The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-08-24
I" Young Greenbacks i'm Maine.
He Threatens Reputation
GATHERING OF THE KU-KLUx
KLANS.

Since Douglas was here in 1860 the Demo
crazy have gathered no such crowd at politi-
cal meeting as assembled Saturday evening to
listen to Hon. George II. Pendleton, OF Ohio,
who comes from the West as the ablest and
headism that has taken full possession of his
party in the present campaign.
For some weeks the Democrats of this Con-
gressional District have been reserving their
strength for the grand demonstration OF Sat
urday, which, though probably not quite what
was anticipated, was measurable success SO
far as numbers were concerned. Extra trains
on the Kennebec, Portland & Rochester,
Grand Trunk and Portland, Saco & Ports
mouth roads brought each few hundred peo-
pie, who, added to the local Democracy, and a
large number Of Republicans that wished to
see he famous rather the notorious Mr.. Pen
dleton, made mp a crowd Of perhaps six or
eight thousand in City Hall and in front of the
stand outside. Five bands Of music, includ-
ing the two Portland bands, added much to
the spirit of the occasion.
The first thing in the programme was the
raising Of flag from the Democratic Head
quarters in Market Square. This was done in
the presence of a moderate sized crowd, about
half past eight o'clock, while the band dis
eoursed music and the crowd cheered with
very carefully depressed enthusiasm. The
professions, made up of the members of the
different Ward Clubs, that came to witness
these services were rather, we are bound to
say, of the "string-bean" order, and as they
brought no torches, thick darkness would have
shrouded the scene had it not been for the
burning names Of GRANT AND CoLFAx which
flashed from the gas jets in front of Lancaster
Hall, shedding pure, calm and peaceful light
over the assembly and silently preaching the
Republican gospel, "Let us have Peace" The
Seymour and Blair transparency, lurid, murky,
foreteling war, disaster and civil strife, would,
of ITSELF have only served to render the dark
ness visible
Then to City Hall, close packed with such
crowd as the peculiar odor of Pendletonism
attracts. The entrance of 1.-THE procession
from the flag raising, occasioned considerable
disorder, due in part, to the simultaneous en-
trance of that truly Democratic spirit-whis-
key. The transparencies-which we under
stand came from Biddeford-were worthy the
who visit it to solicit aid for the cause of South
ern education. One declared that" This is
white mans Government" and another bore
the names of Mcclellan, Hancock Rousseau
and Blair, but not of their great leaders,
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Thomas Meade
and Howard Others made attempts at hu-
NOR, but only succeeded in being vulgar aud
barbarous, worthy only of place in the dia-
bolical orgies of the Ku-Klux-Klan.
Tie platform was crowded with our leading
Jacobites, each one in state of treumlous ex-
element, in view of the remote possibility of
official pudding. Charles II. Haskell, Esq,
who is understood to have mortal aversion
to public office, called the meeting to order
which call was disregarded in the most mark
ed manner and announced the list Of officers.
Hon. L. D. NJ Sweat, who is known to feel an
uncomfortable repugnance to receiving Off
cial honors at the hands of his fellow citizens.
was chosen to preside, and in few words in
audible on account of the continuing disorder,
introduced Mr.. Pendleton - 80 e 2 9 A2S <
Mr.. Pendleton, in repose, is handsome
man, with noble and regular features, black
hair, and full black whiskers and, ON the
whole, a decidedly fine presence There is,
however, in his manner, a decided trace. of af-
fectation, and a suggestion OF the deport-
ment" of the celebrated Mr.. sTurveydrop.
While speaking, he loses, in a great measure,
the advantage of his good looks. His voice is
poor. and Sat. night he was very hoarse and
could with difficulty b, heard, except by those
at a moderate distance from him In speaking,
an unnIaosant 70 clio avnrace;on d;etrrbo +Io
regularity of the features, and gives him the
appearance of snarling instead of talking.
1t was supposed that Mr.. Pendleton would
abandon on Saturday evening the stereotyped
speech he delivered at Bangor and Augusta,
and answer some of the questions so courteous
ly propounded to him by the people of Maine
in the Press of that morning. But strangely
enough, there was almost verbal identity be-
tween the three speeches, judging from such
reports as we. have seen of the other two. In
adopting this course, Mr.. Pendleton becomes
necessarily subject to one Of two damaging
imputations; want either of candor or ability.
The people of Maine, as condition precedent
to paying him any ssort of attention, wanted
him to answer these questions:
Is not your theory of pay ment in greenbacks
reputation pure and simple on the ground
assumed by you when the legal tender act
was passed in 1862, that paper currency is a.n-
constitutional, and, therefore, has no value? (
Why did you vote against TIE income tax
which included an incidental tax ON the inter-
est of government bonds? Was it because in
1864 you did not want the government to OBJ
tain money to put down the rebellion?
Why did you vote in Congress against strik-
ing out the clause in the fve-twentv loan hill
that exempts the bonds from State and muni
cipal taxation?
Do you still hold to your reiterated opinion
that slavery is not now abolished?
Do you still hold that the coercion of the
Southern States was Contrary to the geniu.
and spirit of our Constitution?
Have you ever repented OF the aid and COM
fort you gave to JEFF Davis and his govern.
ment in the rebellion?
Instead of paving the way for a discussion
of the real issues of the day by answering
these questions satisfactorily, he went ON in
his old way. First, he had travelled so MANY
miles without getting outside of the geoor,nb
ical limits of the United States, fact of great
personal interest no doubt but unworthy Of
the pomp of utterance and manner and the
oratorial display with which it was set forth
Second, the old story of "State Sovereignty
ga union but not a unity"-that centrifugal
theory which, promulgated in the name of lib-
erty, has been constantly made the ally of eve
ny form of oppression and barbarism that has
ever obtained foothold among the American
people-that theory which was the bulwark of
slavery, the chief monument Of caste and aris-
tocracy, giving us merriment in 1882, rebel
lion in 1861 and threatening renewal of civil
strife in 1885, ..... ,,.., .-..,.. .......
Mr.. Pendleton's name is forever identified
with financial doctrines the adoption of which
would make us nation of outlaws. 1t is not
entirely certain that in case his plan were en-