The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-08-23
Bateman to Roberts.

lie seems 10 nave an tcnlng under the nfth 1ll-
terco>ta space to jump upon me. simply be-
cause he is bigger man. Now it IS well
known that am a man Of peace, with no love
or desire for contention, and like the South.
only want to be LET alone. Still. this constant
| punching under the ribs naturally inspires a
feeling Of retaliation. Even the worm will
turn upon It's prosecutor. have long thought
that the color of my hair would yet become a
| political issue, but Roberts seems determined
to force the matter. Now, my dear Lieuten-
ant. this thing cannot be FASTENED. Evolution
will work everything out right if you will only
have patience. This growing because l am
not constantly rushing into print will do no
good. Don't YOU know that this is my vaca-
tion season. and during that time | spare nci-
ther friend or foe in my brilliant flashes of s.
lence: Not only that, but the black bass are
biting lively, and by strict attention to busi-
ness my reputation AS thigh line can be MAIN
tanned. In addition to all this am near the
bosom of my family and have no time to mon
key with western cowboys. Now, nv dear
| Roberts, know you are full of fight and are
anxious to get at me, but Supposing should
give you away on some of those little incidents
of our army life: That buXom daughter Of
yours would torment the waking moments of
your existence. Life would become burden
TO you should disclose some of the facts that
are struggling within my bosom. Let lis pool
Our issues and keep as silent AS possible. In
the meantime We are all hands delighted in
reading your breezy letters from the bowling
West. There Is a prairie flavor about them
decidedly refreshing to Us poor devils who are
saturated with the salt sea brceZcs of the East.
Especially are we pleased to read your descrp-
ton of the Minnesota Demo .racy. We have al
ways known that for pure unadulterated
cu>setne>s that party could easily beat the
record Of MaudS. But that yarn about the log
cabin and hard elder mass meeting of the Bel
fast Wings in 1910 was dead give away.
Don't you know that the Republicans are the
direct oil>pring> of the old Wing party: And
don't YOU know that the Maine Republicans
are now death on hard cider and all other in-
toNicating beverages: Have you read brother
Boutelie's temperance plank in the Chicago
piatform-eh: Go easy, now, for YOU tread
on sacred ground. Isn't that plank a daisys
We have now arrived at that stage in our civi!-
izHtlon when it becomes necessary for great
political party to gravey inform the country
that il is in favor of morality. This shows
that evolution is gradually getting in its fine
work. DO you remember the classic story of
the Old Spartan'S reply to Alcbiates, when the
latter proposed to pronounce an euloyium on
lInrrulp~t SON IJnrrula> -,iI tbo bona.+
Spartan. "who ever thought of blaming Her.
cn'e>:" You can easily catch the point and
make your own application. Poor Boutellc .
lie is thoroughly conversant with the logic of
marlmc spike and tile pathos of q blow.
But in History it is As platform constructor
that he Will shine. q. yes. my dear Lieuten-
ant. the Maine Republicans are thoroughly in
favo: of temperance. Why. it was only few
weeks since that Republican caucus in Bel
fast selected ten men to represent them at their
state convention, every one of whom We're
members Of the Belfast Personal Liberty Club:
and they III turn selected the President of said
club as their Chairman. The genial editor Of
this paper will explain 10 you in a little editor
ia just what the Personal Liberty Club means
lie is famous for explaining that abstruSe sub
jccl. And hy the way. my dear Roberts. | no.
ti"ed that You said something about the Pro-
hbltion party. BY Il peculiar oversight which
Is almost objectionable. You have fallen into
the usual error OF SAYING that we are playing
into the hands of the Democrats This shows
that evil communications corrupt good man
nerH. Prohibtionist> do not care Il straw
which one of the old parties gets hit the hard
est. We would like to have the two old frauds
collapse at the same moment and thus make
sort Of "one ho>S shay arrangement of the
whole thing. However. there isn't much dan
ger Of the Prohibition party doing great damage
to either Of the old parties in Maine. Last
spring there was Il brilliant opportunity for
our party to attract the entire labor reform ele-
mtnt to its ranks. TC-day there isn't a possi-
hllty of getting Il vote from that source. This
brilliant piece of political strategy was brought
about by the Bangor Prohibition convention
refusing TO adopt resolution Sympathi>ing
with laborin@ men in their 'unequal struggle
with organized capital Would YOU believe
it, dear Lieutenant, this resolution was voted
down by two to one in Il Prohibition conven-
tion. And this i, men who claim to be sane
i'll other respects. Perhaps you would like to
know what the result Was let me tell volr
a Labor party has been started. and will runa
full ticket in every county In the State At the
poll large a vote As the Prohibtionist>. I'm
the meantime the able leaders of the Prohibi-
ton party will have ample leisure to shout
"Amen. and sings psalms through their noses.
The present regtme of Prohibition leadership
may very appropriately be termed 1.-The Reign
of the Asses" BY and by lhiS celestial en-
1huSa>m will wear OIL and we shall Get down
to solid business and practical politics. Then
you will see the fur fly.
Perhaps you may think that ! am too out
spoken i'll my sentiments. If 50, YOU mistake
Your man. | always call spade Il spade.
When We talk about ''instruments for ayricul.
tural purposes it is apt to lead to confusion
of thought. There is nothing like being ex-
plic!t. The principle of Prohibition, however.
Is marching steadily on. Roth the old parties
have raised n false issue in order TO fool the
average thick-headcd voter The tariff aues-
tion is all bosh. 1t is being used to deceive the
people iii the same manner that Spanish mat
adore uses red flag to deceive an enraged bull.
The Democrats would win the election il DOS
Sible on the issue of free trade and then turn
around and "protect' every monopoly in the
country II by SO doing they could retain the
one hundred and twenty thousand federal Of
iice>. The Republicans, on the other hand,
would win on the ''Protection' crv and then
place one-half of our imports on the free list if
by SO doing they could retain the offices. Here
is the difference 'twiNt tweede dee and twee-
die dunn. Our revenues are bound to be re-
duced no matter what party is in power. Now
my dear Lieutenant don't get excited and kick
up il row until you know how you are coming
ont. These are piping times and when once
You are drawn into the maelstrom of political
controversy you never know what is going to
happen. Sometimes the ground will apparent
ly fly up and hit you in the face, and at other
times the sensation will be as though YOU had
been kicked in the face by a Kentucky mule,
No doubt you feel aggrieved because we criti-
else the Republicans more sharply than we do
the Democrats. Let me explain. Did YOU
ever know lawyer to waste time in irving to
convict a man who had already pleaded guilty?
The Democrats have entered the plea of guilty
and therefore we are relieved from further
controversy with them. They are the open
and urkuoW lodged advocates Of tho saloon