The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-08-28
General McCOOk.

The illness of Gen. McCook, Democratic
candidate for governor of Ohio, and his re-
tirement from tine canvass, as reported by
telegraph Thursday, will be generally regret
ted. 1t is stated that he is insane, and the
statemant is probably correct, Some of his
speeches have been remarkably incoherent,
and he has for some time been laboring un-
der more excitement than his exertions in
the canvass warranted. His speeches have
panied his friends and created general aston
ishment. The following item, which we find
in Republican journal, has different ex-
PLANTATION, perhaps, than the one it insnu-
ates
ga good story of the campaign in Ohio
comes by exchange this morning. 1t NAV
not be true, but it is worth telling. 1t is al
legged that McCook, the Democratic candidate
for governor, spent the afternoon recently,
previous to an engagement to speak in the
evening at Chillicothe, enjoying the hOspitali-
ly oil noted political veteran. When he
came to the rOstrum, McCook began to waver
under the festivities of the day. He opened
by undertaking to tell about a chap who had
two babies, but broke down. His friends, it
is narrated, came 10 his aid with bottle of
peppermint, but he took too much, and chok-
ed up so that he could not speak. After bit
of coughing, he at last got one foot on the ia
BILE and managed to say that the population
of the United States had increased thirty
eight millions of dollars! After that the poor
fellow said he was sick and quiz"
We find also, in the Republican organ of
Portsmouth, o., report OF Demscratic
meeting in that place which was addressed
by McCook. This extract is given in no un-
charitable spirit, but merely to show that per-
haps General McCook has for some time beer
the victim OF desease of the brain:
"McCook was escorted TO the court house
where he commenced to harangue a crowd Of
245 persons, which gradually dsindled down
| in numbers IS he proceeded, until at his close
| there were not half that many. He treated
| friend Lewis's platform with contempt; would
| not speak from it; but, instead, got down
| among the crowd, meanderin9 about and
over the seats, speaking of matters with
which he was totally ignorant or wished to
wilfully falsify. There was something the
| matter with the man. His gesticulaIions
| were not of the tlrst-class, and would not have
been very effective in pacifying squealine
| child. His geographical knowledge was as
| much at fault as his financial declarations
/ He wouldpersist in calling this place Gallipo
lis, and this county Meigs! He didn't exactly
| have the ague, but his nerves were very I'M
steady. Neither was he afflicted with lever
but his inordinate thirst, and his persisten
| rushing up to the platform after ice water
demonstrated beyond peradventure that hi
"coppers" were more than milk warm! What
ever was the matter with the man did no
detract any from his mirthtulness. A sea
broke down, and he laughed longer and loud
er than any one present, winding up with
regular "hoo-eeW that would have done cred
| it to the first clerk of lemonade stand. IL
| tloundering about among The seats he GO
way up the Kanawha among the salt work:
| and from there over into Pennsylvani
among the coal monOpolists; thence into Ian
grants, vibrating from one TO the other, ocei
sionally remembering that there was ice wa
l ter on the platform, but entirely ignoring th
| fact that there was God in Israel! To th
| relief of the few who had held out to the bll
ter end, McCook quit, and they picked then
selves up and incontinently lit OUT Not
| cheer-not the faintest sign OF applause
greeted the hero OF the Philadelphia shee
| nen. We never knew of crowd eXhibltn
| as much anxiety to get away, and gettin
| away with the alacrity which inspired tina
crowd. Newman departed before the ma
| was half done; but Spry deserves credit-h
| stuck to the platform with the tenacty of
| bull terrier Some of the Democrats stat
| that the nervousness which affected MIR. Nc
| Cook was disease. 1t ne doesn't let whsk
alone that disease will kill him before Octobt
| has nassedW