Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-09-13
THE CAMPAIGN In MAINE.

THE CAMPAIGN In MAINE.
Republicans Hard at Work-Blaine, In
zersoli, and others Making Effective
Speeches-Methods of the Democrat,
Canvass.
A letter from Portland, Maine, to the
New York Times contains the follow
ing:
Ten days ago it seemed as if the com
paign in Maine was going to be without
exception the dullest ever known. Since
then, however, and by extraordinary
efforts of Mr. Blaine, the whole situa
tion has changed. The entire state, al
least the Republican masses, have been
thoroughly aroused, and IL the words
of the veteran Thurlow Weed, They
are going to make the election very in
teresting for the democrats" Such
meetings as are being held have seldom
been Witnessed; and it is no wonder
that they are well attended
for the very best speakers IN
he country are here ito ad-
dress them. Ex-Gov. Noyes, of Ohio,
opened last night at Pennington, and
Hon. John A. Kasson, of Iowa, Hon.
W. P. Frye, ex-Gov. Dingley, Hon. T.
B. Reed. and Hon. W. W. Thomas, of
this state, spoke nearly every night last
week. On Monday evening Gen. Wal
ter Hartman, of New Hampshire, made
his first speech at South Berwick, and
Gen. James A. Garfield is announced to
appear later in the campaign. Senator
Blaine, Gov. Conner, and "the hero of
Cincinnati" Col. Robert Ingersoll, of
bn
company, and the service which they
are doing is everywhere spoken OF as
simply extraordinary. Wherever they
go they are received by remark
ably large audiences, and their
81 eeches are always applauded to
tna echo. Men and women ride ten,
twenty, and sometimes thirty miles to
hear them, and go home delighted with
what they have heard. Mr.. Blaine
speaks principally upon the record of
the Confederate House, with which he
is so well acquainted; Gov, Connor dis
cusses the financial and other similar
issues of the campaign; and Col. Inger
soil, "Bob Ingersoll" they all call him
here, talks about everything IN his own
peculiarly fluent and forclble manner,
and is doing wonders for the Republi-
can cause. His arraignment of Tilden
and the mass of evidence which he
brings to show that Ssthe Canal Re-
former is IN reality the greatest
cheat and .humbug that ever dis
graced and lowered the tone of
American politics, is irresistible, end
carries conviction to the mind of every
Independent and unprejudiced nearer.
The Democratic bodies seem to be
more afraid of him than OF half the
other speakers in the State, and their
papers are doing everything they Gan to
blacken his character and lower him in
the esteem of the public They lay
great stress upon the peculiar religious
views which he is supposed to entertain,
and warn all the good people of Maine
to shun "the wicked Robert Ingersoll.
The good people cannot have much
faith in their Democratic advisers,
however, for the more they write the
larger Col. Ingersoll's audiences be-
come. .fH
The plan OF campaign adopted by the
Democrats is somewhat peculiar one,
and has the charm of profound mystery,
if nothing else. They are holding very
few meetings, as they discovered at the
outset that they could not hope to COM
pete with the Republicans in this
respect. Regarding the large sum of
money which Mr.. Tilden has put into
Maine, I will speak more fully in fu-
ture letter; just now, however. it is
only necessary to say that this
money is being spent under
ssthe Reformer's personal direc-
tion and in accordance with his
peculiar notions of carrying On politi-
cal campaigns. His agents here are
flooding the State with documents,
pamphlets, circulars, and ''con6dential
communications of the style sent
through New York two years ago.
Every city, town, and village, is more
than abundantly supplied with these
political tracts, and they are thrust
under the eye of every doubtful vote in
The State. The plan is found to be
most effective one, and the Republican
leaders here should take the hint.
In addition to the circulation OF CAM
paign literature, [ find that the Demo
Gratis are making very quiet but thor
ough canvass of the State. They had
lists of every doubtful voter in Maine,
and as [ am credltably informed they
have in their books opposite each mans
name the kind of influence he is most
likely to give way to. If he can DE
bribed, the natural inference is that
they will bribe him; if he be strong
Catholic he is told that the Republicans
are opposed to his religion, and if he
likes whisky Tilden, Reform & Co. will
give him to drink freely. In addition to
all this the Tilden money-bags are
being and will be freely used to
bring Democrats home to vote. Every
one who has not forfeited his rights in
the state will be sent home from any
part of the country free of expense up
on condition that he will vote the Dem
ocratic ticket Still another "reform 2
trick which tie Tilden managers here
have tried to play, is to buy the infiu-
ence of the Associated Press by bribing
the local agents. The Bidleford agent
hoe c,,ooooAod IN rattino h1r1Solf into no