Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-07-15
THE ISSUE.

N he iNNIT-
The three paramount issues
that are 10 be fought out I'm the
campatgu In Mnine this yenr are.
6rst. whether the revoluttOutzed
S,ate GOvermmemt shalt stand or
fall, second, whether the banks
rmust TO or stay. and, third, wheih-
err the bonds shall be paid, or
made over into n perpetua'
debt.---Fogg'S Chronicle.
Thus speaks the oracle Of Androscog-
gin County; the mouth-piece OF Name
Fusionists. The first issue here put be-
fore us is truly the first issue of the cam.
paisu. As Republicans we are glad
that the Fusionists make 1t thus promi-
nent, and by its settlement they must
stand or fan.
1.-The revolutionized State Govern
ment": that means the Legislature OF
1880; the Governor-Daniel +. DAVIS
elected By it; and all the State officers
and dependents who have held position by
It's decree.
To one unacquainted with the history OF
the past year in Maine, or to those who
had read no papers since last September
it would seem strange that this should be
called the ''revolutionized State Govern
ment." If one who was engaged In the
vigorous and exciting campaign Of last
summer, could have taken Rip Van
Wrinkle nap, from the first OF October,
1879. until the first of July. 1880. he
would awake with the expectation OF
seeing Just such State government as we
now have. He would remember that
the result of his campaigning was
Republican victory by large plurality,
giving that party majority in both
branches OF the Legislature. Just before
taking his nap, he would have read
acknowledgements Of this fact in both
Democratic and Greenback papers. II
he was Democrat and had seen that old
bunker paper the State Democrat, pub
lished at Biddeford, he would have read
the following editorial in its issue Of Sept.
Is.
ELECTION AND RESULT.
The general result OF the election In this
State. on the Sih lust. may be stated In 4
few words. ANY hopes which during the
last six months have been entertained ol
witnessing, IN is phenomena the evidences
OF "a decisive popular revolution. have not
been fully realized II, on an average, the
condition against mi>rule and cItrava-
gance has held it, oWn-making up In some
quarters what IL has lost In Other>-this i
al,oGt all that could reasonably he expected,
bat more than this has been affirmed II
the Republican party, Ia the late election,
haS obtained no distinct assurance oi sue
cess IL the Presidential canvass, which -
next in order, neither has the Democratic,
except - far ~ Il has reduced the great
majority OF the Radicals against them.
This il stating the case in a strong
terms a. the situation will admit; aud
when We take into consideration the large
reduction IN the forces OF the Republican
party in spite OF It's vast resources, we mud
much TO inspire hope OF continued and nnal
success.
The Republican majority in Maine in
lS72 WAS 81, 900, in 1876 1900, and now,
having achieved splendid victory, they
find they have failed 10 elect their Gov
ernor by more than l,400 votes by the
people. notwithstanding the expenditure
OF $4,000 in money in violation of all
law and constitutional authority. True
they have a small majority in the Lc@iSla-
ture. but their members have been elected
in every case by greatly reduced maiorities
Further than that, if he had read the
NeW Rehgiop, a fusion paper, published
at Norway. he would have noted such
items as the following, cut from It's issues
If September, 1879:
The result OF the election, though not
quite so favorable t. the opposition a. we
expected, comes 10 Us with very little sur
prise. We did not think that Mr.. Davis
would bc elected ~ thc people. and hc has
not been elected. the FuSioui>tS having
cast the greater number of votes. We
expected something better IN the way OF
Senators aud Representatives, but AT most
We had little 10 hope - We noticed the
management OF the campaign and 10 which
W. called early attention.
The apparent success OF ths Republicans
in this state, though gained al immense
cost Of labor aud money, is after all moth
IA. OF victory for the party. For nearly
a generation they have carried the State
regularly, except last year, by majoritieS
ranging from 10000 TO $4,000 and even
more They have fallen far short Of the
average achievement.
The next Legislature in this State will
probably stand 10 Republicans TO II Fusion
and the House 50 Republicans To - Fusion.
If he had been careful reader, he
would have noticed that while these items
from the Neg Religion spoke of the
''apparen, success of the Republicans, -
tina, term was used simply to dispute the
magnitude of the Republican achieve
ment, but not in the least to question the
actual result. 1t was a happy hit of;he
editor. who never fully endorses, ac-
knowledges or admits anything.
The Republican papers were illuminat-
ed with large type, barn-yard poultry,
and flags that were expected to wave in
the breeze created by Republican success.
Opposition papers mourned their defeat
in more or less dissonant lays-but there
was none of them to dispute the result.
The conclusion thus arrived at was
attained in the usual fashion, by counting
the vote cast. In 1920 the people OF
Maine cast their votes and elected Sen
II I,,,,. of Rarra-antotiVaS unIpr