The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-10-05
How the Editor of the Age clicked the
Bucket

The mention of swil in last weeks Prog.
Age was ill-advised. The word recalls an in
cident of election day which we have refrained
from mentioning from motives of professional
courtesy. and an unwillingness to connect SEN
ator-elect from Waldo county with an outrage
Gus. persistent and before unheard of attempt
to buy the vote of free American citizen. 1t
is decidedly the worst ease of attempted brb-
cry and corruption we have yet heard of. and
we have diligently perused the columns of the
opposition press ever since the decease of the
Fusion party. 1t was many months ago-in the
early spring, perhaps, when birds We're carol
ing, buds opening, and all nature rejoicing in
the gentle rains and warm sun>hine-that this
dabolcal plot was conceived and put into oper-
aticn. Already had our far->ecing neighbor
realized what single vote might bring about
in the September election. He had anticipated
Senator Frye in concluding that, lone vote in
Belfast may decide who shall be Governor of
Maine. who shall be Senator. who shall be the
four Representatives to Congress, the complex
ion of the United States Senate and House of
Representatives for two solid years And he
realized that the one vote which might make
Plaisted Governor. and give the Fusionists a
majority in the legislature would make him
President of the Senate and then Governor.
when Plaisted vacated the Gubernatorial chair
to take his seat in the United States Senate. He
therefore determined to have that one vote He
was bound to have it if it took all summer. and
he had to give away all his swil Selecting for
his victim worthy citizen of Irish birth. who.
strange to say. kept pig. the work of bribery
began. Daily the swill pail was tilled--not out
of pure generosity, not simply with the expect
alton Of roasting piece in the fall, but with the
view of so gaining the confidence and affection
of the recipient that he could be led to the polls
by the donor on election day as a lamb is led to
slaughter. As bucket after bucket Of swill
The rankeSt compound Of vllIainous smell that
ever offended nOstrl.
was donated. the woud-be President of the
Senate and to-be Governor laid the tlattering
JUNCTION TO his soul that he had cntrapped his
prey. Never for Il moment did he doubt the
efficacy Of >will ;i> an tlccioneering agent.
His faith iii it was us firm a. his belief in fiat
money He was a> sure Of obtaining the coy
cted vote as he was of Il nomination for Con-
gress four years ago and in dreams through
poll and count he bore the trophies of con-
queror.
Meanwhile, the third party to this plot.
the pig. innocent and ml>uspecting as his
master. throye apace on Fusion swill-hrove
as the donor hoped to do when secure in place
at the public crib In the twilight hour our
esteemed contemporary would sit and muse ON
the anticipated profits from his corner in
pork" and it is even ~urmised that he was
wont to address the reflection he SAW in the
looking glass as "Goycrnor' 10 ucru>tom HIM
selk to the anticipated honor But the great
poet tells us that
Oft expectation fails and most of there
Where most it promises
And SO it proved in this case. On election day
there was a rude awakening. Up to that time
our contemporary had the world BY the tail.
Alas. ii slipped through his fingers. He ar
rived at the polls Just in time to see the propri-
etor of the pig deposit straight Republican
ticket. 1t was Il terrible blow We compass
sionatcly draw Il yeil over the hclrt-ren,ling
scene and quote only the remark. you'll ret
no more swll at my house. john" Although
thus deprived Of Fusion >Wil the pic ll;l> no.
been permitted to >taryc: but our esteemed
contemporary i still hungry office The
Senator>hip is but sop to Cerberus.