The Portland daily press., 1869-03-01
The Municipal Election To-Day:
The Republican Meeting Safyr-
dag Night.
THE PEOPLE MOVING.


to the election took place at City hall, ON Sat
urday evening. 1t was attended by goodly
audience of earnest and enthusiastic men,
while the galleries were well filled with the
ladies, who take almost if not quite as much
interest in political matters as the sterner sex.
The Portland Band discoursed sweet music
outside the hall prior to the hour for which the
meetingg was called, and afterwards within
the hail.
Mr.. M. A. Blanchard, Chairman of the City
Committee, called the meeting to order, and
nominated Mayor Mcclellan for President Mr..
Mcclellan acknowledged the compliment in
graceful and appropriate terms, thanking the
party not only for the present but also for the
many past honors conferred upon him by them.
He suggested that Mr.. Blanchard should read
the official vote by which Mr. Drummond had
been selected as the regular Republican candi-
date for Mayor. Mr. Blanchard then ANNOUNCE
ed the vote as follows:
Whole number of ballots, ea0
Josiah II. Drumm0nd had 662
Other candidates 178
Mr.. Drummond's plurality 4s4
After music by the Band the President in
troduced
HON. ISRAEL wAsHBURN, JR.,
as the first speaker. Mr.. Washburn said: The
great drama of the last eight years is approach
ing its conclusion in the fifth, or closing act,
which results in the Inauguration of Gen. Grant
ON Thursday next. What word are we to send
to Gen. Grant on that occasion from Maine--a
State that in September last, by our glorious
record, made his election sure? He could not
and did not believe the people of Portland were
going back on that record He did not believe
that they were going to trail in the dust our
glorious flag which they had borne aloft
through the battles and dissensions OF the late
terrible struggle. What shall we say to the
Republicans all over the country, If we go back
on our record in this the first important cleo
ton since the Presidential campaign? Shall
we give them a scathing rebuke for the glori-
Gus work they have achieved? This is a polit-
ical election. 1t will bear great Importance in
every State and in those State elections 10
close at hand. If your candidate is defeated
it will have great effect upon those elections.
The temperance question should not enter into
it to be made political football. This election
is apurely political issue. Send, there fore, a
word of encouragement to Grant by the cleo
tion of your candidate, who has been fairly
nominated, and whose record shows him fully
worthy of an election. His nomination was
the fairest ever made in this city; it was no
snap nomination; every ballot was counted.
No man could say Mr.. Drummond was not q
| proper man for the Office. He humorously al
luded to the Gave of Adullam, filed with dis.
contented spirits, and compared it with the
cave at Deering Hall. BE also said the cave
at Deering Hall made him think of the histor-
ical Putnams cave, where Putnam was among
the wolves. But he was certain the Demoera,
| cy would be buried in the Mammoth Cave Of
oblivion on Monday next.
| GEN. GloRGE y. sHEPLEY
said: How shall we vote ON Monday next? He
thonght an attempt was being made by many
to veil the real issues of the coming election
He gave very fine character to both Mr. Put
nam and Mr.. Drummond, and thought thai
both being equally worthy of an election, he
did not see why the regular party candidats
should be deserted. This is no election fol
legislators In this municipal matter it wal
of no consequences what the opinions of the
candidate might be as to the policy to be pur.
sued. The question Of policy didn't come uI
bin the ad ministration of city affairs. There
were certain fixed laws for a city government
to carry out. The only argument of any i'm.
portance he had heard advanced by the othsl
side was that they wanted change. Do the
people wish to rebuks the City Governments o.
the past year? No city government viii vote
on every question as you or wish, neither are
| we likely to be more infallible than they
| Never has there been year since Mowati
burned tho city when moro iraportAnt move
ments for the city's growth and prosperity had
been taken up. Look at the opening of new
channels for our commerce, trade, &c. These
improvements are owing to the hearty support
| given them by our city government. Has there
ever been charge brought against the Mayor
or any member Of that city government, of en-
travagancs, of favoritism OF corruption? Leok
at other cities under Democratic rule, and see
If they can say as much. The change the
Democrats want is not particularly Mr.. Put.
nam but Democratic city govermment. He
could willingly have supported Mr.. Putnam II
had been the nominee of the Republican par.
| ty, for he considered him equal to the position
but he couldn't go his Democratic associates
he could go Putnam's cave, but he couldn't 90
the wolves, his companions He liked Mr..
Drummond because he knew and liked the as.
sociates who would gu into the city government
| with him. With thousand majority on the
| side of the Republican party he had no fear OF
the result. He had been arguing a case the
last day or two in court, and his voice was in
poor condition for speech, but as this politi-
cal case was SO clear and the jury SO large he
had no doubts of the verdict that would be rem
dered on Monday, and there was no need Of
saying more.
HON. JOSIAH Il. DRUMMOND
was the next speaker. He remarked that he
was not able, like the people of the West, to
come before them and urge his own election
He felt highly gratified for the honor conferred
by them in making him their standard bearer
he had been frequently asked in Augusta what
would be the result here on Monday next; il
he had not been an intetested party he should
have taken such question as an insult. We
hear none of those charges of corruption
against our city government that is heard in
other cities where the Democracy rule. The
Capital of the State redeemed herself in her
election last fall, but if Portland went back on
her record in March SO would Augusta. He
should make no promises of what hs should
do if elected. His past record would tell them
what he should do. He could only refer them
to the public prints in which he agreed to per-
form the duties of the Office faithfully.
HON. B. KINGsBURY JR.,
made humorous speech. He said both can
didates just now wanted to be considered cold
water men, and (flling glass of water) I
pledge them in the beverage. 1t was custom
.ary to turn our backs on the setting sun, but
he wanted to say few words in favor of the
departing city government. Some five or six
years ago he had been on the same ticket with
man who was rough and rude in manner,
perhaps, toward those who sought to plumber
the city treasury in those troublesome times
when the nation was struggling for its exist
snse, and who was Familiarity called ''little Jake
Mcclellan" and the man who was to be elected
on Monday next, Josiah Fl. Drummond, was
just such another man, who would set his face
firm against all chicanery and corruption. He
was sorry to see men who had been eminently
loyal through the war, siding back to the very
men whom they had given the cold shoulder
to in the trying days of the war, such as Put
nam, who had been War Democrat, the gall
liant soldiers Coils. Bradbury and Merrill He
knew it was very nice thing to have these
little comfortable. offices; Republicans knew it
a. well as Democrats; and the Democrats in
order to get these offices had been trying to
coax the Republicans and Temperance men