Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-08-12
MIR. CHARLES A. WHITE.
The Record Of the Chairman OF the
GreeBback State Committee.
VINO Is THIS BOLD CHAMPION OF
THE POOR MAN!

ton, rs 1uy by these We may measure his mo
tives
Mr.. CHARLES A. WHITE of Gardiner, is chair
man of the State Committee of the Green bach
party, having, in his own words, accepted the
position with all Its duties" To him The "dona
tions" are to be- sent, and his hand and brain are
to guide the affairs of the party during the cam
pagn. 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 ia
his address. to help "Set the torch of American
Liberty ablaze" 10 Maine; whether that torch i.
to be fed with beuziue poor whiskey, is not sta
ted.
In all the statements of the circular never did
man more justly expose himself to contempt and
ridicule. In MS appeal he asks this question
Why is it tha during these years OF deprecia ion
Of failures and general depression, the none
lenders and bondholders have grown richt
Now, who is this gentleman who is so down
on money lenders Charles A. White is the
champion n,oney-lendsr of the Kennebec valley
The whole ann and ambition of his life ha.
been the accumulation of wealth; aud he has sue.
SSSHSb' +hVh'g +hphNJ uaS btcn III,
watchword, aud everything that mas stood in
he way of his ambition in that direction he has
torn down by bis perseveling and uncomfortable
will. lie has known no such word as fail when
dollar stood within his grasp, and he wanted
to put that dollar in his pocket. His public life
has not been altogether unselfsh, as one would
suppose from the special aeadings of this circular
but he has been very active in the work oil
self agg randizement. He never made bargain
until he was sure he got the best end of it,
lie Is not only money -lender, but is the hard.
est kind Of an usurer, seeking the highest posi-
bic rate of interest. No wonder be is down on
banks. Two years ago he contemplated avail
ing himself Of the free banking law to establish
another national bank in Gardiner, aud had near
" effected the arrangement. for beginning the
banking business; but -Rndihg he could get a lar
ger per cent. for his money than could be earned IN
a national bank he abandoned the project. Now
he aud his party are fighting national banks be-
cause they are such profitable concerns! Consis-
tent man Issuing flaming and red-hot circulars
denounclng the Insurer. aud himself receiving
regular ~ lis eight and ten per cent. interest -
possessing property estimated at some $500 900
holding large amount of government bonds -
one Of the Trustees of savings bank, and for
merly director in II State bank lowing and
living in the most elegant house in the city OF
Gardiner, costing at least $50 600 surrounding
himself with all the luXuries that immense wealth
eau command ;-amassing large sums of money
from the advantageous sale Of stocks, bonds ami
GOLD, in which he has dealt for years as bank
er and ker;-having no more sympathy in
common for the poor man than the statue of Nor
atty recently carved from Hallowell granite an
extensive owner of real estate and government
bonds "a man of supreme sefshne,s who is
ready to least his bread upon the waters" If he
knows that few crumbs will speedily return to
him in the shape of big ioaves ;-Charles A.
White is hardly the man 10 send out appeals"
stIgmatzing money le nders, the "bloated bond
holders, the curse of national banks" and the
">hy locks :" and to make appeals to the laboriug
c asses, who he says ARE to-day comparatively
ignorant of and uususpecting the wiles employed
by the money power to enslave forty millions OF
Anne rcan Freemen, an excellent companion is
White for Smith the gentleman of wealth, and
Phrlbrick the professions al banker.
DhNluS hOiiONnts. Vi MS probes
sions regarding money lenders," and" Shylocks. "
let US glance at Charles Whites record as a poll.
ticau Tor the pui pose of ascerta ming if he is a
safe political leader. 10 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, aud has clutched st everything that would
give him the least notorety or political prefer
he has naj any a .iness out.ide cf mnp
ey-gettiug, it has been the educating Of himself
into the profession of politician Of the most often
sive, wire pulling and demsgogicsl stamp.
He has sought to be q leader in the democratic
party, but always failed; is amb ton overlap
ed Itself, and as he made himself offen to the
democratic managers, he had to keep his place in
the ranks. Was delegate to the Cincinnati Ma
tional convention; favored Breckenridge for
President, and went with all his might against
Douglas. During the war lie was violent cop
PEI head and at one time he made the remark that
the would hold up both hands to have the gov
erume mt repudiate its bonds" He has been an
office holder, being postmaster at Gardiner dur
ing Buchansns administration. For one whole
year he pretended to be republican, for the sake
Of getting a relative into Office. This green
hack movement is not the first political deusion
that has engaged his attention. When
the miserable "P. l.. L." humbug sprang
up, it was not 100 miserable for White to &C.
cept He abandoned it after satisfying his per-
sonal ambition to max b m self con, p cuous. He
has espoused the present grcenback deluson for
the same reason, and those who now follow his
"bugie call" will soon ascertain that fact.
We do not for moment question his tight
to lake this course; there is no law ia Maine
to prevent man frem reaching the goal of
his ambition and becoming weslthy-of obtaining
the highest possible rental for his money-of en-
bracng in turn every political heresy under the
skies; but when Mr.. White. with his pile Of bonds
and stocks comes forward to abuse the bondholler
when the sblest Shyock note shaver on the Ken
nebec stigmaiizes the money lender; when man
rolling in wealth abuses the wealthy and pretends
to the championship of the oppressed poor; when
a person who has boxed every point of the poti-
cal compass and sounded the lowest depth of
every ism, sets himself up as a political leader, -
then il is the outy of the public journalist to show
up the hollowness of his pretensons.
-
pien.