Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-06-25

OF NEW JERSEY.
National convention and its Outcome
Maine = pervaded with deep regret
Over the defeat OF Mr.. Reed at ST.
Louis,
our people felt high pride in his
candidacy. pride justified by his
ability character and remarkable
pubre reer. His twenty years ser
vice II Congress had developed his
greaa powers. 50 that in the gladiator
ia e5--aa.s in the lower House he had
clearly 70 equal In the chair he was
bot eaaaker and ruler, and he stood
bea5rc me people OF the United states
a STRONG picturesque figure, whose
nan evoked interest and enthusiasm
whessyes republicans gathered to-
getEzr,
Il VS., in his marked personality,
as naca ! natural candidate for the
presidency as any Of the great leaders
who have, in the past, struggled-not
always successfully, but always man
fuly-f0r the highest prize in the
field Of American politics. His am
bition fer the first Office in the repub-
lie WIS a. much a matter of course as
were tba desires and hopes of Jackson
ana ca and Douglass and Seward
and Tllden and Blaine.
0E
the wee not designated to lead in
tn 5autest, took hold of Mr.. Reeds
canvass "A no haIfhearted spirit-the
whole party in the State went ear
nest into the fight, and at first all
the = KS Of the times were favorable.
Tae -Eeat services OF the speaker
wer= 5rywhere recognized. and his
coa.se in she House OF Representatives
both 3elPed his party and added to mis-
reputation with all thoughtful men.
II ~ e4rIied things sometimes with a
high hand. It was always with a firm
hand and for the good Of the country.
He selected his committees carefully.
With Tie able assistance Ct Governor
Din2lay. whom he had wisely made
chairman Of the committee Of ways
and means, he put through the House
the two important measures which
provided for the relief Of the treasury
and furnished sufficient revenue with
which 70 run the government. He
set MS foot on all Jobs and steals, and
held ne House 10 curtailed and eco
nomical appropriations.
He refused to give countenance TO
the dangerous scheme for railroading
more new small states into the union.
He kept the body to strict business
legislation: he was day and night at
his post. and deported himself as
candidate for the presidency should
followers have cause TO look back
with regret or reproach.
But as the new year came in and ran
its course. things went all wrong for
Names candidate. There were unac-
countable defections in New England
which had been reckoned on for a
solid front. The favorite-son pro-
gramne robbed him of support in
New York and took Pennsylvania out
OF his column. The southern state (
conventions. where help had been ex +
pected, broke up in quarrels and split
into contesting delegations, and f
above all the Mckinley movement. .
thoroughly organized and equipped F
in lis management, and having with it T
the resis-less current Of public revolt +
against the democratic tariff and /
democratic administration. swept like F
a great wave over the land and car I
RED nearly everything before it, so
that when the delegates gathered in
St. Louis, it was plainly to be seen
that Mckinley convention had there |
assembled The national committee
was borne into the vortex and this
settled the contested seats, leaving
the friends Of the Ohio leader with |
things pretty much their own way.
The Maine delegation did all for
their candidate that men could do,
and fought to the last, yielding with
no honor lost.
But they and their allies in the bat
tie Won a signal triumph in saving the
convention from making a shutting,
doubtful, two-faced platform, and
instead OF this giving to the party
and TO the country a square, open,
explicit declaration FOR the mainte-
nance Of the present gold standard in
the currency OF the eountry-a
proposition which, when successfully
fought out at the polls, will settle the
- - l.