The sun., 1890-10-02
THE BATTLE ON IN MAINE.
sPEhKRR REEDS ORGAN IN PORTLAND
TAKES A HAND IN IT.
III. IrresIdeat aud HIS Advisers Assailed
for Ignoring the Speaker IN Ashine she


The PresIasat aad His Advisers AssHusd
cor Ignoring the Speaker In Making the
n,,ointment OF = Collector In Portland.
,,orurA. Me-. Oct. War to tho knife"
.ho Augusta despatch to THE Sun on Aug. 10
rrcdIctod would be the result OF Congressman
poutolle's editorial broadsde at Hale Blaine,
and Harrison imm diately after the Maine elec-
tion. Tho beliiserent Congressman has In
times past kept his name before the public by
.ansinp tempcsts in Congress over alleged
Southern outraCes. Inc tempest ne mas
.vhietled mn IN Name however. is of national
,nnortance and such politicians as desire
10 be found on tho winning side have
"a. a word 10 say. Tho so-called State
uoueo ring arc mum over tho appointment Of
%, " N Dow. Collector Of the Port Of Port
iond That they are well pleased is patent, but
tbev don't dare TO commit themselves. The
Oomooratic Collector OF Portland had overrun
bia term five months, when Boutelle ill-ad-
visedy threw down the gauntlet. People be-
leyed the Reed and Blaine wings OF the party
nj variance, but this was pooh poohad by both
factions.
Doutelle. however, with his accustomed ego
tism, chatting under the restraint, fired the
frat shot. and the battle was on. or the in
tepsity and bitterness that 10 engendered al
ready one needs but to read tho following edl-
torial expressions in Reeds organ, the Port
land Press, an editor Of which is the Speakers
clerk at Washington.
Mr. Rood downed.' Is favorite headline
IN Democratic contemporaries to introduce
their readers to the fact that Col. F. N. Dow has
been appointed Collector Of the Port Of Port
land. The words are significant Of the pleas
ure the appointment has given the Democrats.
Naturally to SEQ what they interpret as an af-
front to one OF the most conspicuous leaders OF
the Republican party gives them great pleas-
ure, but II they anticipate that Mr.. Reed is to
be downed by any such puny blow as this they
entirely mistake the source OF Mr..
Reeds strength. AS far as that is concerned
1t makes very little difference whethor the
Offices are held by Mr.. Reeds friends or by his
enemies. whether they are used for him or
against him. Asamatter of fact, Mr.. Reed has
been stronger under the latter condition than
under the former. Small men may need the
offices to perpetuate their political existence.
but Mr. Reed is not OF meagre Dimensions
In another article, hoaded An Astonishing
Appointment" the Press says:
1T Ia not to be wondered at that the news
paper press generally interpret the decision of
the President In the matter Of the Portland
Collectorship as an affront put upon the
one OF the most conspicuous leaders Of the
Republican party of the nation by the official
head Of the party.
NO President save johnson has entirely
ignored the wishes OF the second most power
full man OF his Administration, upon whose
ability and loyalty he must largely rely for its
success, by appointing to the most important
Office in that mans own district and in his own
town a man known to be personally obnoxious
to him. Why. even Democratic Presidents
have given more consideration than this
to the personal wishes Of the Republic
can leaders. 1t will be remembered that
President Cleveland did not appoint Col G. b.
Morton Postmaster Of Augusta because 1t
would bo distasteful to Mr.. Blaine. But here
10 the spectacle Of q Republican Presi-
dent selecting out from scores Of COM
petent Republicans the very man whom
the Speaker had over and over again
protested against as personally offensive
and politically un,riendly and placing him In
the most conspicuous office in the Speakers
own city, and placing him there, too. at the
request OF the Speakers avowed political ene-
mics, men who make slight concealment of
the fact that they are trying to send him to the
rear. in order that they may keep themselves
OF the front. The performance Is 80 unprece-
dented as to excite amazement"
Col. Dow the new Collector. says in his
paper. tho Portland Express:
1T has been an open secret that this ap-
pointment would have been made long ago
but for the vigorous opposition OF the Speaker.
This hostility was from 80 influential O source.
and was, Withal. 30 intense as to render 1t
natural and proper that the President should
defer action until he could fully inform him
self as TO whether the animus of Mr.. Reeds
opposition was reasonable and proper 1t is
entirely fair to presume that had the President
found Mr. Reeds position justilable he would
not have appointed Mr.. Dow"
Mr.. Dow then tries TO smooth the matter
ever. but 1t won't smooth.
The Portland Adpe1tise, says. concerning the
appointment Of Dow: 1t is not acceptable to
large element Of Portland Republicans and
tits particularly obnoxious to the third officer Of
the nation, the Speaker of the House OF Repre-
sentatiyes." Congressman DinRley's paper. the
Lewiston Journal, speaks in commendatory
terms OF the appointment, and 1t is plain which
way the wind blows In that quarter.