Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-09-08

The grccnback glorfcation of Saturday
could not be called a great success, for it
was characterized by failure from beginning
to end The affair had been advertised for
weeks, and every greenbacker in the State
must have known of il, and we doubted if
Augusta would he big enough to hold the
crowds that would flock here But we have
had reason to contract our inflated ideas. A
few days ago the republicans of the little
country town of Litchfield, which is out of
the way of railroads aid steamboats,. held a
republican meeting and the crowd which
gathered there was more than twice as large
as that which was at Augusta on Saturday.
And more than that. the people at Litchfeld
composed listening, attentive audience,
while those who went to the fair ground near
the State House made a listless, moving as
semblage, who were mostly attracted there by
curiosity.
The procession. which formed on Water
street about o'clock was an immense affair.
1t was marshalled by DIR. Croker, with two
aides. Then came Arthur Brown and six
men, the Augusta Band. five yoke of cattle
drawing a load of granite the Richmond
Band, and then came a squad of forty-fOur
men, followed by the Winthrop Band and a
number of private teams. This was big
affair, but it didn't suit the Grand Marshal,
and so he left the head of the line and went
to drumming up others to fall in. He sue
cecded pretty well in his efforts, for when the
line reached the Augusta House there were
l45 men in the procession, outside of the
bands and leaders, and twenty-five teams.
At this point the Doctor thought best to
maze a demonstration and said "Felow-
conference.-the we rest. let us not for
get that we have duty to perform, duty to
God and our fellow-man. Now give three
cheers for the man who couldn't be bought,
the man that is to be elected Governor Mon
day,--Joseph l.. Smith. Let the whole null
titude cheer" Then the one hnndred and
.fo,fy.fre cheered.
If the procession was a failure the barbe-
cue was worse one. There was something
about the OK that didn't take we'll. Some of
the managers of the affair were somewhat un-
easy, fearing that the little OK wouldn't hold
out but we understand that there was enough
left to feed many more just such multitudes.
As many ladies were made sick just by the
unbearabe odOr which came from the car
cass, we think those who had the courage to
partake of the feast ought at least to be re-
garded as good greenbackers.
The announcement in the National Tribune
of those who would address the grand mass
meeting must be regarded as fiat in every
particular, for not one of them appeared. In
thc alternooh, capt. IL. L. IreNeIHck VI
Michigan was introduced, and he spoke loud
and l0ng-between three and four hours. He
said that gold was not the money of the
world: also that men did not believe in hard
money because they were dishonest, but be-
cause they were uncivilzed, and that it was
the duty of the greenback party to civilze
them.
In the evening, there was another meeting
in the square in front of the old Cushnoc
House. 1t was anticipated that Gen. Butler
or Wendell Phillips might be present, but
not one of the advertised speakers-not even
Stubbs-appeared, and Capt. Trevellick was
again served up. This seemed rather hard
on the Captain, but he labored on valiantly
for two hours.
Considering the great effort that had been
made to get up the meeting, the whole affair
must be considered frst-class failure.