Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-07-10
A Played-Out Party-The DemOc.
racy Of Maine.

The Boston Herald independently pub
fishes an article upon the democratic party
of Maine from which we copy the following
The Oid.time Democracy.
Once upon a time there was a democratic
party in Maine. II is not easy for men of
this generation to tell when that party came
into being, or what it did, but this, at least,
10 certain, 1t did something--it won victories
The State had democratic Governor; always
after there was democratic party, until the
exceptional years Of 1887 and 1910, when
Edward Kent came to the front, but, with
those years left out, no wing. no live enemy of
the democratic party ever reached the guber
Material chair until William G. Crosby attained
Il In 1853. In 1855 Samuel Wells. a demo-
crat, was elected Governor, although he re-
ceived fewer votes than his principal COM
petitor, and, after that ever to be remembered
year, Maine had no democratic Governor I'M
ill Garcelon, in 1873. received something
like 90 per cent of the popular vote and was
made chief magistrate legally, although more
than 75 per cent Of his fellow citizens had
voted against him. Everybody knows what
end the Garcelon administration came to.
though few people know how it came to that
end. There has never been democratic
party in Maine since. and
Perhaps there will Never Again he One.
But il still goes through the formalities of
holding conventions and nominating can
didates, and all these little inexpensive
operations which enable men to get their
names in the papers without cost, and keep
those names before the public, so that away
ahead-a thousand years ahead, perhaps
when the democracy comes in power. these
same gentlemen will be ION deck" as some
of the youth say, and ready for any offices
there may be for distribution. To return to
the question-where did that party GO? The
last time the democrats stood up to be
counted was in 1879, when Alonzo Garcelon
got 1851 votes, large part of those who
should have supported him having given
their sufffages for Joseph L. Smith.
But this Year
certain greenbackers having repudiated any,
thing like fusion with wicked democrats, and
certain other grecnbackers having taken
what they considered a very digni6ed, as
well as independent stand, it rested with the
great, glorious old democratic party-the
party Of Jefferson and Jackson and others
Tom, Dick, Harry, ct. ais, to say what it
would do, but il said nothing except to ask
the alleged greenback party what it wanted,
and to conform to the answer. just think Of
it. Here was this party, claiming to be the
representative Of the great party Of the ma
ton, assembled in convention to start q cam
paien which will be watched everywhere,
and whose fret battle will be decided in Sep
TENDER. But this party, so far as could be
judged from its delegates, had no ideas, moth.
ing at all in its mind except to fall in and
help anybody who had pluck and prospects.
What did they dos Nominate for Governor
q ereenbacker who never voted democratic
ticket in his life, although his hair is white
with years, and for Congress three green
hackers and one democrat, and that democrat
Q man who had sworn he would not be can
didate any way. A proud position for great
party, 10 II note
Nat thls Party had . Platform,
and reaffirmed it, as they say, at its Lewiston
convention the other day. That convention
adopted . platform which is beautiful to gaze
upon, but hardly substantial enough to bear
the heavy tread Of party marching toward
victory. This platform, of course, appeals
to the supposed democrats of Maine for their
support, and sets forth 10 resolutions, which
ought to mean something, but do not, all of
them. Hon. Bion Bradbury. silver haired,
clean, courteous gentleman. beloved by his
party and respected by all parties. presented
the resolutions, and the convention very nat
urally and properly adopted them without
word. What was this PLATFORM First brib-
cry at elections was denounced very right
eous denunciation, too-but the men who
took democratic money for voting the demo-
cratic ticket in 1850, a. the writer Of this
saw men do. will simply
onlcksr when they read the Resolution
and cay: "Bion knows how to put these
things forcibly, doesn's hep There is bribery
and il 10 great and growing evil. but party
whose leaders had 90 much money to spend
in the last campaign that they didn't know
how to spend il, isn't going to win MANY
Votes by such talk. The platform recognizes
the fact that the people do want and demand
. reformation Of the civil service of the gov
ernmenk that they do not believe in assessing
the men (and women and children) who hap
pen % Be employed BY the whole people, in
stead Of By one man or one corporation, to
nay he campaign expenses Of party But
he old veterans who held custom houses and