The Portland daily press., 1876-08-09

July 26th a gentleman of character and in
telligence who has for several years resided in
that part of the State where Hon. John G. Tai
bot resides, during call at the PRESS office
made some statements res pecting the intense
secession sympathies and utterances of that
gentleman during the late war. He remarked
that the expressions of Mr. Talbot at that time
were as current in that community as ware
those of Marcellus Emery, of Eben f. Pills
bury or Vallandgham of Ohio in their respec
tive spheres and that whenever his name was
spoken of as candidate people in that part of
the State recalled tlem. We simply made an
item of the fact. This was enough The Tai
bot leaders in this city saw at a glance that the
statement would cost their man several thous-
ands of votes and telegraphed him for denial.
We say telegraphed, because the denial is dated
the same day on which the item appeared.
The following is Mr.. Talbot's denial:
EAST MACHIAs, July 81.
false j. c. TALBOT.
This the Argus of the next day published un-
der the heading, "a lie out of whole cloth"
Nor did the Argus stop there. Unmindful of
the castgaton Mr. Talbot had Inflicted upon it
on the floor of the House in 1875 for its denup-
citation of the double mileage which Mr.. Talbot
ohampioned, the Argus braced up and gave the
accused the following high toned recommended
ton.
No person who knew Mr.. Talbot needed to be in
formed of the utter alsy of the statement made by
the PRESS. His character for generosity and public
spirit could not be harmed by such slander among
those who know him personally. 1t was as wicked a
ylllltCatl0Q VltuDerOuS malIpuer uttera1
Add now we call upon the PRESS to give the name
Of its informant or stand branded as the infamous
defamer of gentleman of as pure life and unsul-
lied reputation as man of any party in the state
Shame! Shame on the infamous slanderer.
In its next issue the PRESS gave Mr. Talbot
the benefit of his denial and remarked that
when, after due inquiry, it learned that the
charge was groundless, prompt and full dec
laration of that fact weuld be made.
The PRESS, however, could not take Mr.. Tai
bots own word on this matter-not that he
would Intentionally utter a falsehood or give
wrong impression, but because it has reason to
believe that he has oery defective memory.
For instance, about quarter of a century since
Mr.. Talbot was member of the House from
East Machias, as he has been the past three
years On the former occasion, Mr.. Talbot
gave the number of miles from East Machias
to Augusta as one hundred and serenty-tiye.
Last year he took double mileage for tpo h,ua.
dred miles. Assuming that the distance be-
tween East Machias and Augusta has not in
creased the past twenty years, it must be that
this discrepancy is due TO Mr., Taibots defec-
tive memory. Again: Iu 1875, Mr.. Talbot was
the Democratic candidate in the Legislature
for Uuted States Senator, Strange as it may
seem there was considerable feeling about the
nomination. Mr.. Talbot was reported to be
very desirous for the honor and he got it. In
thanking the representatives, of fifty thousand
Democrats, after the nomination in the eau
Gus, he declared it ''an unsolicited and unex-
pected honor" Several of the young Demo.
Gratis in the House who did not admire Mr.
Talbot and desired the nomination of a living
man like Bioo Bradbury, were quite indignant
at this remark, and one of them, from WASH
ington county, declared that Mr.. Talbot had
worked for the nomination for two weeks,
We will not give thei words of the speaker,
lest they might not be deemed respectful to-
ward Mr.. Talbot Here again there is an indi.
cation that Mr.. Talbot is afflicted with rapid
ly failing memory-a sort of galloping con-
sumption of the memory-as it were.
Consequently the urgent demand of the Ar
gus and its indignant, 'Shame, shame on the
Infamous slanderer'' didn't cause us to change
our views relative to Mr.. Talbot's secession ut
terances and rebel sympathies. Soon the fol-
lowing note came:
ARGUS OFFICE, Aug. 1st, 1876.
| s. T. Pullen, Ed. of PRESS.
pear Sir:-I have letter from Hon. John G. Tai
bot in regard to the paragraph in the PRESS assail
ing him. He desires the name Of your informant,