The Portland daily press., 1876-03-06
The Democratic RaIIv.

'oboAudy oNtuluR luG DOuoSiooo h"A "hoS
they called rally. AS one of the leaders ex-
pressed it, "We've got to stir the d--d cusses
up SO they'll work we'll Monday, and stir
them up they did. At about o'clock the
Portland band, followed by score or two of
men and boys, came marching in melancholy
manner down Munjoy, went by City Hall,
where the glare from a peanut stand threw
lurid light over the procession as it passed, and
paraded up town, where it met another crowd
OF similar proportions, headed by Chandler's
band. The two united under dirty trans
parency bearing the figures 'Taxation per
head in 1890. 1929; in 1876, $22s4." The
transparency omitted to state that the increase
was due to Democratic rebellion. 1t also
bore the legend "Robeson next, from which
people inferred that Robson is to be the next
Democratic candidate for the presidency. Ar
rived at City Hall the double procession went
in and took seats, the bands going upon the
platform and playing several war airs, much to
the discomfort of some Of the old Democratic
leaders there gathered, notably of Gen. Ander-
son.
The meeting was called to order by Mr.. Ed
mund Dana, who called the Hon. George f.
Emery to the chair. Mr.. Emery accepted the
position in few we'll chosen and temperate
remarks, in which he paid high tribute to
the personal worth of both Gen. Fessenden
and Mr.. Richardson, and said he saw no reason
for refusing to re-elect Mr.. Richardson. He
then made some remarks about Mr.. Blaine and
reciprocity, and closed by calling upon Mr. j,
III. Hamlin to report the caucus nominations.
At the mention of Mr.. Blaine the crowd
cheered. When quiet was restored Mr.. Ham
lin announced that the caucus had nominated
"Gen." Richardson for mayor.
The chairman then called upon Mr.. w. Fl.
Clifford to speak. The "Young Lion" spread
himself over the stage and preceded to roar.
He announced that his intention was to make
Mr.. Blaine to turn pale. He congratulated the
audience upon the auspicious circumstances
under which they had met and then went on
to show that he meant by auspicious circum
stances city burdened with debt and an adj
ministration reeking with corruption. He
knew the Democrats were to be successful be-
cause there was crowd in City Hall, and
"city hall is the great bowl and cup and meas
ure of success, cup which cannot hold the
hum and tramp of this meeting" After this
ouuiAAC ASOAO Va oPOOOh hO iauuISSo III GlHl
loftier flights Of Imagination, saying that the
PRESS had decl ared that ignorant men ought
not to vote, and that the Democrats were the
mudsills of society. Evidently the young ora
tor has got his history mixed. 1t is generally
understood that term ''mudsills'' was applied
as reproach to Northern laborers by South
ern planter. Mr.. Clifford claimed that the
Republican is an aristocratic party, aud that
the Democrats are the only friends of universal
suffrage. This statement comes with peculiar
grace from party which has refused the right
of suffrage to the poor black man of the
South The orator proceeded in this strain of
misrepresentation for some time, attempting
to.convey the impression that he himself was
an honest son of toll, and that he hated all
arstocrats. He then sat down, having panied
his friends and pleased his enemies by his dis
play of demagoguery. Mr. Harry Clifford has
attempted many roles, sometimes appearing as
an exquisite, sometimes disguised as states
man, and not long ago announcing himself as
political prophet; but never before has he ap-
peared in the character of the working-man,
for which he is SO peculiarly fitted. Nothing
so amusing has been seen since the time when
u6 pIouOuuCeu Iud0 CeleUrdbcU luueTdl OIdtlOu
over the Democratic party which caused
prominent Democrat in the audience to call
out, "Ths is the ass's kick indeed
Mr.. Clifford was followed by the Hon. L. d.
M.Sweat who has just returned from Washing
ton, and who msde speech as full of eyes as
peacock's tail. He said the eyes of the natioH-
al committee were upon Portland, the eyes of
the Democratic party were upon Portland, the
eyes of Mr.. Blaine were upon Portland, in fact
he might say the eyes of the whole country
were upon Portland. Such an intensity of
gaze is painful, and tn unfortunate city seems
buried under ice as deep as the ship of Sir
John Franklin. Mr.. Sweat assured his hear
ers that the re election of Mayor Richardson
meant the choice of a Democratic President.
Those who remembered his confident predic-
tions in 1872 smiled. He then said the South
had been bowed down to the dust long enough,
and shortly after closed.
The next speaker was General S. ].
Anderson, who said that twice within
ten years (since the war too) his name
had been left off the voting lists, and he want
ed to know how long the people of Portland
were going to stand it, 1t was hoped by his
hearers that Gen. Anderson would have some-
thing to say about the enormous increase of the
municipal debt on which the Argus has been
harping, but he preferred to con6ne himself to
the voting lists. His speech brought the circus
to an end.