of Mr. Blaine in writing that re-
markable letter. They do not and cannot be
Dc kof H. H..
high sense of duty to rush to the aid of Ham
lin in order to. SAGE the Republican party from
utter ruin.
The people have not forgotten the scene at
the capital six years ago, when Mr.. H. secured
nomination for ''the last time.' They will
not soon forget the shameful acts that trans
pired pending that contest They cannot for
get the poverty and ''lasttime" appeals that
were urged upon the party, and which gave
Hamlin the one vote he claimed to have re-
ceived over his competitor; his return to Bangor
with laurels freshly won; his triumphal recep-
tion by his friends, whom be addressed, assur-
ing them it was the "hardest fought battle of
his life" These things are fresh in the memory
them or he would not invoke their repetition.
How many such strains upon its tenacty does
Mr., Blaine think that the party bear, or his in
dulgent "Kennebec district" see him engineer
do not wish to detract au iota from Mr.
Hamlin's just fame, butlwhen Mr.. Blaine as
serts that Mr. Hamlin established the Repub-
lican party" and more than intimates that to
refuse him another return 10 the Senate for six
years, would endanger the life of the Republ-
can organization, desire to say, lthat the as
SertiOn is not founded in fact, and the intin,a-
ton is too puerile to claim such high paternity.
Let facts be stated and history set right. In
1858 comparatively small number of life long |
Democrats b0lted the regular nomination" of |
Mr.. Pilsbury and nominated Anson r. Morrill, |
as candidate for Governor. The boilers car
ried some 10000 of the popular vote and |
elected q sufficient number of members of the |
Legislature to hold the balance of power; de- |
feated Mr., Pilsbury in the House; Mr.. Crosby |
was elected by the Senate and Mr.. Morrill, de- |
feated by one vote; and VIM. Pitt Fessenden |
was elected to the U. S. Senate. In 1854 Mr.. |
Morrill, was again the candidate of the new |
Republican party, and after a severe contest on
the stump, received 4iO0O popular votes; a |
plurality, but not a majority over the old par |
ties, democratic and Whig), but the Senate |
was Republican entire and the House three |
fourths, ana Morrill, was elected in January, |