Year: 1879

Self-Defence.


1t was announced Tuesday that Col L. A,
Smith of the Boston Journal had been in
Maine obtaining evidence of an offer made in
the Fall of 1878 by the Greenback candidate
for Governor, to throw over the Greenbackers
and declare himself a hard-money man il the
Republicans would make him Governor. Col.
Smiths story appears in full in yesterdays
Journal. After recapitulating the interview
with the Greenback candidate published in
the Lewiston Journal last Fall, in which he
said that as man with some property at
stake, as well as the same general interest in
the public welfare which all good citizens
have, he was opposed to any scheme of a cur
rency which could not have gold value some
where behind it;and added: Now that we have
realized all the disadvantages of contraction,
now that our property has shrunk all it can
shrink in value, /, for one, am not in favor of
retracing our steps IN order to endure all het
misery over again. 1t has all got to come to
the gold value at last. If we now get away
from it, when we have just reached it, we
shall have to come back to it again sooner or
later. / think we had better stay,--an inter-
view whose authenticity Major Smith never
himself denied,-the Journal correspondent
says the honest Major all that Fall eagerly
assuring his old political associates that he was
still Republican at heart and differed slight
ly but not ct all irreconcilably with his old
party on the financial question.


Apparently some of the Republican leaders
put faith in the Majors alleged conversion
- 4
Governor if he would abandon his heresies.
To satisfy them, the Journal correspondent
says, candidate Smith submitted the following
pledge of what he would do:


"In regard to resumption, have to say that
by the time the Governors message is deliv-
cred that will be an accomplished fact, or the
act of 1869 repealed, and in either event would
appear to me to be entirely supererogatory, es-
pecially as it is a matter wholly in the power
and duty of Congress. My present opinion is
l shall not refer to it in case / have to draw
up message. In regard to bulldozing, the
principle you set forth is eminently Just and
and proper, and / would thank you for the
suggestion, and shall insert the substance"


1t was soon found, the correspondent says,
that Smith "saw it would be impossible for
him to omit all reference to the financial
question in his message as Governor, and that



form; whereupon he proposed to insert il. his
message the following distinct and specific
declaration-agreeing to consider the question
settled and advising all good citizens to so re-
gard it. Here are the precise words which
Smith agreed to insert in his message:


"The financial question has been fully and
ably discussed during the fall campaign and
remains for others than us to decide upon; and
xvn OF 1aaso 6a otaI
is the duty of all law-abiding citizens in all
parts of the country to give it an earnest and
cheerful support"


But the scheme would not work The Re-
pubicans would not take Smith, not because
they regarded him as any worse than Garcelon
but because they felt and they knew that their
action, if they elected him, would be misun.
derstood by their friends in other states, and
the cause of honest money thus receive
wound IN the house Of its friends. Hence the
Republicans rejected Smith and assumed all
responsibility of electing Garcelon.


Thereupon the Majors friends went about
proclaiming that the Republicans wanted to
trade with him, and he declined. The Journal
correspondent further says:


'Having failed to sell out the Greenback
party to the Republicans, it is quite apparent
that Smith has made his negotiations with the
Democrats, and that in consideration of that
party practically dropping Governor Garcelon
at the coming election, he will transfer and
deliver the Greenback party, bound hand and
foot, body and soul, to the regular old Hunker
Democratic party. A man who will sell his
party out to one organization will sell it out to
another; and the conclusion is inevitable that
when Smith failed to get his price from the
Republicans for selling out his party he made
his bargain with the Democrats, and he is in
f3as fast alliance ,, with that party today-in the
willing to trade off the Greenback party to
either Of the old parties that would make him
Governor. Not succeeding in trade with the
Republicans, he has now made his bargain
with the Democrats"


The Journal says editorially:


The revelations concerning the intrigues of
the past and present candidate of the Green
back party for Governor in Maine, as astound-
ing as they are, would not find place in these
columns if the slightest doubt existed relative
to their authenticity. Reject every other piece
of evidence, Mr.. Smith is convicted of attempt
ting to bargain away the principles of his
party by the memorandum which the Journal
representative saw in Mr.. Smiths own hand
writing and which bore his initials. The ac-
cuSed is his own accuser, and he furnishes in
contestable proof of his attempt to sell out
the party which had made him its standard
bearer.


IutSudy u repOrtcr VI tllt DduSOr OOmuler-
cial called upon candidate Smith, and showed
him paper containing the announcement that
the Journal would publish letters from him de-
monstrating that he was willing in the fall Of
1878 to trade with the Republicans for the gov
ernorship. The following conversation took
place:


Major Smith-Why, sir, there is nothing to
it. / never made any offers, directly or indi-
rectly, to anybody, never assented to any bar
gain or compromise. If they claim to have
any writings from me they are forgeries. If
they claim to have any details of any offers
made by Inc looking to a trade or compromise
they are made from whole cloth.


Reporter-Then you say in advance of the
publication of the "offers" made by you to sell
out the Greenback party that you never made
any, and never authorized any person to make
any.


Major Smith, do, sir.


Reporter-Have you written any letter or
letters to any Republican regarding your posi-
ton as q candidate?


Major Smith, wrote letter to c. A. Bou-
telle in reply to one from him inquiring how /
stood regarding certain public questions. That
letter Mr.. Boutelle is at liberty to make public
if he chooses, also the one he wrote me in reply
to mine to him.


Reporter-Did you not go to Mr.. Boutelles
office prior to the meeting of the Legislature at
his request, and there meet several prominent
hepubllcans who made you certain PROPOSE
tions?


Major Smith-No sir, 1 did meet Mr.. Buf-
fun at the Penobscot Exchange hotel in Ban
gor at his request He said to me in substance:
Mr.. Smith, you can be the next Governor of
Maine just as well as not. Only say the word.
1 am authorized to make this statement to you.
l said: Mr.. Buffum, L suppose / know what
your object is in getting me here. If it is to
make any trade or compromise in regard to the
Governorship have none and will be party
to none. stand squarely on the Greenback
platform and shall not forsake my principles
nor sacrifice my party. Mr.. Buffum exhibited
to me some Ms. and read its contents 1t was
III regard to resumption and the Southern
question. He wanted me to incorporate it in
my message to the legislature-said if / would
he was authorized to say that could be the
next Governor of Maine. told him as to the
financial question / did not believe as he did,
my party did not and the majority of the peo-
pie did not.


Reporter-Do you know who wrote the par
agraphs which Mr.. Buffum wished incorpor-
ated in your address in case you were elected
Governor by the Senate?


Major Smith, do not 1 suppose it came
from Mr.. Blaine.


Reporter-Did you afterwards meet any Re-