Daily Kennebec journal., 1875-06-23
pppUnI,IcAN NOMINATION.
FOR GOVERNOR.
EN- CONNoH
OF AUGUSTA.

A.
NOMINEE.
The democratic State convention held ID
this city yesterday was composed OF the
same elements and many Of the same per-
sons seen in all such assemblages since
1860. Every year witnesses more gray
heads and less number of young men IN
the democratic conventions. Those who
stuck to the fortunes of the party when 1t
was opposing the righteous struggle oil
loyal men to save the Union stick to IL
STILL but the young men who came to be
voters and participators in political con-
yentions after the beginning OF the war
very generally cast their lots with the re-
publicans. The democratic party there
fore is an old mans party; the republican
party has healthy union of the wise men
who assisted at its early organization and
the live, energetic, growing young men
of the State. The one is gradually dying
out, the other increases in strength and
stability as the years roll by.
In spite of the great efforts made by the
democracy to get full representation from
all parts of the State, the convention was
not success in that respect. Its members
were drawn very largely from the cities
and large towns most convenient to the
locality.
The nominee of course was General
Charles w. Roberts Of Bangor. That was
all arranged several days before the con-
yention met. Mr.. Talbot of Machias was
the man whom the convention would have
selected as candidate If the choice had
been settled by voluntary and free action,
but fuglers for Roberts were early in the
field and succeeded by stratagem in carry
ing the nomination. The chiefr given
for Mr.. Roberts nomination, by his friends,
is that he was in the war. What kind OF
y soldier he was we told our readers in
1870, when he was the candidate of the
democratic party for Governor before.
What we said then is as follows:
"In 1861, in the height Of the war fever,
Mr.. Roberts, stimulated by the excitement
and commission as Lieutenant Colonel
of the Second Maine Regiment, took the
commission and entered the army. lie
went through the Mcclellan campaign
TO Richmond, and in the fall of 1862, when
the army was beaten and reduced in
numbers and the government was strain
Ing every nerve to recruit it, he rendered
his resignation. That was not time when
the government could afford to let even
private 60, especially one who had seen
service, but finally the resignation was ac-
cepted and Col. Roberts discharged. The
extent of his military service was his par
ticipation in the disastrous Mcclellan cam
paign. Tha, having failed. he failed, and
came out of the war sick, and has been
sick ever since of the war and antagonis-
tic 10 the party that carried it on. McClel-
lanism took possession of him and held and
keeps him in its clutches. He wanted the
government to fight the rebels tcnderly
with one hand and hold down the
slaves with the other so that they might
raise com and bacon and build earthworks
for the rebel armies. Herein consists his
"loyalty" as defined in the copperhead die
tionary. His pulse never rose once to The
genuine glow of true patriotism. When
he found that the government meant war
in earnest, even to the freeing and arming
of the negroes. his political prejudices
were stronger than his patriotism and he
resigned. So much for the "loyalty" OF
General Roberts the democratic candidate
for governor.
Now if General Roberts is worthy to be
Governor on such military record as
that, what position is exalted enough for
General Connor, who went into the war a
private, fought in it until carried off the
field of battle nearly dead from wounds
and crippled for life, making himself con-
spicuous for gallantry and steady devo-
tion to the cause for which he enlisted ?
Is General Roberts willing that the title
TO the Governorship as between him and
General Connor shall be decided on the
merits OF their respective military records ?
No, indeed; and yet there is no other
claim under heaven which the friends OF
Roberts make for him than his brief and
rather inglorious career in the army.
Some objection has been made in the
democratic papers to General Connor that
he has had little experience in public life
if those papers will mention the first public
position Roberts has filled, we shall be
happy to make note of it. If he has had
any experience in the halls of Legislation,
or in any Office of responsibility in civil
life, We have yet 10 learn it, Having
clamored about General Connor's inexpe-
rience, as though that were very serious
disqualification for him. what could have
prompted the democracy to pass by their
men Of experience and nominate a per-
son who has never taken the first step in
public life What an absurdty to nomi-