The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-06-12
lBridgton News.l
The Congressional CandidacY

The Portland Advertiser, in referring to
some of the points made against Representa-
tive Burleigh by York county Republicans, in
Inmates that the chief source of Mr.. Burleigh's
unpopularity has been owing to his inability
to control sthe federal patronage in his
district which led him to make war up.
on the Kittsry navy yard, and that in this cru
sade he has been able to show that some con-
tractor at the yard has swindled the govern
ment out of $4,000. This being in itself
praisworthy act, the Advertiser hopes that If he
is rot renominated it will be distinctly under
stood that the people approve any efforts he
has made at the exposure of corruption, but
that, regardless of this, and for reasons entirely
satisfactory themselves, they have determined
to send Hon. Thomas B. Reed of Portland as
their Representative in the next Congress
To this proposition we think all candid men
will agree. Mr.. Burleigh's course. so far as it
has been in the interest of an honest admins
traton of government affairs, Is to be COM
mended and while the methods he has pursued
have in some instances been open to criticism;
while his past record has not been such as to
command respect in some quarters; while dur
ing the four years he has represented us he has
exerted but little if any influence on the floor
of the House; and while there is general feel
ing of dissatisfaction with his Congressional
career,-we think there is but little disposition
on the part of the people of the district to do
Mr.. Burleigh injustice, unless he may construe
into an act of injustice the well-settled deter
mination now existing among our people to be
more creditably represented in the next Con-
gress than at present sThe first Congressional
district OF Maine has too many important in
terests at stake to admit of its continuing any
man ON the floor Of the House either to satisfy
personal ambitions or the demands of usage
or of locality" Such claims are too insigni-
ficant to be seriously considered by an intelli-
gent constituency during the year in which we
celebrate our one hundredth birthday.
Receiving his first nomination by mere acci-
dent resulting from heated contest between
two stronger men, neither of whom would con-
sent that his rival should succeed, and confess
edly lacking in the requisite ability to make q
successful Congressman, Mr. Burleieh was
generally accorded a second term; and now,
when his constituents so generally feel that
they need in our national councils a man of
greater intellectual and political strength. they
very naturally feel that they have right to
expect Mr. Burleigh to gracefully and mag
unanimously step down and OUT, to make
place for the man of their choice-a gentleman
of fine legal abilities, ready debator, of con-
siderable legislative experience, of unfinching
integrity, and whose views upon all the great
questions of the day are aPace with the pro-
gressve spirit cf his party.
1t is upon these considerations, aud not from
any inclination to do injustice to our present
Representative, that we have felt inclined to
urge the name of Hon. Thomas b. Reed of
Portland as the most suitable person to receive
the nomination for Representative to Congress
at the approaching District Convention.