The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-06-26
What Does he Meant

Congressman Boutelle was at home in the
early part of the week, and the Bangor Wing
and Courier of Tuesday on'ained a column
long editorial written 10 p owe that Senator
Hale was greatly mistaken when he said in
his Ellsworth speech that watching, from a
distance the proceedings of the late national
convention with the knowledge gained by
active participation in the three previous
conventions, eff there was any one thing to
be seen plainly from the beginning it was
this that Mr., BlaiDe's nomination was inev-
table" He marshals all the difficulties
with which the friends of Mr.. Blaine had to
contend, revealing the motive of the arti-
Gle in the following sentence:
This strong alliance between the administration
and the Senate, combining the patronage dispens-
ing authority was a most powerful factor in such
political contest, and e0he the Senator's from Maine
soere constantly and everywhere quoted as earnestly
taroring President Arthur's nomination, the in
fuence thus radating out into the various States
can hardly be -timated
christianity and everywhere quoted as
earnestly favoring President Arthurs nom
iDation' is very significant thrust when
coupled with allusion to "strong alliance
between the administration and the Sen
ate." A man must be In desperate straits
to make out a case for himself who ventures
to intimate so plainly that our Senators con-
spired with the President to prevent the
nomination of Mr.. Blaine, and that.this was
an influence powerful almost beyond esti-
mate with which Mr.. Blaine's friends had to
contend. Mr., Boutelle ought to have his
proofs at hand before intimating charge of
that kind. If they were constantly and
everywhere quoted as earnestly favoring"
the nomination of President Arthur, it must
surely have got into some reputable news
paper. Let Mr.. Boutelle produce the quo
tations, if he can.
The writer of this knows something about
the state Of things at Chicago, and talked
with great many people. He never heard
the Maine Senators quoted by anybody as
earnestly favorable to President Arthur"
He did hear many inquiries as to why they
were not present working for Mr.. Blaine,
to which questions there was reasonable
reply, satisfactory to reasonable men, without
accusing the Senators of either hostility or
indifference.
We do not know of any other person of
those going from Maine to the Chicago con-
vention who has thought it necessary, in Oh
der to place his own services in just light,
to give credit and currency to aspersions of
the motives of the men who did not go
there. 1t will occur to most Republicans,
we imagine, that Mr.. Boutelle, instead of
slnrriDg the course and motives of our
Senators, ought to be very grateful to them
tor the opportunity of distinction which
their absence from Chicago opened to him.
The editorial article in the Bangor Wing
to which we have referred sets out with a
declaration that "the time for rivalies and
preferences has passed." that ''lhis is not so
much time for "reminiscences as for action
and progress" and then adds, "yet
ii is best to start without misunder-
standings" The misunderstanding which
is to be corrected before we go forward to
the election of Mr.. Blaine, appears to be the
IDEA that the Senators were not hostile to
bim. The editor seems to be bound so far
as in him lies that their unfaithfuness shall
be accepted as the fundamental condition of
the campaign. We hold the opinion that it
will be wiser for Mr.. Boutele not to insist
upon this any further.