The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-06-04
Boston Journal
The Greenback Party and It's Dou-
I11a ~, Maine


Again the Greenbackers who opposed fusion
and the Bourbons who hate Greenbackism,
have been defeated in Maine and the Fusion
manipulators have been successful. 1t seems
that Scion Chase and his stripe have been our
witted, and that the old Democracy OF Maine,
as usual when it comes to the test, has not the
courage of its convictions. 1t was predicted
that portion of the Democrats, who hate Flu
sion and Greenback leaders, would secede and
nominate Democrat if the majority attempted
to force upon the convention the Greenback
candidate for Governor. Those who are famil-
lar with Maine Democratic leaders knew bet
ter. They are not that kind of Democrats
The Greenbackers made haste to nominate
their candidate for Governor, adopt platform
and adjourn. The Democrats, later in the
day, acquiesced in the nomination of a man
who has said the hardest things of Democrats
within three years, but pending the adoption
of platform, there being the usual quarrel
over the liquor law resolution, the convention
adjourned without expressing Democratic
conviction. This is well. Seven loaves and
two fishes constitute the only hope which
holds the Maine Democracy together. AS all
of them understand this, it would be work
of supererogation for the Democratic Conven-
ton in Maine to declare it, The President of
the Democratic Convention was a gentleman
who was not only the most bitter foe of the
Lincoln Government during the war but has
taken occasion since that time to observe that
he had not changed his mind. But the man
who would not vote for a union Democrat dur
ing the war takes occasion to advise Democrats
to vote for Republican to insure the over
throw of the Republican party.
The Greenback platform is very mild. Com
pared with the platform of the last two years,
it is no Greenback platform at all. This is
probably not SO much due to the fact that the
leading Greenbackers have modified their
opinions as that the platform was prepared by
the Fusion managers to please such Democrats
as might object to taking a Republican-Gre
back candidate with a Brick Pomeroy plat
form. When Uncle Scion Chase, who was
fiattered by resolution suggesting him as the
Greenback candidatesfor President, gets back
to Chase's Mills and reviews the work of the
conventions, he will conclude that chem
steers" while trusted to the driving of the Flu
sion leaders have lot pulled straight
In General Plaisted, the nominee of the two
conventions aspiring young men in politics
have warning Because of his ambition and
Unsuitable greed for office he is where he is
Two years ago he was a hard-money man. A
year ago he was about the White House trying
to manipulate official patronage as an out-and
out Republican. A fair soldier in the army
he was chiefly known f0f his efforts to secure
promotion Coming out of the army, his
whole energy has been turned to office seeking
and he sought with some effect He served
several terms in the Legislature; an almost
briefess lawyer, he actually made himself At
torney General OF the State by his persistent
efforts; then he was in Congress term but to
get his nomination he made pledge which
put him out of the field for reelection; then
he was an aspirant for Governor, but being
out OF position he was uneasy; not fully com.
pretending the Greenback movement lin
Maine at its inception he talked soft money
Just little, but just enough to disgust Repub.
icans, and when every man OF any acuteness
saw that the Greenback movement was diving
out, Gen. Plaisted saw in it the victorious mar,
ty of the future, and joined it at the eleventh
hour, when hundreds and thousands were
leaving the sinking ship. Three years age
General Plaisted was a solid Republican; but
being an infatuated office-seeker and never
happy out of office, he became sore-head.
w nen ne became sore head he took to read.
ing Fusion Journals; and the politician who
does that is like the merchant who studies the
quotations from daily papers a year old. He is
sure to be deceived and worried.
General Plaisted, if it is simply an ordinary
year in Maine. will be beaten by only seven OF
eight thousand votes.