Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-26
SKOWHEGAN.
a Communication.

|
| nal:
II appears that f. N. Merrill, Esq,
has seen lit to rush into print in rela-
ton to his alleged grievances against
the Republican party in Skowhegan.
Now we very much regret that it
should become necessary to answer
such statements as he has made in your
issue of Friday, May %. The Republic
can voters of Skowhegan understand
this matter fully and, so far as they
arc concerned, no answer is required.
AS to people outside, the matter must
be somewhat personal, as Mr.. Merril's
charges are of that character.
| In order to understand the whole case
it is necessary to refer to the condition
of political affairs for few years past
Up to 1896 when Mr.. Merrill commenced
to be an annual, biennial and perennial
candidate for everything in sight it
was impossible to locate him politically
and he would never contribute anything
for campaign expenses. When we had
a particularly hard fight on hand ne
was sure to be against us. When called
upon, as were all the faithful. to con
tribute dollar for campaign flag III
one of our Presidential elections, the
last flag we ever purchased, he refused
to pay and claimed to feel himself in
suited at such a request being made
upon him.
In 1896. Mr.. Merrill first appeared as
a candidate for delegate at large to the
Republican national convention; also
as a candidate for alternate; for chair
man of the district convention: for dis
trict alternate; and then he came back
| to Sllowhegan and became a candidate
for representative with two others, run
ming a long way behind the candidate
who polled the smallest number of
| votes at the caucus.
In 1898 he claimed that one term was
| enough for any man to be Il legislator
and was again q candidate for the
House. He succeeded. Whatever the
means used, it is believed by a large
number of the Republican voters of
Skowhegan that he succeeded by the
use of money and other things infiu-
cncing the floating vote. His ma jority
was %.
In 1900. two years ago, he again be-
came a candidate, having in the mean.
time changed his mind and coming to
the conclusion, after his election, that
a second term was the proper thing for
| him. He was then beaten by over 800
ma iorty, not by outside interference,
as he states in his article. but because
the people did not want him and turned
out to defeat him as they never before
did in the history of the town, cOnsid
ering that one term was enough for
him. He did not state the vote cor
rectIy in his article. 1t was: Page, 654
| Merrill. 3f6.
| He now cries fraud. He says that to
his personal knowledge citizens from
| Madison, Cornville and Canaan voted
at that caucus, in 1900 If he then knew
il he knew what no one else did, and if
he knew it why did he not make the
| charge then and there in the caucus?
He stood all through the voting right
over the ballot box and challenged who
| ever he saw fit. If he knew it and kept
quiet he expected to gain some advan-
tage from it, or, to speak more plainly,
il such thing took place he was the
author of it. He said not a word at
| the time. He made no charges.
| When the political pot began to boil
| the present spring Mr.. Merrill COM
| menced to canvass as candidate for
| senator against Forrest Goodwin, Esq,
| or at least he held that out as his in
| tention. But it appeared afterward that
| it was only pretence, as he apparently
was getting ready to run for represent
tative, and only a week before the eau
| Gus, he first announced that he was to
run a fourth time as such. After he
| had thus announced himself he stated
| that he intended to take Mr.. Page and
his friends by surprise. OF course this
was the result and in a town of about
400 voters Mr.. Pages friends were
| thus placed at a disadvantage But
notwithstanding that and the attend
| ance in Merrill's interests of the float
| ing vote, called in by measures he
| knows how to employ, Pages majority
| was decisive. Merrill now seeks to ex-
plain away his defeat by claiming
fraud because the caucus would not
wait late Saturday afternoon to use the
check list.
Now, while he did say something
| to the chairman of the town committee
| after the time for the caucus had been
fixed, about the use of the check list,
yet as the last one made up was that
Of February last, and as that would
not show who were Democrats, Social
lists or Prohibitionists, no one regarded
it as seriously intended and, when it
came to the knowledge of the friends
of Mr.. Page, it was too late to correct
that list and add names entitled to go
thereon.
The caucus was called for O'clock
p. NJ, on Saturday, Mr.. Merrill as
senting. Delegates not only to the
State and district conventions, but to
the county convention We're to be Sc
lected. considerable time was required
for the latter. as was shown that af-
ternoon.
The farmers and men whose business
demanded their attention We're almost
to a man for Page. For 300 men to
vote using the check list and looking
up names and settling disputes and
shutting out men who had been in
town three months, but whose names