Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-01-29

| wish to .tate for the information of dem
ocrats who may be disposed to charge off the
blunders of the local post-office administers
| ton to the stubbornness and imbecility Of
Mr.. Fowler. that they do him gross injustice
in assuming that he has any voliton in the
premises "He is in the hands of his friends, >
and the disposition is apparent to work him
for all he is worth. regardless of the effect on
the public service and the local democratic
party.
That evil counsellors surround him and are
manipulating him according to the terms Of
an arrangement designed to profit certain in
dividusls, there can be no reasonable doubt ,
That the policy he appears to be pursuing is
repugnant to his better Judgment is possible,
when it is remembered that. having suffered
/ ernasculation for the honor p of being post
master, he proposes to stand bv the trade TO
the bitter end.
II is humiliating position admit yet Mr..
Fowler has peculiar qualifications for sustain
ing it.
IL is also true that he is a convenient pud-
ding stick for certain man TO manipu ate
and dummy behind which he operates at the
same time exhibiting all the lack of executive
ability ignorantly and to that extent unustly)
attributed to Mr. Fowler
1t will be seen, therefore that the democrat
who discharges his surplus indignation on
poor Fowler's head strikes at a shadow, the
substance of which is none other than Anani-
as Morton, business manager of the New A ge
and post offices.
And We don't waHt our democratic friends
to make any mistake about it,"
The desperate straits to which the New
Age cabal are driven before the desire to
explain away" the ihmese twin attachm ant
of Morton and Fowler, is seen in the puerile
attempts nov making to hide the enormity of
the transaction behind an appeal to party pre-
iudice.
Party prejudice, although exceedingly
elastic, cant coger it. The Augusta cores
pendent of the Argus, who hasn't been in
the State long enough since his return to it to
appreciate the full scope of democratic re-
form, indirectly attacks Mr.. Bigelow's ad-
minstration of his office, for the purpose of
creating some sort of diversion that shall
mt the democratic siege off the post
once. But whatever the professed object of
the attack the true reason which underlies il
Is that Ananias Morton's influence with the
Department at Washington is lost art and
there are no more places in that branch of
the service for him to conquer. Hence these
tears. Moreover, this is a subject which Ana
MAS can afford TO let severely alone, unless he
desires his character for duplicity and men =
dacity to be presented in stronger colors.
The precise point of fact to which the at
ten'on of the New Age is respectfully d.
rected is involved in the charge that Ananias
Morton is running the Augusta office so far
as the selection of appointees goes, and out
side of this consideration inquiry is unproft-
able.
1t need not be remarked here that where
Ananias's hand is introduced in politics dis
tinct impression of the ''cloven foot" invari.
ably follows no its identity. The non par
tisan dodge illustrated in the appointment OF
a minor and a female, is labored yet futile
endeavor to conceal Ananias Mortons hand,
as if the ear-marks of his personal interest
in the administration of the post office didn't
stand ont in every direction Go through the
entire list of appontees and with one or two
exceptions in favor of Fowlers bondsmen,
Ananas has had his own way according to
agreement.
The non partisan diversion adopted to re-
lieve Ananias and sink Fowler under great
er weight of odium is one of those contempt.
bic tricks which gave Ananiss the unenviable
reputation he sustans in Washington Mr.
Fowler may lack, as is alleged the proper
qualifications for conducting the office.
Probably he does, although there Is no evil
dence to support any presumption of his
inability to fit into the requirements of the
10Th century. He acts as he is acted upon,
according to agreement.
The weight of democratic indignation
should fall on Ananias Morton. and |
am confident that he will receive the
| full benefit of it. "And we don't want our
democratic friends to make any mistake
about it," 1t is an amusing feature of the
performance to see ''old man Fowler" dane
ing like Piute Indian where Ananias pipes
but were promised novelties with era OF
reform and we are getting them according to
contract. DEMOCRAT.