The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-09-22
Blanton Duncan Again.
An Open Letter to Mr.. Benjamin Bunker.

LOUISVILLE, KY, Sept. IL, 1879
Mr.. Benjamin Bunker, Er-SecretdIy Of the Ea-
ecutice State Committee:
How do you feel now? All your plans
smashed? When you telegraphed to Rockland
to break up my meeting and that she Injuries
us very bad" you could not forsee the future.
You broke up my meeting in Augusta. Did
you and Pllsbury gain by suppressing truth?
Read the figures in Kennebec The truth pds
spoken in Rockland in spite of you trading
politicians. Have you read the returns from
Knox? Smith 3305, Davis 1851, Garcelon 7lS.
Straight out GreenbacherS q majority ocer all
1888 votes gained in one year on principle, and
S85 former Democrats coming from the rotten
old concern where your plumber coalition-policy
would have kept them. And yet you haven't
a solitary state Office for the intriguers; you
won't induce the Greenbackers to send dis
guised Democrat to Congress; nor to form a
disgraceful alliance against all principle for
fusion electoral ticket and the selection of a
Democratic Copperhead, as United States Sem
ator, to reinforce the hard money Democrats
at Washington, and to vote for all sorts of
devilment, that might bring on another sec
tional war.
When you survey the field from your pres
emit retired position to private life, you will
mentally observe that Honesty is the best
policy" even in politics. All the figures en-
paper, as to fusion success regardless OF prln-
ciple, amounted to absolutely nothing And
yet where the Greenbackers steadily pursued
their way upon principle and rejected your
directions and despised the solicitations of
Democratic Copperheads, see the different re-
suit. BY your method of office bargain, you
have lost one Congressional district. By strict
adherence to principle Thompson IL. Murch Is
sure of the loyalty of the Knox district.
Why even in Bath, the Republican strong
hold, my words of sincerity had an effect, dlt-
fering as they did from your sneak1ng EFFORT TO
suppress truth, in aid of your Copperhead
allies. Smith last year had only one hundred
and seventy votes and Garcelon TWO hundred
and ninety-two. And this year respectable
Democrats swelled Smiths vote to three hund-
red and seven, for one hundred and thirteen
left Garcelon and reduced his vote to one
hundred and seventy-nine. You will find an
instructive study in your leisure and retiracy,
by reading the returns and seeing how UNI
formly the plumber scheme has been smashed
in every county where you attempted 1t with
men who differed in toto from what you pro-
fessed to advocate. From your retirement you
can observe how differently the canvass will
be conducted next year by Chairman White
and such honest men as Z. s. Downing, VINO
will have the respect even OF their political
opponents. There will be no Bourbon Demo-
cratic party next year, as it is to be smashed
out of existence everywhere this fall You
can be virtuous, compulsorily, because the
Copperhead ring will have nothing to trade
upon Do read the figures even from Cumber-
land, the Democratic Gibraltar! Smith 1903,
Garcelon 1923. OF the STA Democrats in
1878, 1867 have determined to unite with hon
est policy. The balance, except few score
leaders, are already preparing to leave their
sham organization and to vote the Greenback
ticket for the future.
With hopes for your thorough reformation
and that you will never attempt to interfere
again with appointments made for speakers,
who are willing to tell the whole truth,
I remain very respectfully,
BLANTON DUNCAN.