The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1907-06-13

THE REPUBLICAN
father of True Harmon, who was some
years later a powerful Republican lead
er, and Timothy Thorndike of Brooks,
father of the late wellknown Belfast
citizen, Timothy Thorndike. The Free
Soil vote that year passed the one
thousand mark i'll the county, the six
towns of Frankfort, Monroe, Swan
vile, Brooks, Jackson and Thorndike,
as usual, supplying majority of it, the
vote being below fifteen in the greater
number of the rs towns. Montville
was an exception and DR.. Henry
McCrillis and John Randall, father of
the late representative, Chas Z. Ran
dall led little band of about 20 until
| 1858, at which time Rev. Ebenezer
KnoWlton and others severed their con-
nection with the Democratic party and
placed the Free Sellers in the lead in
| that town. Unity had about the same
number, led by the Chases, Foggs and
Bartletts. VIM. o. Poor for years led
forlorn hope in Belfast of about Is,
his name appearing for ten years upon
] the ticket as candidate for county treas
urer. The Free Soil vote was always
small in all the shore towns, except
Frankfort, until 1852, and it was rare
to find man engaged in business
dependent upon public support any
where who openly stood with the Free
Soil party outside of Brooks, where, as
in Jackson, they were strongly in the
ascendency, the town of Jackson hav-
ing been the first in Maine to give the
Abolitionists a plurality, which it did
to James Appleton for Governor in
1913.
The fusion at Buffalo in 1S4S with
the Van Buren, Democrats was most
distasteful to the Abolitionists in gen
eral, but resulted in greatly develop
ing the anti-slavery sentiment in the
country.
In 1S49 Mr.. Gushing had for associate
candidates on the ticket for senator
John Croxford Of Jackson and Ezra
Cobb, the latter having apparently
been an early leader of prominence in
the Free Soil organization, but l am
unable to give his place of residence.
In 1850, the Free Soil party, at a large
and enthusiastic convention, placed
Mr.. Gushing in nomination for Congress
from the district comprising the coun-
ties of Waldo and Somerset. The
Wings also decided to give their nomi-
nation to Mr. Gushing. The Demo-
cratic candidate was Ephraim X.
Smart of Camden, man of remarkable
intellectual power and ability as poll
tician, then in the full strength of his
influence and popularity. The district
than 1000, but Mr. Gushing was defeat
ed by but a plurality of GIG, the vote
standing SOL for Smart to 1926 for
Gushing, the total vote aggregating
about the number polled in the same
| territory at the present time.
In SEPTEMBER, 1852, Mr.. Gushing and
the Free Soil party generally gave
their support to Governor John Hub
bard, Democrat, upon the issue of sus-
tanning the prohibitory liquor law, who
was opposed that year in Waldo county
by more than 1,500 of his own party.
AT the November election of that year
the name of TheOphilus Gushing ap-
peared on the John P. Hale Free Soil
electoral ticket
With adjournment of the legislature
the campaign OF 1858 was Immediately
on. At this time the Free Soil party was
rapidly gaining recruits from both old
parties, which were also having much
trouble with the Maine prohibitory
law issue, which had hopelessly diyid-
ed the Democrats of Waldo county
into two factions, with most able lead
ers to each. The Wings were main
tanning their organization b e t t r
having the Governor Crosby and the
able and active leadership of Alfred w.
Johnson, who was the Belfast repre-
sentative to the legislature, for the
express purpose of holding up the
hands of the Governor Arson p. Nor
rill became the candidate for Governor
of the prohibition Democrats. Willard
p. Hartman, then of Waldo, one of the
regular Democratic candidates for
senator being recognized Morrill,
supporter that faction made but one
nomination for senator in the person
of Col. Isaac Woodman of Searsmont.
There had been no choice in election
for {. S. Senator and the anti-slavery
elements in all parties were intensely
interested in attempting combinations
of those who had been brought to-
gether upon some of the new issues to
not only maintain the prohibitory
liquor law and keep it upon the big law
book of State, but also elect a legis-
I lature that would make William Pitt
Democrats were struggling to unite
and regain the absolute power they had
so long held in State politics, while che
Wings were seeking to keep the tenn
porary advantage that they had gained
through Democratic divisions, by which
they had for two terms made William
G. Crosby, governor. 1t was at this
period that meeting was held at the
: house of my father in South Jackson
of few leading men of the Free Soil,
Wing and Morrill, Democratic parties,
for the purpose of trying to effect a
union of those parties upon candidates
for representatives in the Frankfort,
Monroe, Jackson and Thorndike, and
Brooks Belmont districts. Mr.. Cush-
ing was present and the circumstances
of the meeting and first seeing him
are as vivid in my mind as when they
occurred nearly ffty-four years ago
Mr.. Gushing was then in his prime and
at his best, full of life and vigor, fairly
tall, without surplus flesh, splendid
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