Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-08-12

concerning political affairs. He was
greeted by a large audience, as many
persons were anxious TO learn what a
Democrat had to say in this campaign.
He opened his speech by stating, as
matter of personal explanation, that he
had no part in the Kingfeld riot, as was
charged by recent speaker This he
did at the request of friends in Norway.
From this he turned his attention TO
STATE ISSUES.
He claimed that the Republicans had
turned the questions of this campaign
from State to National issues. He says
your Republican speakers tell about the
bulldozed Niggers in the South and about
the question of finance, but say nothing
of State affairs. Then he claimed that
the Republican defeat last year was on
State issues. How do the facts bear him
out in these charges; Every man who
was on the stump, last year, discussed
national issues principally the money
question. How is it this year; and why
are not our speakers talking more of State
issues; When the Grcenback party held
its convention in June last, State issues
were reported first in the platform, but
when the resolutions were read, Scion
Chase remarked in his usually refined
style: "You have got the tail on the wrong
end of the dog. In compliance with his
wish, as the leader Of the Grcenback
party, and the wishes of a majority Of
the convention, national isSueS-thc tinan-
cial questions-werc placed first, and State
affairs were given a back seat. When
the Democrats held their convention, this
same Mr. Pillsbury was chairman of the
Committee on Resolutions, and the first
resolution he reported read as follows:
R,solced, That the partisan acts of IL
Congress that wthdrawS the control of
elections from honest electors and places
them in the custody Of the tools Of the
executive. are not designed 20 secure an
honest vote, but 10 enable a fraudulent adj
ministration 10 perpetuatc its power.
The next three resolutions spoke of
national supremacy; the fourth following
declares for money composed of gold,
silver and paper The next resolution Is
the shortest in the lot, and relates to
State affairs, while the last and longest
resolution commcnds Gov Garcclon These
are all that relate to the State. Any one
can see by this, that the Republicans have
not turned the campaign from State to
national issues. The Republican party is
ready to discuss State affairs, and Is also
ready to institute comparisons between
Democratic and Republican administra-
tons. and it says with Macbeth:
Damned bc he who FIRST cries hold' enough"
Governor Dingley would have paid his
respects to some of Mr.. Plllsbury's state
mcnts on the following night, at So. Paris,
but for the fact that he was unpreparcd for
such a acknowledgements and did Ist care TO
handle the matter without reference to
official reports.
THOSE VALUABLE ISLANDS.
Mr.. Pillsbury's first assault on Gov
Connor's administration, and particularly
in regard TO the sale of some ruIuabie IS
lands, which belonged to the state, in
1876. We find by official records, that
Mr.. Pillsbury gave correct figures in his
statements and made them do his lying
for him in State matters, as we show in
another column, he did in regard to County
affairs. The State did sell, as he said.
66 islands, for Sl,l09.l5, but he failed
20 say that the 66 islands only contained
COB acres, or about ten acres to each Is
land. and that the larger part Of this ter
rtory was rock The second sale con-
sisted of SO islands, and they sold for
S25l. That was an awful sale, was 1t
not: Yes, it was a piece of rascally Re
publican corruption! Hold on a moment
II of those islands contained less than
one acre each; the whole 30 contained
but 90 acres, and thus averaged less than
two acres to the island Oh! that does
change the aspect of things. Thcwhole ter
ritory embraced in these islands was 80
acres. and the sum received was 81 ,360.lj, .
or nearly two dollars peracrc. Thatisabet-
ter price for rocks than farmers receive for
some pasture lands. How deceptive the
term "island" is. We think of England,
when it is mentioned; then we think Of
Iceland, on account of our climate; but
we should think of Rockland, instead, /
when these raIuaJie islands are mention
ed. How easy it is to deceive the peo-
pie by such statements and figures. But
falseness does not pay in the end, as facts
will surely throw discrcdit upon him who
seeks to hide the truth behind breast !
work of plausibility.
There is another element which enters
into this transaction. The duties Of our
land agent were very small, and it was
proposed by the Republican party to close
up the business OF that Office, and abol-
ish it, thus saving our people the salary
of one public officer. On the records of
this office, were these islands, belonging
to the State Many of them were bits
of rock on which some fisherman had
squattcd. The titles OF some were in
dispute. Some were claimed by other
States. Persons who claimed to own
some of these islands had been subjected
to litigation by other claimants, and the
whole question in relation to them was
in state of confusion 1t thus became
the duty of the State to examine these
rival claims, to search the records of
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