The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-03
The Citizens, Meeting.

Gems meeting, of which large proportion
were evidently composed of those who had no
sympathy with the movement. Upon motion
Of Mr.. John Yeaton, John Neal. ESQ.,, was
chosen chairman. It had evidently been the
expectation of the committee that the hall
would be crowded to overlooking, judging
from the long rows of chairs that were arrayed
upon the stage, and therefore Mr.. Neal ap-
peared rather lost upon the spacious platform,
Upon assuming the chair Mr.. Neal COM
msnced by asking how the PRESS dared to &C.
suse some of the highly respectable and veal
thy gentlemen of Portland with shaving little
axes to grind" or "sneaking in back doors.''
He thought it the height OF insolence for this
journal to dare to take to task such prominent
citizens and arraign them before me bar of
public opinion. He wanted to know what was
the principal objection to Mayor Putnam by
the people the PRESS represented. 1t was that
he sold piece of land for about $4,000 that
was worth perhaps some $4,000 more. He
didn't believe the Mayor could get more for
that land to-day than he did when he sold it,
if as much. He believed that the Mayor got
all he could out of the Catholic brethren for it.
He then said he believed that there WIS no
Secretary OF the meeting, whereupon Mr.. VIM.
Allen, Jr., was elected Secretary. Mr.. Neal,
after saying that the meeting was not called
for any partizan purpose but simply to nomi-
nate man who would see to the proper adj
ministration of affairs, called upon
Phinehas Barnes, Esq. Mr.. Barnes was
glad to see municipal affairs administered
without distinction of party. Thought Mr..
Putnam had mind of his own, and not COM
PEELED to ask any one what he should do,
neither was he afraid to let anybody know he
had mind of his own. In partizan admins
trations the first principle was that the officer
must re-echo the party. He paid high compli-
ments to Mr.. Putnam's character and alb jlity.
Gen. s. j. Anderson was the next speaker.
He said he addressed the audience tonight as
citizens, and thought their presence showed
that the citizens of Portland dared to meet and
consult together despite the lash of any poten-
tates. Had they not right to meet without
their motives being impugned? He disclaimed
any Interior motives to obtain power, by creep
ing In anybody's back doors. A year ago they
had . citizens meeting, and although nothing
was said before, yet the night after election
men came upon that platform and said the
NACtOKy was PdEttAdu Oucs hc Wdutcu W
Know If Putnam hadn't redeemed the pledge
he made year ago, that he would be Mayor
to no party but to the whole city. There had
never been man who had said that Putnam
favored one party the detriment of another
The General said that only two things had
been brought up against Putnam one was that
accusation in reference to the sinking fund.
What did it amount to? Why simply that the
city was taking its own money out of one of
tts pockets and putting it into the other. 1t
fsakes no pecuniary difference to the city.
Tbs second was the selling of the hay-scale lot
20 Bishop Bacon. He thought the Mayor had
made first-rate bargain. Fifty cents foot
IN that part of the city was high price. He
y sell at fifty cents q foot. He supposed the
great reason the fuss was made was because |
he land was sold to the Bishop. He presumed |
the Bishop had the right to buy and sell land |
~ we'll Is any other citizen. He knew Mr.. |
Putnam did not want the nomination and
would take it reluctantly, for it injured his
business. He thought all persons interested
In the growth of the city would vote for Put
nam. He thought Judge Kingsbury a very
good man, but one who had no experience in
affairs, and that it required very
able man to be Mayor; one who could say mol
He considered that politics and city affairs had
had nothing to do with each other; that if a
man is to be elected as a partizan, it must be
because it is the interest of the party to do
some dirty trick. He asked them therefore to
believe in the incorruptibility of Mr.. Putnam
and make him Mayor.
James O'Donnell, Esq, then took tbs stand.
He said some of ths most radical Republicans
endorsed Mr.. Putnam; that Mr.. Putnam was
. great man; and the speaker eulogzed him in
strong terms. Mr.. O'Donnell said that Mr..
Putnam had been offered the position of Judge
Of the Supreme Court and Governor of the
STATE and had refused them; that he brought
the New England Fair here, and presided bet
tar than any other man could over the Peabody
obseouies. He said that in 1868 Mr.. Putnam
was nominated az a partizan, but commanded
1000 votes. In 1859 he was elected on ci,i-
xsns' ticket by ITO majority, and put out the
"Drummond light" that was recalled from Au
gusta to carry the city. Judge Kingsbury was
. very good man and magistrate. He had been
selected from the rogues and thieves who in
habit the purleus of the city. The custom
house had pushed the Judge forward. He
closed by urging the election of Putnam
At this point there was many and loud calls
for J. B. Brown, L. D. MlSweat, Gen. j. M.
Brown, William Wiswell and others. No
sneaker however coming forward and the cries
becoming pretty clamorous, committee of
three was appointed by the chair at the re-
Quest of some of the audience, to wait on Mr..
PutnamIand request his acceptance of the nom
ination The committee appointed were Hon.
John B. Brown and Messrs. John E. Donnell
- John E. Dow. Then came more cries for
....chs. but the speakers would not come
rs.w.rd wba,r somebody moved to adjourn,
and the meeting a, ourneu a' oo'''A' "-o
one hours session.
1t is a little singular that all the prlncipa-
orators were Democrats and tat the prom,
pent Republicans called upon to speak reiuseu
70 respond.
Nh. EDIToR,-It having come to my Know y.
ledge that some Of my friends are disposed W
use my name as a candidate for Mayor, agal.sC
the Republican nominee for that Office, L desire
70 say that do not consent to such action.
Inc nomination having been made by the
me.nod prescribed by political usage, I am not,