The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-02
The "Citizens' Meeting" and the Demo
cratic Party.

Yesterday we showed that the so-called |
Citizens Movement is an attempt to sell out |
the Republican party of Portland for the |
benefit of little side show: and we desire |
now carddly to ask why Republicans should
lend themselves to reinstate the Democratic |
party into its old position of the majority,
even with Mayor Putin am at its head. IL mas
been steadily against you in every hSht'
and has resolutely met you at every corner
and when thoroughly vanquished by the re-
suits of the late war of the Rebellion, 1t COIL
placently asks you to come to its arms w 'no
back door of a citizens meeting; II you are |
gullible and accept the invitation, 1t hopes at
some dav not far in the future to open anoth-
er door that shall conduct by long bridge,
the miserable remnant of its once proud mem
bers across the gulf that divides them from
their Copperhead record in the late war and
their hopes in the future.
Do they give us any good reason for thus
aiding them in their sore and perplexing diff
ficulties?
No, no. And it would be cruise against
humanity to give aid or comfort to the party
of the rebellion.
We are not reduced SO low as that yet.
Let us present firm and determined 'front.'
whip them as we have done in the past-and
always can whenever we try.
But even throwing aside for the present
these weighty considerations, let us inquire if
the party now in power in this city, with
Mayor Putnam at its head, whom these few
gentlemen would fasten upon us for another
year, has done anything to commend itself to
so great an honor.
First, then, let us look at the appropriations
OF the year; for all know that the Democratic
party when out Of power, are loud in their
professions of economy-always going to do
something for the dear people. They COM
menced the year by making some very COM
mendable reductions in many appropriations,
in which it would have been the plainest ex-
travagance not to have done SO, because there
was no necessity to do otherwise by any ad-
ministration that might have held power for
the time being; increasing them in others
where there was manfestly no need to do so,
and crying economv-economy. If the May
or has had any watch word it has been this,
and while apparently setting his face as a
flint against extravagant expenditures, his
council have gone on, making in some in
stances short appropriations for the sake OF the
euphony in the word economy, and the blind
also, and spending every dollar of the appro-
priations they could lay their hands upon
till before the close of the year the credit to
nearly every account has been drawn and in
many cases large over expenditures have oc-
CURED, to be supplid by temporary loan to
close up the years accounts, and add to the
taxes of the coming year.
The appropriations for streets, gas lights,
fire department, drains and sewers, support
of poor, contingent and reserved fund, and we
know not how many others are exhausted
and after transfer of unexpended balances
with which to exc out, there will still remain
more than $4,000 to provide for that must &C
into the taxes of next year. Do You like the
picture? Ifso go to the City Hall this even.
ing and endorse the selection by these gentle.
n who have axes to grind of Mayor Put
nam for another year and you will have
another Democratic City Government; NO
matter who they may have selected as men,
bers of the City Council, for you will bear in
mind the whole thing is cut and dried. The
programme is Democratic City Govern
ment under the guise of "citizens' ticket"
Some years since, by the advice of Mayor
Mcclellan, a sinking fund was established fol
the payment of the city debt as it should be
come DUE The present City Council, will
Mayor Putnam at its head, has laid violent
hands on that fund, and cancelled $15400O O
Its securities, the interest of which should, by
the provisions of the ordinance ESTABLISHING
the fund, have gone to swell its receipts til
required for payment Of the city debt; thu
cutting off the stream that fed this safe securi
ty to the city's credit in the money market
and leaving few thousand dollars standing
to the credit of interest account, from which
to draw in payment of extravagant over ex-
penditures in some of the departments. But
worse than all was the sale of the lot of land
known as the old hay scale and school lot, on
which, before the fire, stood one of our school
houses. This lot, containing more than 21,
0O0 square feet, was sold to Bishop Bacon for
S11,O0O-or less than SO cents per foot-on
ten years time, at six per cent. interest. This
lot of land was richly worth at least $4,000
more than the city is to get for it, and be for
ten years subject to the loss in interest. If
you like the entertainment, go to City Hall
this evening, and help this committee to
fasten another Democratic administration
upon the city for year to come.
On the other hand, if you do not like it, stay
away, ard 90 to the polls on Monday next
elect Republican City Council, with Hon.
Benz. Kingsbury, Jr., as Mayor at the head OF
it, and our word for it, this elaborate effort to
sell out the Republican party will prove any,
thing but interesting TO the gettars-up there
Of