The Somerset reporter., 1897-06-03
The Approaching Election.


An election In the off-year in Maine
has been an unusual occurrence. In fact
none has occurred in any part of the
State since the adoption of the amend
ment to the Constitution providing for
biennial elections, and We hardly reaize
that one is soon to come off IN this con-
gressional district. But such is the fact
aud two weeks from Monday next, the
citizens of Somerset towns, with those
OF other counties making up the Third
Maine District, will assemble at the var
ious polling places and give in their bal
lots for the man of their choice for this
important office.
Our object this time, particularly. is to
remind Somerset Republicans of the i'm
portance of polling a large vote. OF
course there is no doubt about the
triumphant election of Hon. Edwin c.
Burleigh and by a good majority. 1t is
not reasonable to expect it to be by the
overwhelming majority by which his
predecessor was elected in September
last, but the vote should be sufficiently
large to give unmistakable proof that
the Republican party has by no means
exhausted its voting capacity, is pre-
pared to take hold in earnest and give
its candidates the full party support as a
matter of party principle and good
politics.
In view of the fact that Edwin c.
Burleigh is we'll known to Republicans
of Somerset, words of commentator as
a candidate may be superfluous, but we
take the liberty to use the remarks made
by Forrest Goodwin, Esq, in seconding
Mr.. Burleigh's nomination at Waterville,
believing it will have tendency to
cause Republicans to realize the desir-
ability of coming to the polls in large
numbers the 21st instant.
Mr.. Goodwin said
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Con-
yention:
After listening to the eloquent remarks
of the preceding speakers | shall only
weary your patience; but, in behalf of
the Somerset county delegation, united
and unanimous, | wish to second the
nomination of Hon. Edwin c. Burleigh.
1t has long been conceded by the rest
of the district that to kennebec county
belonged the honor Of naming our next
congressman, and when you, gentlemen
from Kennebec, from the long list of
your able, ambitious and eminent citi-
zens with rare tact and discrimination,
selected the name of him, who is to be
the unanimous nominee of this conven-
ton today, the other counties IN the dis
trict, unmindful of any possible cand-
date of their own that they might have,
hasten to endorse your action.
We do this more willingly and more
gladly, because we know if that great
and good and distinguished man, whose
untimely death makes this convention
necessary, was present here today, he
would say in public, what so often he
has said in late years in private, that the
one man throughout the length and
breadth of the old third district, upon
whose shoulders he wished the mantle of
his high office to fall when he was done,
that man was his friend and counsellor,
Edwin c. Burleigh.
No living man has warmer hold upon
the people of the third district than our
candidate. The many contests he has
waged, his long and successful public
life, his high integrity and his unques-
toned loyalty have made his friends, en-
thusiasts, and his enemies, his admirers.
Five years ago there was bitter con-
test in this hall. 1t will be memorable
as long as conventions are held. 1t was
a time of bitter acrimony, when mems
passions were stirred to the utmost, and
when the sea of politics was troubled to
it's depths. Mr.. Burleigh came out of
the storm and tempest of that conven-
ton, like a stately ship untouched by the
wind and unscathed by the storm so
that now, borne onward by the propiti-
Gus winds from all quarters of the dis
harbor of success.
Today we present a united front to our
common foe, who thought that there
would be dissensions in our ranks over
the selection of Mr.. Milliken's successor /;
that the old feud and strife would be re-
vived, but we say to you, gentlemen of
the Democratic party, that the fires of
that bitter contest are out forever, the
glowing embers have cooled and from
the dull gray ashes have risen the beaut-
full flowers Of mutual love and admira-
ton.
We shall not be ashamed of our action
today, in filing the vacant chair in our
Maine delegation. TO the lion like cour-
age of Boutelle, to the great learning of
Dingley, to the matchless craftsmanship
of the great speaker, we will add the
great executive ability of Mr.. Burleigh,
and then and for all time in the future,
the Maine delegation in Congress will be
as it has been in the past a delegation
unequalled, unrivalled and unparalleled
by that of any other State. And | say
to you in conclusion that when Mr. Bur-
leigh's work in Congress is ended, and he
returns to pass his declining years among
his family, then, when the record has
been made up, our constituents in the
old third district will say that this con
vention today made no mistake in the
selection Of its candidate.