The Portland daily press., 1893-04-01

ana DONOVAN Appear u DO suO "
rate who WELD the Power at Washing
ton-The Augusta Post Office Fight.
There is considerable futtering about
in the ranks of those local Democrats
who are after the offices. The great
question is, "Who are men whose en-
dorsements will have weight at Wash
ington?' At present Arthur Sewall,
Chairman John B. Donovan, of the state
committee, and Organizer "Charlie"
Morton seem to constitute an omnipo-
tent triumvirate, whose merest wolds
are law with the administration; and as
result there is a great tumbling about
among the aspirants to office for the en-
dorsement of these men. Events that
have SO far happened seem to back up
this opinion, although battle has been
Joined but once, and in this case the
triumvirate has come out victorious.
This was the selection of Hathaway for
collector of customs at Houlton instead
of Don A. H. Powers, who was the can
didate for Congress in the Fourth Dis
trict at the recent election. But some OF
the knowing ones say that one swallow
does not make a summer, and that the
triumvirate are not the bosses yet The
Powers Hathaway case was bad one to
make test on. Powers is one of the
political cronies of the Hon. j. P. Bass,
proprietor of the Bangor Commercial;
and it is safe to say that there were not
wanting enough visiting statesmen from
Maine to bring it to the attention OF Mr..
Cleveland that Mr.. Basis coterie were
the few original David B. Hill men in
this State.
When the Augusta postmastership is
decided it will be time to say who is
boss. There is fairly drawn ISSUE
That office will probably be filled before
long; and there is bitter fight for it,
Editor Plaisted, of the New Age, son of
Ex-Governor Plaisted, is candidate and
so is Thomas ]. Lynch. Plaisted has
the backing of the city committee of
Augusta, of majority of the county
committee of Kennebec county, of
Charles E. johnson the candidate for
Governor, of Hon. S. S. Brown, the Ken
nebec member of the State committee, of
Thompson of Belfast, who was the DEM
ocratic candidate for Congress in that
district last fall. Against this formid-
able support Lynch has the backing of
Colonel Charles B. Morton.
Feeling is running very high, and it
has entered very, largely into local poll
tics in Augusta. When the new Demo
cratic city government of Augusta was
elected it was found that a majority of it
were inclined to be Plaisted men, and
would elect list of Plaisted men for the
city offices. At this juncture Col. Nor
ton is said to have telegraphed on from
Washington that this must not be so.
The effect of this telegram from the man
who was supposed to be very influential
with the President was to change three
votes from the Plaisted to the opposing
column, resulting in the election of the
Lynch list of officers by the vote of nine
to eight.
Morton means to put Lynch into the
Augusta post Office if it is a possible
thing, and the result of the fight will
probably have considerable significance
with those who are after the plums.
Meanwhile in this county the rural
post offices are generally conceded to be
in the keeping of the Hon. Kimball East
man, of Westbrook, who is the Cumber-
land member of the state committee.
In one instance at least Mr.. Eastman has
told the contestants to settle their differ
ences by a caucus. This was the case at
West Baldwin, where George G. Dow
and w. C. West tried to settle their
claims by caucus. Dow won by four
votes; but the West faction refused to
abide by the caucus, and at once began a
movement to get support from Eastman,
Donovan, Morton and others.
1t is said that Donovan is trying to
have as little as possible to do with the
post offices. He is probably after bigger
game.
ssSenator" matinee at theatre today.