The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-16
The Dodging Fusion Leaders.

(Lewiston Journal.
A gentleman residing in the South, formerly
Democrat in Maine, called at this office day
or two since and remarked: / am astonished at
the want of proportion in your politics. Let
me tell you what l mean. notice, for in
stance, that in Maine the opposition are max
ing use of but one issue-and that the issue be-
tween the Governor and Council over two ap-
pointments. Now it seems to me, while this
issue need not be overlooked, that there are
other and graver matters that are thereby over
looked. / used to vote the Democratic ticket
in Maine, but when I went South and observed
the methods employed by the Democrats there
to perpstuate minority rule, I could act with
the Democrats no longer. / reside IN Arkan-
sas, and If we could get our votes counted the
Republicans would carry the State this year.
There are several Southern States which
wonld vote Republican, were not the Demo-
Gratis in control. In my own State the Demo-
cratic Governor is a defaulter in large amount
and the Democratic State Government is Cor
rupt When come North and appeal to my
old Democratic frien0s to protest against this
sort of thing, which is turning the South over
to an autocracy and imperilling our most sa-
cred principles, I am cody confronted with the
remark that the issue in Maine is not Republi-
can or Democratic, but whether the State is in
danger because a Republican Council, acting
on their constitutional right, has declined to
confirm two of Gov. Plaisted's nominees"
We think our Southern friend ID quite right.
Gov. Plaisted's letter of acceptance is almost
wholly devoted to labored defence of his par
tisan course in the matter of nominations, and
to criticising the Council for exercising its con-
stitutional privileges Out of about one thous-
and nominations the Council has confirmed all
+xuo VIII voooncipc ho 0on rrad--apd
in these two cases the Council were practically
invited to endorse the State steal by rebukiDg
an upright Democratic Judge, in the one in
stance, and in the other, by supplanting faith
full official to reward State Senator who held
on to stolen seat in order to help on the
State steal. His Excel ency is welcome to all
the capital he can make out of such contest.
The issue between the Governor and Coun-
Gil will bear ventilating, and we have reason
to believe that the debate will be
many independent Democrats and Green
hackers resent the Executive insult to
Judge Libbey But the fact that the Govern
or is inclined to debate no other issue indicates
how badly handicapped tho opposition are. On
such important issues as the State tax on rail-
roads they are dumb adverse. On the tenn
perance issue they are as silent as the tomb.
The tariff question is slocal ISSUE They
agree this is great monopoly" era, but when
you suggest protecting the farmers by restor-
ing ID6 QuCy on nay, OF TelloVlUS VIC LAX pay
ers by enforcing the tax on railways, they look
in northeasterly direction and talk about
Gov. Plaisted's prerogativesi
About the River and Harbor bill the Fusion
lists have little to say. On this issue most of
them twink One Maine Fusion paper brave
ly defends the job. The Fusion position is
well represented by the equivocal and insin-
cere action of Congressman Ladd and Murch
on this bill. The great financial and industri-
al questions will not bear Fusion debate; for
here the two Fusion wings arc not agreed. In
South Carolina Greenbacker is murdered by
Democrats because his political convictions are
displeasing, and the murderer discharged on
paltry bail But when we come to Maine and
call the Fusion attention to the dis
REIMBURSEMENT of the majority In sew
eral Southern States and to the
unanimous Democratic support of the preten-
sions of Democrats, never elected, to seats in
Congress-the Maine Fusion leaders divert our
attention and remark that the Executive Coun-
Gil has transcribed its constitutional prersga-
tives in refusing to confirm two Of the sxecu-
tive nominations
We agree with our Southern friend that
there is such a thing as proportion in politics"
and that Gev. Plaisted, for purposes obvious to
the most cursory observer, is bent on being the
disciple of disproportion.
The independent voters of all parties in
Maine see through GOV. Plaisted's purposes
and are not to be blinded by chaff.