The Portland daily press., 1882-06-30
Plaisted in the Two-Horse Act.

Lewiston Journal]
Just before the bells struck the hour of
twelve in Lewiston, Tuesday, one CHANGING to
visit City Hall would have seen five!or six hun
dred gentlemen on the floor and hundred or
two.in the galleries, listening more or less lam
guidly to document which on nearer atten-
tion one discovered was the call for the Demo
cratic State convention. One would have no.
ticed that among the gentlemen on the floor
were many venerable and bald-headed Demo
Gratis with faces distraught by the evident con-
seriousness that their long political career had
been one almost interrupted series of blunders
and disasters, while a blunder involving still
more serious disasters was the preordained issue
of the occasion which had so solemnly rallied
the ancient men of the party.
That convention whose work had been
mapped out beforehand by single oaganizng
mind, should fail to rally the young men, the
farmers, the freemen from the back lots and
crossroads, is not surprising. That it should
rally only the machine, is in accordance with
the eternal law of causatiou, which cannot De
repealed even in the interest OF the closet-cor-
poration politics.
That there was beggarly representation
from the rural districts considering his Excel
lency's alleged devotion to the cross roads, Is
unspeakably surprising and indicates an unre-
Quilted affection that the true patriot can never
cease to deplore. Aroostook, Hancock, WASH
ington ard Piscataquis were very feebly repre-
sented The counties Immediately surround
ing the Hall, made up the body of the attend
ance, while Cumberland county led in the ex-
hortations and scheme of operations.
Mr. Emery, the President of the convention,
read paper on the issue of the Executive
Council and the Executive Chair-the same
argument which the Argus has elaborated dur
ing the past few months, through many an un-
read column. His speech was significant Tor
his entire neglect of finance and economic ques-
tions and indicates that the campaign is to be
fought, so far as the fusionists are able, on
local issue rather than on points where Green
hackers and hard money Democrats might find
crow indigestible.
1t had been pre-arranged that the guberna-
torial question should be dispatched precipi-
lately while the delegates were in hurry for
dinner and before the more perplexing busl-
ness of the Congressional ticket had excited
that prejudice of Greenbacker against Demo-
crat which was so noticeable before the con-
vention assembled. The programme was exc
cuted admirably under the Leadership OF Hon.
Bion Bradbury-a humiliation to which tina
venerable Democrat once could not have con-
sented to submit himself but one to whom IL Is
said he yielded on the distinct understanding
that there should be at least two Democrats on
the Congressional ticket Under this leader.
ship it was easy to carry out the trade, and
hurry on Plaisted's nomination by acclama-
ton. Then the convention adjourned to din
ner taking shrewd pains to stife the threat
ened quarrel over sthe Congressional ticket by
referring that matter to the district delega-
tions, with instructions to report on full
stomach.
With equal grace discussion on resolutions,
upon the floor, was stifled by vote to refer
all resolutions to the committee on resolutions,
aoittout debate.
That, however, against which Mr.. Bradbury
and his following of the original democracy, SO
strenuously objected on Monday, came to pass,
in spite of all on Tuesday. The Second Dis
trict delegates found Mr.. Things greenback
backing SO strong that they dare not throw
him overheard. and he was M neminassd. n Sen, sss:.
bis letter of withdrawal which was voted to
be simply diplomatic. The nomin ations OF
Ladd and Murch Of course, were reaffirmed.
Accordingly, we have the spectacle, so serious
ly deplored by the hard-money democracy
a candidate for Governor and three candidates
for Congressman from the greenback wing OF
the party and one candidate for Congress from
the democratic wing.
The only genuine enthusiasm observable in
the convention was when Hon. r. f. Pillsbury
stepped forward to speak. His speech greatly
pleased the old democracy.
The evidence accumulateS and is such as
no observer of the democratic delegates at the
Lewiston convention can gainsay, that the fus-
ion of the greenback and democratic parties in
Maine, this year, is confusion and that the OLD
fashioned democrats have little desire and no
expectation that Plaisted can be reelected
Governor. That Dear Sam letter has disgust
ed the veterans, and there is wanting that spec
ial stimulus for fusion which the campaign OF
80 possessed-an impending presidential cleo
tion.
A significant feature of the convention is
the platform, which embodies several commu-
nistio propositions to take the eye of the Dear
Sans, and also resolution directly antagoniz-
ing the soft money plank in the Bangor plat
form. And yet Gen. Plaisted is expected to
perform the feat of strad Hing from hard mon
ey to soft money, and keeping his versatile
limbs simultaneously on both. While the
hard-money Democrats secured a hard-money
plank, they had to submit to a resolution de-
nouncing national banks, of which some OF
them are directors, and of which smany OF
them are stockholders-ahd that, in face OF
the fact that leading Democrats in other States
and in Congress decline to allow the Demo
cratic party to issue such profession OF faith.
1t is significant that resolution demanding
the retirement Of the national bank notes, was
adopted in the original draft Of the resolutions,
but eliminated before the report was made to
the convention.
On the tariff question the Lewiston conven-
tion sharply opposes protection. The Green
hackers, on the contrary, are the most protect
i've of protectionists The distance OF the
stride to which Gen. Plaisted is invited on this
question, is that of vast political horizons. Ii
His Excellency is capable Of standing on both
platforms, the great versatility and hexibility
of political faith which he has hitherto dis
played, will be as nothing compared with the
exactions now insisted on. There are other
curiosities OF political faiths in these resolu-
tions to which we shall call attention here
after.