The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-02-12
The Maine Plot.
It is Not Yet Abandoned.

The following extracts from letter by a
Southern correspondent to a gentleman living
in this vicinity will be of great interest to
Maine readers. as foreshadowing Democratic
purposes al the next election
Feby. /, 1880.
congratulate you on the return of peace in
Maine, but at the same time / have my own
impressions that the result has not been on the
whole success. or at least that the attempted
usurpation has served, to a certain extent, the
Democratic purpose. You show to me that
you have forebodings. as we'll as l, in your al
lusion to the possible steal of the electoral vote
of Maine next Fall. There is no doubt that
the Republicans will make thousands of votes
in consequence of the transactions of the Fu-
sionists i'll Maine. / will now attempt to eX-
plain what you term my 'ominous prophecy"
1 am convinced by the attitude OF the Demo-
cratic strikers, here and elsewhere, that unless
the country goes Republican by an overwhelm-
ing majority of the electoral vote, next FALL
they will put the Maine plan at work, in some
form, in Congress, when the coun. takes place.
was in Washington in January and had
some small opportunity of hearing expressions
of Democratic opinions; straws, to be sure, but
all tending to show the direction OF the wind.
Among others I had a few minutes conversa
ton with - -, and, although he is
personally of no consequence, still his drop
pings are indications of inside talk of Demo-
D,ent after March 4th, 1881, the Republicans
acW control it," On my indicating that the
government would stand long after that time,
he said. with much emphasis, mot BIT OF
IT. The Republicans acM pecer return to po,c-
cr peacefully"
Now this man, as said before, is of no
earthly consequence in himself, but he is re-
liable weathercock. He has faithfully repeated
what he hears in the councils of the rebel Dem
ocrats with whom he associates
r =, olorr iot hut T fal1 o3f
mean to fight if they IRE beaten at the polls.
nothing but an overwhelming Republican vic
tory will deter them, and ii Tilden is their can
didate they will have some forces, backed by
big money, in the North.
1t will not be rebellion of submission on
the buchanan plan of 1860 and 81, but usurpa-
tion by the Pillsbury-T -Tilden plan of
1S79-S0.
Has it ever occurred to you how infinitely
greater is the power OF the Clerk of the House
Of Representatives than was the power of Gar
celon, in the way of counting out members
elected to Congress? And has it ever occurred
to you that while Garcelon forced and deted
popular opinion in his own State and city even,
Adams would win the applause of Kentucky,
from which State he halls, by any act of usur-
patton he might commit that would accrue to
the advantage of the rebel Democracy? Is it
not plain that he y controlled by the worst
rebels in the United States? These thoughts
cause my apprehensions.
vi COURSE nave dlIoduy IOdu VI tIo COildpSO
of the Fusion Legislature, but still Maine has
a "iat Governor" who may be recognized by
Congress. The Democrats here admit their
partial failure as far as the State government
in Maine is concerned, but they insist that it
has been success inasmuch as they have
found out that "the Republicans will not be
likely to fight over such things" They say as
much here, boldly. People are less guarded in
political talk here than they are in Maine and
the North generally. They are oftener ''in
their cups and then boast freely OF their fam
cied greatness. The ablest Democratic local
leader of this county said, only last night:
'.Gve us as much of a chance III Congress l.ext
March as we had in Maine, and we will have
the Presidency in spite OF hell! don't care
how many electoral votes nor now many ntgye"
COteS they get"
The fact of his being slightly drunk was not
in favor of his good sense ON political or other
subjects, but for the time being it was very
much in favor of the honesty and truthfulness
OF his speech. He is one Of the consulting poll
licanS of this tate and EnOlcS that they are
planning with full intent to execute, revolu-
tion in Washington, in case of Republican sue
cess next November.
In this way they are beginning to admit that
they are destined to defeat at the polls, and
they know, as we know, that their power once
lost, has forever slipped from their grasp.
When they tell you that the Southern people
"want no more war;" they tell the truth; but
tha Southern leaders are another class OF peo-
pie altogether, and the Democratic masses are
as clay in their hands, and those LEADERS are to-
day engaged in a deeper and more desperate
plot to destroy this Government than ever be-
fore.
They will rule or try to ruin.
Should one or more Southern States 60 Re-
publican, it will cut their Confederacy in two
as did Sherman's March to the Sea. OF course
they are confdento of maintaining solid South
and hence their dependence Oh measures of Vi
olence. =
Yours truly,