Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-06-19
Anything to Beat Grant. -
BANGOR, JUNE lS.

The State and Districts Cenv entions Of the
democracy of Maine have been held day.
All the indispensable pillars of the party
heroes of Sixteen Annual Defeats-were con
spicuously visible on the platform and in the
front seats, endevoring to "rescue" their be-
loved country. The proceedings to- day have
been almost precisely as predicted in Tues
days Journal, the State committee having
Monday evening, fixed everything to their
mind, the formality of carrying their work
before the delegates in convention being
merely an empty ceremony. Scores of dele
gates came long distances, thinking their
presence OF some Importance as well As their
opinions. But they found themselves use
less-of no sort of consequence. The idea
of switching the Democratic party of
Maine upon the Cincinnati track wheth-
or it would or no, was deliberated upon
and decided by the august central committee,
they well knowing the material they have to
work upon and its powsrlessness to resist.
When the scheme of supporting Greeley was
first preached to the Convention by the Chair
man, it was received with establishment and
Kisses by large number, yet before the close
| of the exercises 1t would have been hardly
safe for delegate to intimate that he was
not, above all things, Horace Greeley man
The following is brief relation of the come
dy as it proceeded
At H.. 80 A. VI. James II. Butler of Hamp-
den most beneicent looking man
!
| Or three single gentlemen rolled into one'
appeared upon the platform, called the con-
yention to order, read the CALL and signifed
that it had been arranged for James {. Mad-
gan Of Houlton to be chairman; whereupon
the shaven and smiling James c. stepped for
ward. and keeping closely in view his hat,
repeated speech that was lying, in manu-
script, in it, The only novel feature of the
| speech consisted in pronouncing Sumner
great statesman" who in his view year
| ago was 'pes,ilent fanatic" and Horace
| Greeley, the "Modern Cncnnatus, who less
than year ago was to the Democracy the
"Illiad of all its woes" IA portion of the
convention supposed II. G.. was termed "Cin-
cnnaius" because he was nomina ed at Gin
cinnati.) The speaker hoped the Baltimore
convention would do itself the honor of nomi-
mating him. He compared H. G. to the pilot
of the "ship of state" while the death dirge
of the breakers is sounding" and closed by
asking this conumdrum: "Shall we throw
the pilot overheard and go to Dayy Jones'
locker our old Way"
After speaking his piece, which by the
way well done, ne pronounced c. b.
Morton of Augusta, Geo. q. Gosse OF Port
land. Geo A. Nichols of Searsport and Jo-
seph j. Hopkins of New Portland Secretaries.
1t is supposed these gentlemen were present
and performed their duties with fidelity The
The State Committee were voted into a COM
mittee on credentials. and were ordered to
report forthwith which they did, saying that
they found seven hundred and twenty three
! delegates. Nobody andiJly doubted the ac-
curacy of this statement and so it passes into
history.
At this stage of the proceedings, Vim. II.
McCrilis of Bangor. thinking doubtless that
the convention had as yet hardly reached that
heroic state of mind when it could swallow
the Greeley dose without inching, arose and
said his 'heart must be vented or 'twould
break. Horace Greeley personfes all the
elements of fraternal union" misses and APP
plause "you who think not so, go hither
and stay there'-an emphatic hint that the
White Hat had got to be worn by the Conven-
ton, whether it felt easy to the Uranium or
l.,I II
ty is rich-not in this worlds goods--hut in
its long record of services to the country;
the country could not get along without the
democratic party" didn't it get along four
years in spite of it, Mr.. MI He even got SO
heated as to say ''the instinct of the people is
to send Horace Greeley to the White House"
Henceforth the speech was rambling and I'M
repeatable; but all things end, and ii ended fl
nally, as follows: II move that our patriotic
fellow. citizen of Portland, Charles =. Kim
ball be nominated by acclamation.'
As Mr.. NJ. stepped aside an unsophisticated
delegate in the center of the hall innocently
remarked-"I second the motion, but this
was not right. The young, the beautiful and
the brave William II. Clifford of Portland
had a speech in him, which was struggling at
this juncture for delivery, and brushing to
either side, his delicate, darling moustache,
he stepped forward and gushed immoderate-
ly for his matchess Charles. lie made a
pretty speech of the kind.
The Chair then remarked that it did not
know as there was anything for the conven-
ton to do but to accept the nomination by
three cheers. 1t and the convention cheered.
The following gentleman-F. S. Nickerson of
Searsport, +. +. Pillsbury of Augusta and
e. L. Boynton of Bangor, were appointed to
go and surprise Mr.. Kimball by telling him
what the convention had done, and to invite
him to appear before it.
AT this point it was half-past twelve o'clock,
and after authorizing the county delegations
to select Vice Presidents, committee on Re-
solutions and State Committee, the Conven-