Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-09-25

for capturing all kinds of vermin and an
finals from ficld-mole to bear. 1t is
said tina, the attic of the house in which
he passed his boyhood, is filed with num-
erous designs OF these traps which his
youthful ingenuity constructed Whilst
other boys made use of bear traps, fox
traps and box traps for catching bruins,
reyrards, woodchucks. rabbits and SPUR
rels, Pillsbury's little mouse traps were
everywhere found by stone.walls, in fields,
on ridges and in the forests, and WHEREBY
er these animals had their haunts. How
successful he was in his catches we do not
learn from the diary of his youth.
We have mentioned these little incl
dents in the early life of our hero to Illus
tra,e the old adA-e that "the child is ia-
Their OF the man" Never did the adage
find fter and fuller illustration than in
the case Of Pillsbury. His mouse-trap
propensity has been made manifest in
every step OF his political career. OF
principles he never had an idea or a con
ception. With him one party organiza-
ton has been just as good as another. He
has been connected with the democratic
party some twenty years, or about the
same length OF time that Williams has
belonged to the republican party.
In appearance Mr.. Pilsbury is rather
prcpossessing. He wears pleasant smile
aud his side whiskers are always trimmed
in the most approved style. He is em-
phatically ladies' man. We never heard
him accused of advancing original ideas.
He has Il pleasant address, and presents
the thoughts OF other men from the stump
with grace and facility. These qualities
and his own perseverance long since
gained for him an ascendancy in the or
ganizdion OF the democratic party OF
Maine.
The democratic party. in its long hsto-
ry of more than three-quarters of cen
fury. has relied for success on bold and
manly declaration OF its principles, and
in putting in nomination for official posi-
tons ght-iorward men representing
those principles. 1t has relied upon these
to win converts and retain political pow
er.
Pillsbury brought with him into the
democratic party the mouse-trap notions
of his boyhood, of which, ina small way,
he had made use while member of the
old Wing party and which, in long run,
proved the death of that organization.
He has always insisted that the democratic
party could only be placed in "a majority
by winning votes from the republican
party, aud that these could be won only
by artiul lodges, letches and catches.
OF the objects oil party success he has
ever had but one idea-oflicial plumber and
the distribution OF offices. To gain these
objects he has ever held that one platform
has always been shy OF taking issue with
gepublican declarations OF principles. ami
has been in favor of making the platforms
Of democratic conventions as near like
those Of republican conventions as posi-.
Die. He has simply aimed at distinction
without difference,
His political mouse-traps have been SET
as thick as spiders webs for the last ten
years. We are not aware, however, thai
anything of value has ever been caught
in them. Blaine laughs in private and
looks serious in public, while the democ-
racy OF Maine are led to certain defea,
year after year by the utter incompetency
OF PIIlsbury.