The Portland daily press., 1880-08-26
Each Man to His Post.

The talk made by Senator Blaine to
reporter of the New York Herald fairly
represents the confidence felt by Maine Re
publicans in decisive victory in Septem-
Der. The great meetings throughout the
State, the feeling everywhere expressed,
and the energetic part taken in the canvass
by men whose interest in politics is usually
slight, are certainly encouraging signs and
go far to justify the prophecies of success
so freely made.
But in this very confidence lies our dam
ger. We are SO sure of victory that we
have already become careless. We forget
that we are confronted by desperate and
INSCRIPTIONS men whose regulations are at
stake in this campaign, and to whom de-
feat will bring personal dishonor The
election of Governor Davis this Fall
will be equivalent to branding them in
public opinion as thieves and forgers.
The election of Plaisted would be
construed as an approval of the
count-out and of the shameless fraud
by which thirty-seven representatives
of the people were deprived of seats
in the Legislature which they were chosen
to fill. The conspirators have everything at
stake and are working with the energy of
despair. They rely upon the ignorance in
which they have kept their followers con-
cerning the facts of the conspiracy to steal
the State last winter. Their newspapers
have persistently suppressed the testimony
taken by the investigating committee, and
their orators persistently misrepresent it.
Thus it has come about that thousands of
honest, well-meaning voters in Maine, whom
Republican prints and Republican speakers
do not reach, are entirely in the dark about
the matter, and really believe the wrong has
been done to-, instead of by, their leaders.
These men can only be reached by personal
effort, and the work of overcoming their
prejudices and misinformation is not an
easy one. 70 that work Republicans
should address themselves Each Republi-
can ought to make himself missionary and
labor with the heathen at our doors. We
have truth and justice with us. We are
fighting the fight for an honest ballot and an
honest count, and we deserve to win.
But it will not do to remain idle, trusting
to the indignation of an outraged people at
the infamous attempt to steal the State
government. The great majority of the
voters of Maine will be prompt enough to
condemn that outrage upoa their rights
when it is made evident to them. But we
must remember how honest Democrats and
Greenbackers have been lied to and how
shamelessly and pcrsistently the Fusion
leaders have misrepresented the affair at
Augusta last winter. We must set these
people right; and it caa only be done by in
dividual effort. The voter who will not
listen to speech in City Hall, nor read a
word of print in a Republican paper, will
pay heed to the neighbor whom he trusts
and give attention to statement of facts
that otherwise he would obstinately ignore
1t is the duty of all citizens who have any
regard for good government and the honor
of our State to devote the time from now to
election day to advocacy of the Republican
ticket and exposure of the msrepresenta-
tions and fallacies of the Fusion leaders.
Here in Portland is field for missionary
labor that can be most proftably worked /;
for Portland is one of the cities the Tabula-
tors sought to disfranchise.