Year: 1879

uninterrupted power III the State from 1856 down to
last January-a period of twenty-five years-is in
way responsible for this unpleasant state of
affairs. The greenback party formed at just the
time that this idea crystallizing 1t took advan
tage of it and has prohted by it to the extent of
many thousand votes; for not all the votes that
were cast for Major Smith on Monday represent
greenbacker behind them. Many of them represent
aud carry protest against the rule of Blaine and
Hamlin in the State and a desire for change
in State management and hoped for re-
vval of business and easier times for the farmers
and men of toll The doctrine of the Maine
greenbackers has very taking way with it among
the Industrial classes which largely comprise the
population OF this State. They do not adopt the
wild and reasoning imitation notions OF some OF
the Western advocates of soft money 10 start with
they denounce communism in all its forms and
deprecate strikes and all attempts to array capital
and labor against each other They declare IN favor
of the full and free coinage or geld and silver TO be
supplemented by an issue of paper money, solely by
the government sufficient for the wants OF the busi
the increase Of the value of the money which they
claim enhances the value Of the money changers
bond and lowers the price of products OF the soil
and the labor or the mechanics and artisans.


THE GREENBAcK POSITION.


Solon Chase. the proud aud happy father of the
"ras baby in Maine. states the greenback position
tersely when he says they opposed to squeezing
any more hog into dollar. and he illustrates his
meaning by relating that when contraction Of the
currency began he sold his hogs for fifteen cents per
pound the next year for twelve cents in 1873. nine
cents; in 1874 eight cents; in 1876 seven and half
half cents. In 1873 his hogs would pay his taxes
and buy him an overcoat; last year double the
NUMBER OF uOSS was squeezed INTO the uOllar
and the raising OF hogs entailed loss
instead of profit and he was obliged to go
without an overcoat. In 1873. says he. continuing
the illustration. his wife and other farmers wives
sold the butter made on the farm for twenty-five
thirty cents per pound: This year they only could
secure ten twelve fifteen for it. Instead OF
four pounds of butter in the dollar in 1873, John
Shermans policy has squeezed eight pounds into it,
and the poor fal mers' wives are obliged to make
up the loss by foregoing the pleasure OF gown
holders get double the amount Of butter. cheese.
v,.rlxo, n fov 64lla t1oNf
This argument, earnestly delivered to the gaping
crowds OF poverty stricken, pinched men,
with faded dresses and arrayed years bonnet
from necessity, has had potent effect upon voters,
and it is noteworthy fact that the greenback move
ment in Maine, like the anti-slavery movement of
thirty forty years ago. has its strongest advocates
among the women They have attended the green
back meeting, read all the mass OF greenback tera
ture spread broadcast the State and done all in
their power by presence and influence to advance
the cause to victory


before the people the greenbackers have charged
home upon the republican party mal-administration
and prodigality in the expenditure of the peoples
money. They cited the increase Of the State debt
from $500. 900 in 1856 to nearly $5,00000U 1879;
$500 .ooO the increase of the ordinary expenses of
the State government from $3.50 900 to $739 OO both
between the above dates; the giving away to the
European and North American hallway and other
wealthy corporations and spectators of nearly
every acre Of the 100000 acres Of wild
lands owned and controlled by the State
in 1885, the increase Of State officials and
official salaries; the overcharges and steals
of the Executive Council and the State printers the
double mileage and pocket knife swindes of the
legislature the increase of criminal prosecutions.
sentences and prison commitments; the increase of
intemperance under republican laws the large fall
ing off in school attendance and the closing up of
hundreds of churches within the State proofs Of
this bad rule and its demoralizing effects. These
charges have counted for something in the cam
paign and, before stated many thousands OF dis
affected republicans voted for Smith to q
edy for the evils complained of and protest
against their further continuance.


THE REPUBLICAN POSITION.


Against the greenback doctrine and these charges
Of republican misgovernment the republican press
and orators have imposed some discussion and con-
siderable ridicule Of the new doctrine denial and
ment Of the democratic party for causing the extra
session of Congress. for sending many "rebel
brigadiers" to that at body, as being ruled and
thlzing with rebellion, falling to redress pres
ent wrongs against the colored South.
party. managed and controlled by rebel sym sym
pathizers and plugugly politicians. who would not
hesitate at any crime against the ballot box or the
employment Of the ha5ituss of the lowest siums in
the city to carry the elections 1t is true that Sec
retary Sherman came into the State and delivered
four able speeches On the financial question. and
Davis. the candidato for Governor. also gave the
question careful and sensible discussion. Senator
same same directior The great mass of the
horde OF republican speakers. however. passed
over it,, after touching it lightly, and
brought the Southern question and the democratic
record during and since the to the fore front of
debate. Their evident aim aud purpose to re-
vive the memory Of the time to arouse the feel
ings and sentiments of 1861, aud, If possible. to
the party lines to be drawn they then,
when their majority was about twenty Thousand.
They shrewdly judged that il they could awaken
the passions and patriotism Of the old guard repub
licans, fire their hearts against the democrats and
"copperheads," they would burst the greenback
bonds which bound them and rally around the
old republican standard they did during the
tions. The .solid South was, therefore. soundly
berated the "boys in blue' were lovingly patted on
the back and told to vote their old muskets told
them; banners and notices commanded them to
''vote they fought" the Chisholm massacre and
the Yazoo murder retold, with all their blood
curdling details in most extravagant and terribly
Impressive language from every stump and in every
party organ and everything possible done to
revive the hstreds and animosities of the days of
war. How well they succeeded the returns of the
election do not show. l judge however, that while
the Southern question helped to keep some waver-
lost lost much Of its potency within the last
five years. I heard ex-Vice President and
present United States Senator Hamlin declare to a
crowd of farmers, one evening during the campaign
that he would not predict another right Off, but
frighten them back into the republican traces in
they were wavering. he solemnly declared that
ifrebellion did come aud with It they must re-
member that it the democratic party which
would cause it. This is a sample or the talk which
the republicans made on the stump during the cam
paign.


ATTITUDE OF THE DEMOCRATS.


The democrats during the contest occupied o posi-
ton in the background; they permitted the green
hackers to take the direction and conduct oi
the campaign into their own hands and tn.
latter performed the most Of the worh
against the republicans. Only two democrats hav,
been the stump-Mr. 4. f. Pillsbury, of this
city, and Governor Garcelon. who was running fol
q reelection, which he never expected to receive
The republicans tried to mako capital out of an al
legged bargain between Pillsbury and Smith. the
greenback candidate for Governor, by which they al
legged that Pisbury had agreed to swing all the dem
ocratc strength possible into the support OF smith
while the latter was to repay the favor by aiding
Pilsbury to secure the successorship to Hanlin In
the United States Senate in 1884, They bitterly at
tackled Pillsbury and his war record and held him
up before the people very wicked democratic
leader. This bugbear made them some votes. The
action of the democratic leaders in openly or COW
ertly aiding the greenback and magamaing with
them in support of fusion Representative. Senate
rial and county tickets has nearly dsmembered the
democratic party in the State and 1t will be impos-
siole for 1t from the effects of it, The old
jackson democrats. who have their leaders
and the great body of the rank and file of their party
supporting republican grecnbasker for Governor
and republican greenbackers for Senators, Repre-
sentatves and county officers. have received severe
blow from which they will scarcely recover. Some
of them will join the republicans the only
method by which they can sustain their ancient