The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-03-30
Measurements Corrected.

The article in the last Democrat under the
head Of .Tinkering the City Charter Of Bidde-
ford'' contains no less than four distinct mis-
statements. In the first place the services Of
the District Attorney were not obtained 70 To
examine the returns" for any purpose what
ever. lie may have been here accidentally,
and looked at the returns, but that no was
employed for any such purpose as the Democrat
suggests, is utterly untrue. And 1t is equally
untrue that he was sent to Augusta on any
errand Of amending the city charter. He did
not even know the amendment was in contem-
plation before the request for it was signed and
was in Augusta. The amendment in the exact
language Of the bill was prepared by ourselves,
at the request of the republican Aldermen elect,
and others who thought it better that ques-
ton of doubt which had been raised on the
construction of the law, should be settled 90
that the City Marshal would be elected In nc
cordance with uniform usage. The act was
passed through the fundamentally OF the
representative from Biddeford, who alone had
charge of the matter. .-
Nor was the act passed "in the teeth" ofany
act of the Legislature requiring notice. The
act to which the Democrat refers, applies only
to requests for private legislation, and has nc
application whatever to acts Of q public nature
The act which has so much disturbed the Dem.
ocrat and its friends was public one, and nc
notice was required.
Neither is it true that 'one OF the most
blatant Of the Unions own blatant, politicians
having exercised when Mayor, the right to
VOTE" wehave II from the gentleman referred
to himself that he did not vote and the record
sustains his assertion. westated this distinctly
last week, and yet in the face Of this the Demo
crat makes statement utterly untrue.
We have already explained the reason why
the act was passed, and the language which the
Democrat uses when 1t says "thc amendment
made depriyes the Mayor ofan equal voice with
the Aldermen in the appointment Of the City
Marshal, to which he was entitled to by the law
existing at the time Of election" shows thai
this construction would have been claimed
and that on attempt to enforce It would have
led to dssension and strife. II was better FOL
all parties that the matter should be settled ant
made clear, and by its settlement the old mode
of electing the City Marshal has been adhered
to. We have only to add that which we should
never have stated, had not the article in TIT
Democrat been published, that conversations
which were had with prominent Democrats. ed tt
the belief that nm attempt would be made to give
new construction to the law and 1t was, on thi'
account, and not merely in consequence ofstree
talk among the liquor dealers that steps were
taken to have the act amended.
The Democrat grumbles because we have no
very great liking for the rumsclling gentry,
and accuses us with hypocritcal snivilling
about them, saying "that it is we'll known
that for years that no party has bid higher for
the sympathy and votes Of the rumselling
gentry than have the republicans, and no party
has had bigger ones or more of them than have
these same republicans In their ranks" This
is neither true in general or n particular sense.
All over the State the republicans are, vast
majority of them, opposed to the rum traffic,
and 20 where you will, II will be found that the
drunkard makers, and the drunkards are gen.
orally Democrats. We do not mean to say
that all who call themselves Democrats are
either the one or the other, but We do say
liquor selling and liquor drinking has the
fortune, good or bad, to be found most prcva-
lent where modern democracy most abounds,
and rs they increase 50 will democratic senti-
ments increase. Aview Off particular location
will confirm this. In this city forexample, the
active, II not the most prominent democrats are
those reputed to be engaged in the liquor
business, they are the men who work the hard
est at the polls, and when victory crowns their
efforts are rewarded by having sympathizing
friend and convicted rumseler appointed city
Marshal, through whose conniyance they are
enabled to carry on their illegal and pernicious
traffic without molestation.
The Democrat cannot gainsay these facts,
and VIC do not wonder that II endeavors to
shirk the odium It throws on to tho party 1t
supports. by efforts to make the republicans
responsible equally with the democrats for the
existence of detestible traffic.