The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-29
simply because Bangor wants it. The
News is misrepresenting them.
mKIssING THE BABIES"

Tile Eastern Argus affects to believe
that remark OF the PRESS the other
day to the effect that before the cam
paign was through the Hon. Darius FL.
Ingraham might deliver another address
in the synagogue and kiss the babies
again was reference to matters of
purely domestic nature that should not
be brought into campaign. OF course
the Argus is not so stupid as it appears.
Its absurd Interpretation of the PRESSES
remark was simply for the purpose
of trying to excuse an inexcusable
and false personal attack of
it's own, on the ground that
the PRESS had furnished provoca-
ton. The Argus knows, and everybody
else knows, that kissing the babies is
phrase that is common in political
parlance and simply describes a method
of political campaigning in which the
candidate appeals to the hearts
of his constituents rather than to
their heads. 1t may be the main
reliance of his electioneering, or it may
be only an auxiliary Kissing the babies
has become the common phrase in which
to describe this method because the oscu-
lation of the infants is generally an effec-
tive way of reaching the heart of the mas
c,line head of the family, and especially
of the feminine head, who yields inf1u
ence if not votes. The phrase is COM
prehensive, however, and applies to
cognate methods as well as to actual
kissing of the babies. Under it would
be included the inviting of the constitu-
emit home to dinner, shaking hands with
him with much warmth and with q
lingering sort of regret on letting go,
inquiring infinitely into the health OF
the different members of his family and
of collateral relations, or doing anything
else that tends to show affection for the
constituent or interest in his welfare.
This style Of campaigning is oftentimes
| very effectual, and to it many a states
man has owed his opportunity to display
his intellectual qualities in public posi-
| tions Ex-Secretary of the Treasury
Foster used to enjoy the reputation in
Ohio Of being one of the abiest opponents
of this method. 1t was alleged that
in one of his congressional cam
paigns he kissed every baby in his dis
trict Another distinguished exponent
of this method is the Hon. Dink Bolts,
of Georgia, who is said to have welded
great influence in behalf of Mr.. Cleve-
land in that State, and, if the New
York Sun is credibly informed, is one
of the most promising statesmen that
| the country has within its borders at
the present time Kissing the babies is
| a great political art, and the candidate
that can do it in good shape, that is in a
way to impress the progenitors of the
infants that he truly loves them and is
interested in their welfare, is always a
| formidable person. When we say, there
| fore, that before the campaign is through
| Mr.. Ingraham is likely to develop
| interest enough in it to deliver another
address in the synagogue and kiss the
babies, we mean simply that Mr..
Ingraham is liable to become formid
able candidate. As to the merits of this,
style of campaigning opinions will differ.
Perhaps it is largely matter Of taste.
| But if the babies faces are clean there is
nothing so very bad about it.