The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-06-24
Democratic State Convention.
A SLIM SHOW.


The annual meeting of the Democratic
sachems and their followers was held in Con-
gress Hall yesterday. The gathering was small
and anything but jovial. A CLEAN OF joy
lighted up the war-beaten countenances, how
ever. when c. p. Kmball Esq, appeared,
bearing in his hand package of tickets to the
Industrial Exhibition. The distribution of the
oblong cards had an inspirit:ng effect on the
assembly, because it looked official, and was
pleasantly sug sestive to infamed imaginations
OF fat berths and perquisites in prospect. These
Democrats have q comfortable way of looking
at their enemies like the old Spanish hidalgo
thro' magnifying glasses
There was surprising lack of gray heads,
the indomitable veteran Casabancas who have
been on the burning decks for nearly twenty
years-and of brown heads too, for that matter.
Occasionally jubilant face would be seen On
the sho 1lders of man who mysteiiously drew
his comrades aside into one corner, and
| whispered vaguely of local victories to be won
because of prohibition. 1t surprised the east
| ern delegates to learn that Portland had been
selected for capture, and that the frisky young
| Democrats of the natural seaport purpose to be
| represented in the Legislature next winter.
The plan is for a surprise campaign, in which
sort of warfare the Democracy are expert, hav-
| ing made several splendid failures in that d.
rection during the last six years.
| As usual the Democracy were an hour behind
| time. AT II o'clock S. d. Leavitt, ESQ.,, APP
peared on the platform, called the convention
| to order and nominated DR.. Alonzo Garcelon
| for temporary President. The nomination was
received with stamping of the few feet present.
The peculiar construction of the floor of Con-
gress Hall made the noise appear quite respect
| able.
| The following gentlemen were chosen tenn
porary secretaries: w. S. Noyes of Saco, John
B. Littlefeld of Portland, and George A.
Perrigo of Rockland.
G. 2. Kmbal, Esq, presented tickets to the
Industrial Exhibition, remarking that the dele
| gates might take their wives, or the wives of
other people if they could get them. At this
| sly winks were exchanged, and several portly
grenadiers of the old guard shook their sides
with laughter. One delegate rose and asked if
| he could have his ticket then. On being told
that he could he stepped up and got his PASTE
| board. A rush followed, members crowding
over each other in their eagerness to get the
| coveted tickets The scramble was an amusing
but decidedly undigDifed proceeding.
The State Committee which had been consti-
| tuted a committee on credentials, reported 422
delegates present. Apparently most of them
had gone over to the exhibition for surely there
was not 400 people in the hall.
The temporary organization was made per-
| manent, with the addition of a vice President
| from each county.
| The President then made a statement of
Democratic doctrine, "as bred in his bones.''
1t embraced the equality of all men, bard
money and free trade. On the equality plank
of this platform he said he once had occasion to
| fight the Democracy. He then arraigned the
| Republican party for dereliction from duty.
| He accused Republicans of calling the De-
mocracy drunkards, apparently forgetting the
| foul accusations hurled constantly against
| President Grant.
| The attention Of the speaker was next
turned to state politics, the prohibitory law de-
nounced, and a judicious license law advocated.
| He then meandered thro' history, evidently
getting his eyes full of the dust of ages, for he
| mentioned anathemas against tobacco fulmi-
| mated by "the papers of England and France"
| The use of tobacco was condemned as a great
evil, and the use of alcoholic drinks as bever-
age was ranked next to it in the scale of vice.
Still, sumptuary laws were denounced. The
speaker claimed that the probibitory law in this
state was not fairly enforced, and that good
liquors had been driven out of the market by
vile and adulterated articles AT this tears of
regret and anger glistened in the eyes of the
delegates He went on to say that a man
could get drunk on the vile com
pound in ten minutes. 1.-THE convention
| frightened up at this, and seemed to
| think the liquor wasn't so bad after
ALL The extravagant utterances of certain
| men at the temperance convention last March
were quoted as evidences that prohibition is a
failure. Even in Lewiston, "where good OPP
rortunities for getting liquor are not enjoyed
drunken men are to be seen. Why, in nearly
every hotel in the State grog is sold. [Cheers.]
We must enact good license law. [Renewed
cheers.
The new State Committee was then reported
| as follows:
Androscoggin-Da Golf.
AI0ostook--J Madigan.
Cumberland-D II Ingraham.
Frankn-L Pillsbury.
Hancock-A A Bartlett
Kennebec-E 2illsbury.
Knox-T III Martin.
lincoln-R f Randall
Oxford-AS Kimball.
Penobscot-Henry Hudson.
Observation-Disclosures Weed.
Sagadahoc-Samuel III Durham.
Somerset-W d Haydn.
Waldo-L III Murch.
Washington-W Peavey.
York-John Bennett.
Hon. E. F. Pillsbury was then called upon
| to speak. He assailed Hon. E. Il. Webb and
his speech made at Augusta last week. He
then took up Hon. 7. B. Reeds speech, and
commended that the Democracy had always
stood on hard money platform. For proofs
of this statement he was obliged to go back to
the administration of jackson. The admins
traton was assailed, and civil service reform
mildly advocated.
The following committee on resolutions was
appointed:
AndroscOggin-Philo Clark.
ArOostOok-Chares Henry.
Cumberland-WIlliam Clifford.
Frankn-Enoch Scales.
Hancock-Munroe Young.
Kennebec-W Smith.
Knox-L M Staples.
Lincon-B Smith.
Oxtord-S harrington
Piscataquis- CALVIN Chamberlain.