National Republican., 1882-10-06
How PI,,re Corr,od Maine.


Was the victory in Maine stnlwart or Bleine
boom The stnlwnrts claim IT, though the country
mas by common agreement assigned the boom TO
Blaine. Montgomery (Aid) Advertiser.
Answer: The long-continued leader
ship of Mr.. Blaine in Maine created
revolt against "boss rule" several years
ago. The feeling became very general
that he had erected machine" which
he used mainly for his own aggrandize-
ment. This resulted in the detection of
many Republicans, although the main
body, of course, refused to leave the party
under any such provocation. The Green
back movement was largely made up of
these discontented Republicans, who were
more disgusted with fiat Repnblicanism
than with fiat money.
The fusion under Mr.. Blaine's leader
ship between the Republicans and the
Democrats in the legislature of 1873,
whereby Garcelon, the buldozer, was
made governor, was not calculated to call
back the wayward Republican Green
hackers. In 1880 Mr.. Blaine had supreme
command of the party in Maine. He was
chairman of the State committee, and
was backed up with all the material aid
he desired from the National Committee
and other sources. The party had been
relieved of what his supporters claimed
was an element of weakness, viz: the
danger of q third-term candidate, and
was buoyed up with what has been
claimed by them to be irresistible,
viz; Blaineism and Garfeldism COM
bined. Mr.. Blaine had every speaker
he desired from abroad. With all
these favoring gales, he ran the
party ashore in September of that
year, and created panic which was felt
nowhere more than in the home of the
candidate at Mentor. Some said he
wanted the party defeated. Unless this
was true explanation, then the disaster
in Maine at the State election ofSeptem-
Der, 1850, was the supreme test of his
power in that State, or rather the incon-
testiblc proof that he had lost his hold
upon its people.
The only way for Mr.. Blaine to have
tested his strength in Maine in the late
campaign would have been for him to
have seemed candidate for Mr.. Frye's
place. We believe this would have re-
suited in repetition ofthe disaster of 1880.
But he took good care to assure the peo-
pie in his opening speech at Portland
that Republican success meant the re-
election of Mr. Frye to the Senate. This
was complete unloading of the party
of the dead weight of Mr.. Blaines
unpopula rity. This does not make
any the less true the statement
heretofore made by THE NATIONAL
REPUBLICAN that the presence of Mr..
Blaine and the speeches he made had a
good effect upon his friends, while the
knowledge that success would not pro-
mote him prevented any discomfort
among his enemies AS for his having
carried Maine," it is as absurd pre-
tension as was that of old Pete Morris
that he had drawn the crowded house at
benefit given to the elder Booth. Old
Pete Morris was a comic singer in the
olden time, and the comic songsters were
filled with songs "as sung by the re-
nowned Pete Morris for thousand
nights amid unbounded applause" But
Morris out lived his voice, his teeth, and
| his power TO create mirth. Like other
veterans who lag superiluous on the
stage, he was wholly unconscious
of having lost his prestige. Out
of employment, and dependent on
the kindness of the actors of New Or
leans, he volunteered to aid Mr.. Booth,
then in the zenith of his fame, by sing
ing song between the acts at a benefit.
The polite old monarch of the stage
graciously accepted the offer. On the
night of the performance, the company
being assembled on the stage previous to
the rising of the curtain, old Pete looked
through the "peek hole" and, seeing the
immense crowd of Booths admirers,
which everyb ody knew would have been
twice s'large if the house would have
permitted, returned 10 his companions,
and pointing triumphantly to the front,
said: "Oh, mol Pete Morris can't draw y
We leave the reader to make the applica-
ton.