Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-09-14
The Election in Somerset County

kdfor hsrneosc journal.
SKowHEeAN, Sept. IL, 1879.
Election has come and gone and the result with
Us is about as your correspondent predicted. viz
That the republican majority in this town would
be about 20 last year. 1t was only four less than
the last election. Would tina, other towns in the
State could say as much. But we are obliged 10
admit that the Rreenback heresy in our county
met with more OF . triumph than was anticipat-
ed. The back towns, where many thought
their lot much worse than somebody else, and
that somebody was the cause of II, furnished fer
tile soil for greenbscksm to grow and flourish in
Now the smoke has blown away may well
consider the causes that led TO this (in many Sec
tIons.) unexpected to every good citizen, lament
able result. Though ignorance and prejsdice
may be the nursery of greenbsckism why is it
that so many men just at the present time seem
so willing to accept the falsehoods and senseless
harange of irresponsible men, and Of scknowl-
edge Ill repute; such - Moses Hull, Leo Miller
and others; while men of known integrity and
intelligence such a. our Hamlin, Blaine, Ex-
Gov. Perhsm, Lindsey and others, are rejected /:
once good and honest, but now very wicked and
corrupt, and their statements not to be received
by the laboring man. Setting aside the fact
that the republicans have been grossly neglect
full in not meeting the enemy long before they
did have we not reason to fear that this green
backlsm, communism, socialism, that has be-
come so prevalent through the country the last
year more, is not the inception or inaugurs-
ton of a state of thugs into body polite that
is to test our Republican form OF government
more than anything we have yet experienced.
Without further comment, we will here quote
Macsulsy the English historian. In q letter
written in 1859, 81 years ago, he gives us the
warning and says AS long as YOU have a
boundless extent of fertile unoccuped land your
lsboring population will be far more at
ease than the lsboriug population of the old
world. but the time Will when New Eng
land will be thckly settled, wages will be low and
fuctuste, and sometimes many will be out work
Then your Institutions will be brought to q test.
Hard times make the lsborer discontente and
turbulent, and incline him to listen with eager
ness to sgitstoTs, who tell him that it is q mon
sirous iniquity Tor one 10 have . million, while
another cannot get full meal When a legisla-
ture is to be chosen, side will be q states
man preaching patience, respect for vested rights,
strict observance OF public faith. On the other =
demsgogue, rsnting about the tyranny Of capatsl-
lists and usurers, asking why anybody should be
permitted to live in luxury, while thousands of
honest people are in want Of necesssries.
"Who will be likely to DC preferred by this dis
contented element, and what sort of q Legislature
will you be likely to expect fear in some such
season Of adversely, spoliation will increase dis
tress," &c. These words were written q years
ago, and may We not consider them o prophecy I
We have had our financial dstresses. the natural
products of our civil war and its events. To take
advantage of that pressure upon the laboring peo-
pie, we have our Buffers, kearneys, Brick Pome
roys. and other lesser lights. but not less unscru
pulous