Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-18
Fusion Petering Out.

state of mind. The glow and energy OF
the last two campaigns are lacking Last
year 60 where you would they were found
active and enthusiastic. Their speakers
held forth in every school district and
they had large meetings in the cities and
larger towns. The rank and file were
full of talk and acted like men who be-
lieved their party had future This
year the change is very marked. 1t Is
verv common now to hear them saying
IL have no interest in politics this year
I think shall not vote. l don't belong
to any party. l don't care which wins
I am sick of this fusion business and thl:
management by committees and bosses
1t is mean way of doing things. 1 pre-
fer to keep away from the polls entirely
rather than be dragged into such miser
able arrangement.
We met prominent greenbacker the
other day. actively engaged in business
affairs. How does it happen" said We
THAT you are not speaking for the fusion
ticket ?'' Well" said he. Ito tell the
truth I am done with that kind of work
Last year and the year before was ii
trouble in business affairs, and though
something must be wrong with the gov
eminent or we should not have such hare
times as we had So was in frame o
mind to listen to greenback doctrines ant
adopted them and worked for them
Now we have had resumption and a revi
val of business and with these well es.
tablished it seems to me that the mission
of the greenback party is ended. NJ,
own concerns have improved with thu
general Frightening up in business mat
tiers, and am satisfied to leave the fusion
lists alone and attend to my own affairs. ,
Another greenbacker told us that there
is no enthusiasm in his party. 1t seems
dead. He was surprised upon coming t.
town to notice the difference between thi'
year and last in that respect. Upon ask
ing him how he intended to vote he said
II should have voted for Blaine if he hat
been nominated. As it is now / don
know whom shall vote for. but one thins
is certain. | shall vote for no democratic
candidates this year" He had been i
republican before joining the green
hackers.
Another greenbacker, who had been /;
democrat, told us that he should vote fol-
no greenbacker this year. That means o
course that he will not vote for Plaisted o.
Philbrick. 1t means in fact that he viii
not vote at all. for how the fusion ticke
can be so severed as not to leave the part
poisoned with greenbackism or old bour
bonism is what nobody can find out.
The real fact is that fusion is peterine
out. 1t is like the fusion legislature o
last winter, which petered out into side
walk legislature. then into Union Hal
debating society. then vanished into thu
region of eternal nothingness. Resump
ton OF specie payments. the revival o
business, the kind hand of Providence il
sending abundant crops, these prepared
the way for the downfall of greenbackisn
and fusion. The party lived upon thu
misery of the country as ghouls iatten up
on the contents Of charnel houses an(
graveyards But the heavens and all thu
sweet influences which bless the eartl
with products for the comfort and happi
ness OF mankind fought with the republi
cans and aided them to win the victor,
which is coming this year in the election
of Davis in Maine, and Garfield and Ar
thur in the nation.
But that which has given impetus to tn
destruction of the fusion party in Maine i
the infamous attempt of the counting ou
conspirators last winter to steal the Stat
government This is the weight that i
pulling them down swiftly to ruin. The
have undertaken to vindicate the men en-
gagged in this gigantic wrong. but the con
spirators and the party which is attempt
ing to uphold them are going down, down
down. to the pit of destruction where the
richly deserve to lie