The Portland daily press., 1882-08-09
SCION Chase and His Judas.


While Scion Chase polled IS votes IN 1874
for Greenbackism, At ,643 were cast in 1S79.The
movement originated with him. AS he says,
81 was converted in the twinkling OF an eye."
He preached it all over the State, and the re-
suit was the biggest political overturn ever
seen here, and what promised to be perna-
nent force in politics. His followers were en-
thusiastic and his movement was popular. All
the ridicuie and scorn of conservatism could
not lessen it. But in 1880 Scion Chase met
Judas in the person Of Harris M. Plaisted.
Paisted's course towards Chase elected him
governor two years ago 1t will probably de-
feat him for reelection. Chase says that it
was understood between him and Plaisted, that
there was to be no fusion on the electoral tick
ct in 1880 between the Greenbackers and DEM
ocrats But when the convention met Plaisted
had arranged for joint Hancock ticket, and
nothing was left for Chase but to withdraw
from the friends with whom he had stood, and
the organization begun by him. But he is
nothing if not Greenbacker, hater of De-
mocracy, ands thoroughly opposed to any fu-
SION He, therefore, left Plaisted's fusion par
ty, and under his management Weaver receiv-
ed 4.409 votes in 1880, and Garfield obtained
majority in the State 1t was no mean thing
for man who was confessedly the leader in SO
uowerful fusion voluntarily to go into hope
less minority again, in spite OF the induce
ments which were so literally held out to him
by Plaisted and his followers. During the
time since then his Enquirer has been lost to
his control, and is now owned by fusionists.
Efforts were made to beat him down, but with
out avail. When it became evident that
Them Steers was to be issued, and that the
owner could not be driven, the fusion leaders
sougbt to induce "UncIe Solon'' to cast his lot
with theirs this year. They begged him to
| take a position on their congressional ticket.
| They could get nothing from him but his in
| tention to oppose them even if single-handed.
Scion Chase believes in his new party. de
| takes no stock in fusion. To him it means dis
| grace and defeat But for it he thinks the
| Greenbackers would be in majority to-day.
| He hates its policy of yielding everything Tor
| office, and he despises the men who assume to
| lead it. Under these circumstances he has re-
| oeiyeo the straight Greenback nomination for
Governor. His party are now engaged in their
| county conventions. Aug. 10th, at Bangor, he
| opens his campaign, and during the next tort
| night will speak at Dover, st. Adams, Rock
| land and Belfast, down in the Penobsco5 tier
| of counties, where the Greenback strength
| chiefly lies. From that time he will speak
| once or twice day until election. His speech
| es are not eloquent, as Wendell Phillipss are,
but those who heard him in Music Hall, Bos-
| ton, will remember that he has peculiar
| style which takes in the back lots,
| and which he describes as raai,
| plain common sense " Colonel Jesse Har-
| per of Illinois viii stamp fer him. as will two
| OF the candidates on his congressional ticket,
| w T. Eaton, an ex-Baptist minister of Cape
| Elizabeth, and Lawyer B. *. Kallock OF Rock
| land. Besides this the influence of his paper
will be felt on his vote. 1t has circulation Of
| 1900 copies in the State and among the people
| in the main, to whom-it is a veritable weekly
| oosnal message. The fusionists say that his
| Vote will be insignificant. But it will be sufi-
| GENTLY large to bnry Governor Plaisted and
elect Mr.. ROBBIE by small put su1hcient mar
| ago it will be enough. He confidently expects
| 10 do more Where are the necessary 5OUO
| votes coming from to re-eiect Plaisted! His
| friends claim that that number OF old line
| democrats will come out this year who have
never dared to trust himsbefore. erhey would
| be glad to do it If they could, but IN what
| nook or Granny of this State those 0U0O OLD
| Jacksonians are to be found no one knows: Ii
they have successfully withstood the hne-
tooth rakipg after votes OF the last three cleo
tions their reappearance this year Will have
all the effect of a Rip Van Wrinkle surprise.
| Governor Plaisted made the mistake OF tnlnk-
ing that all the greenbackers IN thls state
| could be transferred bag and baggage with
himself 10 the democratic fold. Instead, he
finds part of them bound on being OUTSIDE OF
the old parties and imbued with the sentiments
naively expressed by Uncle Scion, who thinks
that ''there are lots of good men in the repub-
lican party who are coming over to us soon,
but the democrats will always hold together
and always be in the wrong. The greenDacK-
ers are the hope of the nation" Most OF the
Chase greenbackers are old republicans, prohi-
bitionsts, farmers and laboring men. They
do not like the republicans, but they nave
nothing in common with the democrats, OF
whom they now count Plaisted one. Then
they rather like Mr.. Robbie, toward whom Sol
on Chase has always been friendly. They
were sehoolboys together.