Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-08-13
MIR. CHARLES A. WHITE.
The Record Of the Chairman OF the
Greenback State Committee
WHO is THIS BOLD CHAMPION OF
THE POOR MANI

as guide or director in any great public move
ment or enterprise, his acts and precedents are
subjects of Just criticism. They become, in a
measure, public property, clearly open to inspec-
ton, as only by these we may measure his mo-
tIves.
Mr.. CHARLES A. WHITE OF Gardiner is chair
man of the State Committee of the Greepback
party. having, in his own words, accepted the
position with all its duties" To him the "dona.
tons are to be sent, and his hand and brain are
to guide the affairs of the party during the cam
psign. His selection for that position is glaring
repetition Of the old incident, the blind leading the
blind. AT the beginning of the campaign Mr..
White, in his official capacity issued flaming ap-
peal to the people of Maine to forward money to
his address. TO nelp "Set the torch of American
Liberty ablaze" in Maine; whether that torch is
to be fed with benzine poor whiskey, is not sta
ted.
In all the statements of the circular never did
man more justly expose himself to contempt and
rdicule. In mis- appeal he asks this question:
why IL 1t that during these years of deprecation
/ of failures and general depress ion the money
lenders and bondholders have grown rich!
Now, who is this gentleman who is so down
on money lendersi Charles A. White is the
champion u,oneylender Of the Kennebec valley.
The whole aim and ambition of his life has
been the accumulation OF wealth and he has sue
ceeded. Money Money Money y has been his
wstchword, and everything that has stood in
the way of his ambition in that direction he has
torn down by his perseveriDg and unconquerabe
will. He has known such word as fail when
dollar stood within his grasp, and he. wanted
! n mt in Ckpt Tia lie
has not been altogether unsefsh. as one would
suppose from the special peadings of this circular,
but be ha. been very active in the work of
self aggrsndizement. He never made bargain
until he was sure he got the best end of it.
He is not only money LENDER but is the hard
est kind OF an usurer, seeking the highest possi-
BILE rate of interest. No wonder he is down on
banks. Two years ago he contemplated avail
lug himself Of the free banking law to establish
another national bank in Gardiner, and had near
ly perfected the arrangements for beginning the
banking business; but finding he could get lar
ger per cent for has money than could be earned in
a national bank, he abandoned the project. Now
he and his party are fighting national banks be-
cause they such profitable concerns! Consis-
tent man Issuing flaming and red-hot circulars,
regularly his eight and ten per cent. interest t.
possessing property estimated at some $500 600;
holding a large amount of government bonds -
one of the Trustees of a savings bank, and for
mery director in State bank ;-owning and
living in the most elegant house in the city of
Gardiner, costing at least $40, 900 ;-surrouudng
himself with all the luSuries that immense wealth
can command ;-amsssng large sums of money
from the advantageous sale Of stocks bonds and
GOLD, in which he bas dealt for years as a bank
er and broker having no more sympathy in
common for the poor nan than the statue Of Nor
ality recently carved from Hallowell granite An
extensive owner of real esta te and government
bonds "a OF supreme selfshness who is
ready to least his bread upon the waters" if he
knows that a few crumbs will speedily return to
him in the shape of big loaves Charles A.
White is hardly the man to send out appeals"
stigmstizing "money- enders," the "bloated bond
holders" the curse of national banks" and the
shy locks )" and to make appeals to the laboring
classes, who he says ARE to-day comparatively
ignorant Of and unsuspectng tue wies employed
by the money power to enslave forty millions of
American Freemen, an excellent companion is
White for Smith the gentleman of wealth and
Philbrick the professional al banker.
Having noticed the Lolowness Of his profes.
sions regarding 'money LENDERS, and' Shylocks,"
let us glance at Charles Whites record as a poll
tican, for the purpose of ascertaning if he is a
safe political leader. ln the first place, he was
born democrat; and that's not much in his ia
vor. But he has belonged at times to most every
party, and has clutched at everything that would
give him the least notoriety or political prefer
enee. If he has had any business outside Of mon
ey-getting, it has been the educating of himself
into the profession of politician of the most often
siye wire pulling and demsgogical stamp.
lie has sought to be leader in the democratic
party, but always failed; his ambition overleap-
ed itself, and he made himself offensive to the
democratic managers, he had to keep bis place in
the ranks. Was delegate TO the Cincinnati Ma
tioual convention; favored Breckenridge for
President, and went With all his might against
Douglas. During the war tie violent cop
peihead and at one time be made the remark that
'he would hold up both hands to have the gov
eminent repudiate its bonds" He has been an
office holder, being postmaster at Gardiner dur
| ing Bucbanans administration. For one whole
year he pretended to be republican. for the sake
Of getting a relative into office. This green
back movement is not the first political delusion
that has engaged his attention. When
/ the miserable "P. l.. L." humbug spr&ng
up, it was not too miserable for White to ac-
cept. He abandoned it after satisfying his per-
sonal ambition to make himself consp 'cuous. He
has espoused the present greenback delusou for
the same reason, and those who now follow his
"bugle call" will soon ascertain that fact.
We do not for moment question his right
to take this course; there is no law in Maine
to prevent q man frem reaching the goal of
his ambition and becoming wealthy-of obtaining
the highest possible rental for his money-of en-
brsclng in turn every political heresy under the
skies; but when Mr.. White, with his pile of bonds
and stocks comes forward to abuse the bondholder
when the sblest Shylock note shaver on the Ken
nebec stigmatizes the money lender; when q man
rolling in wealth abuses the wealthy and pretends
to the championship of the oppressed poor; when
person who has boxed every point of the polit-
cal compass, and sounded the lowest depth of
every ism. sets himself up political leader
then it 10 the duty of the public journalist to show
up the hollowness of his pretensions.