Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-08-19
The Points Of Attack.

The Democrats in this State have not dis
played much shrewdness in the campaign thus
lar. Their candidate for Governor with hi>
two lIeutenant.. r. J. Pilsbury Of tha Angus
Ia Standard and Marceilu, Emery Of the Bau-
sor Commercial. seem. TO have eut loose from
the other leaders of the party. aud j. RAINING
the campaign respectfully on hi, own hook. -
Gen. Roberts started out in hi famou. 'scre-
made Speech" by disc9rding the wisdom OF the
convention ihst nominated him in ignoring the
temperance question. and declared war against
Prohibition. He. therefore. j. re. pOusible in
hi, campaign for makingithe temperance que,-
ton an issue. He could not have attacked the
Republican party at a stronger point IL he had
allowed republicans 10 select the point Of nj.
tsck they would have chosen the one he has.
IL has given an earnestness 10 the campsign on
the part of a very considerable portion Of the
republican party which could not have been
called forth without it. II has aroused the
moral sentiment Of the State. and enlisted il
warmly ia the success OF the republican party.
No one entertains the thought for a moment
that Gen. Roberts, ia attacking the prohibitory
law, acted from desire 10 prOmoi" the cAuse
OF temperance. He has never shown an inter
est in the cause. Whatever Of reform in be-
half of temperance has been wrought in Maine
has been without aid or sympathy from him
He dragged the temperance question into poll
tics 20 pander TO the rum-sympathiZers through
out the state, and they are many, OF eourse.-
but few compared 10 those who hate the rum
traffic. He counted bic own party for him,
however much he ignored the sentiment of the
convention that nominated him,-and he hoped
TO find in the republican party considerable
number whose interests and sympathes IN be-
half Of the rum traffic would induce them 10
vote for him. He may secure all The former.
though we doubt il. We know many demo-
Gratis who are firm believers ia the principle of
prohibition. who do not desire to see the rum
traffic licensed to do its Internal work. Wheth-
er they will vote for Gen. Roberts we do not
know, but will venture the assertion that for
every republican who votes for him on account
OF his opposition to prohibition. there will be
four democrats who will vote against him for
the same reason.
Gen. Roberts will and, when the campaign
Is over, that pandering TO the low and degrad-
ed elements Of society does not pay in Maine
The other poiLt of attack upon the republic
can lines is the character and standing of one
Of our leading men. Mr.. Pillsbury has writ
ten two open letters to Hon. James G. Blaine
Oie was an attempt TO show, by insinuation,
and by insinuation only, that Mr.. Blaine was a
party TO the Paper Credit" fraud during the
war. There is not the slightest evidence to lead
TO Il suspicion that Mr.. Blaine had any eOnnee-
ton with that transaction. On the contrary,
there Is the best of evidence To prove that he
had not. committee OF which we believe
Hon. Geo. +. Talbot was chairman, DEVOTED
much time to the investigation of this ease, and
in their report, after stating the difficulties they
met in procuring dOcume nts bearing upon the
matter, they say that Mr. Blaine aided them at
all times cheerfnIly and effectively in their in
vestigations.
Mr.. Pillsbury, finding that the .'Paper Cred
il" charge would not hold, writes a second OBJ
en- letter, in which he insinuates that Mr..
Blaine Was party in the Credit MobIlier scan
dial. The charge was made against Mr.. Blaine
In the 1872 campaign, and Immediately upon
the assembly of Congress, Mr.. Blaine select.
ing Hon. S. s. Cox OF New York, a leadin,
democrat, to take the speakers chair, moved
that committee be appointed to investigate
the scandal. "Ar' Cox, Of course, had the ap-
pointing OF the committee, Mr.. Blaine request
ing only that majority should be democrats
Ii was so constituted. That committee emphat-
ically declared that they found no evidence
connecting Mr.. Blaine in any way with the
fraud. Cakes Ames, the manager OF the
scheme, when asked by the committee il Mr..
Blaine had been interested in it directly or In
directly, answered, "N0t directly or indirect
Iy to the amount Of one cent.
Bpon both of the charges made by Mr.. Pills
bury in his open letters, Mr.. Blaine has really
been tried by committees, and in both he has
been unanimously acquitted. No new evidence
il introduced against him and the verdict must
stand.
1t is said that Mr.. Blaine has acquired large
property, and therefore he must have been en-
gagged In some fraudulent transactions. The
Inference is not Logical. The same charge was
made against Hon. +. A. Pike when he was q
Republican candidate for Congress. Mr.. Pike
had accumulated some property-nO one but
know him knew that no dollar of it was drawn