The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-09-07
The Impenitent Mule.

The impenitent mule got into the Reform
party yesterday and it wasn't very civil SER
vice that he rendered there. His chief amuse-
menr was breaking states and upsetting the
nicely laid schemes of some of the more aspir-
ing members of the party. The Liberal Repub-
licans got together. in their hall in the after
noon, and decided that three places on the Rep
resentative ticket belonged to them; so they
agreed upon James H. Hamlen, Andrew p.
Morgan and Edmund Phinney, and sat down to
await visit from the Democratic committee
of conference, because it was understood that
| the usual formalities were to be observed. The
Democratic delegates about the same time met
at the Ward room in City Hall to apportion
their share of the places. Somebody had made
up slate with the names of Charles H. Has
kell, Charles Merrill and w. H. Simonton, and
it was sent out to the evening paper to be print
ed as the result of the meeting. But the i'm
penitent mule kicked. After the roll was call
ed Col Lyman wanted two names dropped
from last years ticket, but Mr.. SWEET opposed
This was new coalition, he argued, and
usage" didn't count in the game. He want
ed to rub out and begin again. This was re-
sisted by delegate who wanted the old ticket
again. Capt Chase said he been told that an
agreement had been made to give the Liberal
Republicans two places, and he wanted bal
lot. The delegate appealed to denied that any
arrangement had been made. After a good
deal of Ginning" the convention voted, and
on the second ballot Charles Merrill was elect
ed. Two ballots more and Charles III. Haskell
became nominee, then Col A. w. III. Brad
bury on the first ballot for third candidate
A committee of seven was nominated to
confer with the Liberals. Here the announce
ment was made that the Liberals insisted on
three candidates, which created a commoton.
Somebody said the Liberals demanded joint
convention, whereupon delegate from Ward
moved committee of fourteen to decide
whether to squelch the ticket and go over to
Congress Hall or adhere to the nominations.
The chairman said it WAS pretty delicate mat
ter and must be handled carefully.
Mr. Yeaton moved that the convention adj
. journ to o'clock at Congress Hall; and the
motion was afterwards modified 50 as to make
the hour half-past eight The conference
committee was appointed and Col. Lyman, as
a method of getting an expression of the sense
of the meeting, moved that the Liberals have
three places on the ticket The motion was
promptly voted down. Com. Churchill of the
conference committee, said'he UNDERSTOOD from
the vote that the Democrats were to insist upon
three places ON the ticket and if the Liberals
didn't agree to it they would report back to the
convention.
The chairman stated the instructions to be
that the committee should submit the names to
the Liberal Republican convention.
Mr. SWEET misunderstanding the chairman)
said he wanted to adhere to the Democratic
nominations He didn't believe In this con-
venton, representing 1000 voters, submitting
to caucus that represented about as many
hundred Liberal Republicans. So the conven-
ton adjourned to evening.
In the evening the caucuses met in Congress
Hall. Spectators and reporters were carefully
excluded What was done s'no Teller can telr'
except the members. At II o'clock there was
sound of rev-no, wrangling coming through
the open windows and abont midnight the fol-
lowing ticket was promulgated: Sewall G.
Strout, Charles Merrill, Frederick Storer, An
drew P. Morgan and Augustus L. Dennison;
the last two Liberal Republicans. The dele
gates say the little pleasantly in the afternoon
goes for nothing; it was only preliminary pro-
ceedings. That's what it appears to be-pre
liminary to something more.