The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-08-22
Democra,ic County Convention.


was one of the tamest affairs of the sort on
record. There was none of that ebullition of
feeling noticeable at the state convention a
week ago. but the period of lassitude and weari-
ness to which the President of that assembly
SO eloquently alluded had superveued, The
country delegates seemed to be animated chiefly
by desire to catch the noon trains, judging
rightly that. their potatoes though pretty cheap
this year were Of much more consequence than
their party. For an hour or so before the con-
vention met Mr.. W. NJ. Sargent moved abo1t
the room, smiling complacenty and OCCASION
ally shaking hands patronzingly with dele
gate from the rural "deestricts'' while Mr..
John D. Anderson of Gray, and Mr.. II. W.
Swasey of Portland, were seated behind ia
BILE performing the stsrner duty of fixing the
credentials. The Young Democracy seemed to
have control of the machine and the hardheads
took back seats. When things had been suffi-
GENTLY fixed Mr.. Anderson informed the con-
vention that the time for which it was called
had arrived lit had arrived about half an hour
before) and raped for order. At this signal
the delegates settled into their seats and all
took off their hats while two or three made
praiseworthy attempts to comb their hair with
their fingers.
Mr.. Anderson said that Col. Charles B. MeI-
ril of Gorham, was to be chairman of the con-
vention and inquired if he was in the hail.
Col. Merrill was in the hall, and after few
seconds spent in recovering from the shock
which the unexpected honor had produced,
advanced to the platform and addressed the
Ha soil Eopohar1ap6 wa ~
the Oldest counties in the state and contained
a constituency the peer of any in the land, and
when the administration of the government
was in Democratic hands won the proud title
of the ''Star in the East" Last fall they gave
their votes for Tilden towards his majority Of
a quarter of million, but nevertheless con-
CURED in the interests of peace in the seating
of Hayes. He urged the convention to nom-
nate good men and announced his readiness to
proceed to business.
John S. Russell of Portland, Horace f. Col.
ley Of Gray, and W. f. Kilmartin of Portland,
were appointed secretaries.
Mr. L. f. Pingree of Portland, moved that
the county committee be constituted a COM
mittee on credentials. The committee which
had anticipated its work Immediately reported
1877 delegates present, every town being fully
represented but Otisfeld, which sent no dele
gate
Messrs. Geo. E. Bird and I. D. Cushman of
Portland. David Watson of Gorham, Solomon
Yarmouth, were appointed committee to
nominate county committee.
Messrs. D. III. Ipgraham of Portland, P. N.
Blanchard of Yarmouth, 81. w. Gage of West.
brook, William Moulton of Scarboro, and John
D, Anderson of Gray. were appointed a COM
mittee on resolutions.
The chairman then ordered the convention
into the four corners of the room to select can
didates for Senators. The Portland division
nominated William G. Davis by reclamation;
the Eastern district pitched upon Paul N.
Blanchard of Yarmouth, Mr.. William r.
Fields of Brunswick not coveting new honors
in that direction, and the Western, Edward
Payson of Deering. In the Northern district
there was little contest, BECAUSE as one of
the delegates remarked, it was thought that
there was remote possibility of electipg a
Democrat in that region. So three names
Albert Gray, Benjamin f. Wentworth and
John d. Martin-were written on slip of
paper and passed around among the delegates
and each made his mark opposite the name he
preferred. Gray had nine marks, Wentworth
four marks and Martin two marks,so Mr.. Gray
was nominated.
No one had the hardhood to want to run
against Mr.. Lewis Mcclellan for County Treas
urer but Mr.. Otis G. Nelson, 80 the nomination
was accorded him by reclamation.
Jacob Clark of Gray had 6S votes for County
Commissioner, to 43 for Henry M. Chadbourne.
and SO Mr. Clark was declared nominated. Mr..
Chadbourne magnanimousy moved to make
the nomination unanimous, and this was
done.
Mr.. W. Ell. Clifford, the ex-Lion, nominated
Geo. W. Woodbury. of Portland for Register Of
Deeds, saying that he possessed Democratic
reputation and was we'll qualified to perform
the duties of the Office. Mr.. Samuel Leavitt
said that Philip o. Cannell OF Naples possessed
a good Democratic reputation, too, and he
thought it was about time the Democrats rec
ognized the existence of such town as Ma
pies. Mr.. Noble thought that such good,
honest Democrat as John Yeato1, Jr., of Port
land, would make a fine Register. Out of this
galaxy the convention selected Mr.. Woodbury.
giving him II votes, to 81 for Mr.. Yeaton and
Is for Mr.. Camel.
The committee to select county committee
reported the following, which were accepted by
the convention:
Kimball Eastman, Gorham.
Thomas B. Haskell, Cape Elizabeth.
Moses Plummer, Pownal
II. G. Sleeper, Freeport.
j. D. Anderson, Gray.
- A. Moulton, Harrison
VIM H. Smith, Raymond.
w. M. Sargent, Portland.
III. W. Swasey, Portland.
The county committee reported plan for re-
districting the county, which was accepted by
the convention, to 60 into effect next year, as
follows:
Portland District-The City of Portland.
Middle District-Cape Elizabeth, Deering,
Gorham, Scarboro, Westbrook, Windham.
Eastern District-Brunswick, Freeport Var
mouth, North Yarmouth, Cumberland, FaI-
mouth, New Gloucester, Harpswell and Pow
| nal.
Northern Decentralization, Baldwin, Cas-
co, Harrison, Naples, Gray, Otisfeld, Raymond,
Sebago, Standsh.
This appointment, on the basis of the. call for
the convention this year. gives the Portland
District 40 delegates, the Middle District 81, the
Eastern District 80, and the Northern district
81. Total, 40.
Before the convention met it WAS rumored
that an attempt would be made to introduce a
license plank into the platform and lively
fight was anticipated. Spectators who were
eagerly waiting to see the fur fly were disap-
pointed, however, for when the committee re-
ported the dose was as mild as simple syrup.
The platform of the state convention was re-
irmad and the countv nominaac Onmn nd ad