The Republican journal., 1881-01-27
Plaisted Pllloried.

Inc uSlOn press auteDplS lO make IL
appear as a matter of course that the
Republican papers of Maine should Sc
verely criticise Gov. Plaisted's inaugural.
They say that was to be expected, and
that it is altogether due to party feeling.
But is it! The press outside of this
State concerns itself but little, if at all,
with the local politics of Maine, and has
judged this so-called message on its own
merits, or rather its demerits, for the lat
ter quite OvershadOW the former The
verdict rendered by it is certainly far
from hattering to Governor Plaisted
The Boston Advertiser says: "Cnless
Governor Plaisted of Maine put into his
inaugural address all the foolishness that
was in him, he was drawing upon a rich
and varied store Countless volumes of
American state papers might be searched
without revealing in the aggregate as
many nuggets Of folly as are packed
away i'll this address as thickly as plums
in Christmas pudding. 1t is sincerely
to be hoped the stock has been exhausted,
but there is room for narrowing doubts
There is no symptom of a let down at the
end, but, on the contrary, evidence of ex-
pandng wealth" The Providence Jour
nal, after reviewing the salient features of
the address and pointedly rebuking its
communistic teachings, concludes: ''That
Plaisted can be Governor is not SO much
alarming as it is disgraceful. Whatever
explanations may be made, it is warn
ing that even under the enlightenment of
New England. there are shadows which
should abate our pride as well as stimu-
late our activities in behalf of a sensible
and creditable political education'' The
Boston Commercial Bulletin saws that
this inaugural, sis a remarkable docu-
ment especially in its treatment OF eco
nomica and financial questions. Indeed,
persons possessing ordinary information
on those topics can well afford to laugh
at much of it as the very cheapest kind
of demagOgism.' The Boston Traveller.
after stating that Plaisted has had the
sympathy Of many Republicans, outside
OF the state, because Of d belief that he
was driven out Of the party by local in
justice says: ellis message has dispelled
the deluson; a man capable of writing
such a document could never have been
deserving OF support from an intelligent
and self-respecting constituency" The
New York Commercial Advertiser sug-
gests, in view Of Plaisteds statement that
people are driven from the State by the
law for the Imprisonment Of debtors. that
a meeting of tugitiVes be held and a re-
solve passed that Plaisted is a bigger
ass than most Maine FuSionsts" GOV.
Plaisted has offended equally by his
omissions and his commissions He has
completely ignored the temperance ques-
ton and the public schools or popular
education, OF the latter omission the
New England Journal of Education saws:
Does he desire to ignore d subject so
important TO the welfare of the State? If
SO, it is well that he shows his hand thus
early. Let the friends of education mark
the omission, and act accordingly" The
Boston Journal in review of document
which is Il disgrace to the State, saws
that Plaisted is not Il Communist. but lis
simply the outcome Of twenty-five wears
OF persistent ce-seeking by man of
small calibre-a cheap demagogue These
are hard things to say about a man who
has been elected chief magistrate of a
State, but they are true And in con-
clusion the journal (Jan. l4) says: Until
yesterday the name Of Garcelon was the
only one whose acts have brought dis
honor upon the fair fame Of Maine IIar-
lis NJ. Plaistcd has written his own name
WpdPf that of AlOnZo Garcelon, and al
ready shared his intamy." Extracts of
this character might be multiplied indeti-
nitely, but these will more than suffice to
show the estimation in which the execu-
tive OF Maine is held abroad The folly
and fanaticism contained in GOV. rlais-
ted's address have given him wide no.
torety, but It Is not a notOriety of which
he has reason to feel proud, while it has
brought humiliation and shame on the
State which, unfortunately for its fair
fame, elected him to the office he holds.