The Portland daily press., 1879-08-21
by TELEGRAPH.
RALLY AT GRAY.
5000 Honest Farmers Rally for
Honest Money.
SENATOR BLAINE'S RECEPTION AND
SPEECH
Addresses by Gen. Grosvenor and the
Hon. j. G. Burrows.
Special Despatch to the Press.l

Special Despatch to the Press.
GRAY, Aug. 2O.-Today the honest farmers
of Gray turned out en- n.dsSe to welcome Sen
ator Blaine, who till today never addressed the
people of this section of the state. Long be-
fore the hour for the speaking to begin the
people commenced to arrive, and the scene re-
sembled an old-fashioned muster much more
than a mere political gathering, and by 2 o.
clock in the afternoon, when the meeting was
called to order, at least 5000 had assembled
and the old time Republican enthusiasm,
which was manifested, should end in the old
time Republican victory. One old man, a
veteran of the days of the anti-savery agitation,
said that he had not felt for years the interest
that he does at present. in any election. 81
FEEL" he said, 'as 1 did in 1864 when l voted
for Lincoln and did what work could against
the party that declared in their national con-
vention that the war for the preservation of
the Union had been a failure Old men
who have taken little interest in politics of
late years, were out today and will take hold,
side by side, and shoulder to shoulder with
the young men, and help elect Mr. Davis.
Old men and young sat side by side on the
platform and listened with apparent equal
interest to the eloquent and telling speech OF
Senator Blaine.
John M. Libby, Esq, the chairman of the
Republican town committee, called the meet
ing to order and announced the following list
of officers:
PRESIDENT.
Hon. Warren Fl. Vinton of Gray.
VICE PRESIDENTS.
~ Il. ID IL r,
Elias S. Golf of Gorham.
William FL. Smith of Raymond.
Sewell Gross of New Gloucester.
DIR. Addison Parsons of Windham.
Henry M. Warren of Pownal.
DR.. William Osgood of North Yarmouth.
Charles Humphrey of Yarmouth
SECRETARIES
Frank HI. Body of Windham
E. A. Barton of Casco.
Mr.. Vinton on taking the chair spoke briefly
and introduced Gen. Grosvenor, who was re-
ceived with applause and proceeded to occupy
the time previous to the arrival of Senator
Blaine who was delayed by the train from
Portland, which was not ON time. The Gen
eral delivered an earnest speech, dwelling on
the fallacy of the Greenback cry of "hard
times and depressed business" The speech
was in substance the same as that which he
delivered in Deering Tuesday evening, and
which was reported in the PRESS of yesterday.
While he was speaking Senator Blaine ar
rived, and was received with applause, and as
the Senator was obliged in order to keep his
appointments to leave at o'clock, the Gene
raj gave way and Mr.. Vinton in a happy
speech welcomed the Senator to Gray and in
troduced to the people, "the man who despite
Greenback and Democratic abuse is still the
most popular man in the State" Mr. Blaine
was received with loud applause, and pro-
ceeded to deliver an eloquent and telling
speech, combining himself largely to discussing
State issues, meeting and refuting in mastery
manner the Greenback claim of having
reduced the State expenses. From the State
questions the Senator passed to, and con-
sidered, National questions, giving the "com-
bination,'' and the members of Congress
elected by it last year, hard hits that the au-
dience evidently enjoyed
The PRESS reporter was informed by gentle
men acquainted with many of those presen
that large majority of the Greenbackers o
Gray and vicinity were out, but if SO, they had
learned wisdom by the experience of their
brethren in other sections, and there were no
Interruptions, and the Senator's argument was
listened to with the closest attention.
The New Gloucester and Gray cornet bands
were in attendance and furnished COED music
previous to the commencement of the speaking
and at the close of the address of Congressman
Burrows.
Senator Blaine was compelled to close his
remarks at o'clock in order to reach Gray
station in season for the train for Portland,
and he was followed by the Hon. j. C. Bur-
rows who discussed the currency question,
making in substance the same speech as at
Saco Saturday, which was reported in the
effective speech, giving the Greenbackers
much needed information in regard to financial
matters.
The hard-money Democrats gave close atten-
ton to the speech, and there is evidently
great deal of feeling in favor of Mr.. Davis mani
Tested in certain quarters.
VIM. H. Smith, Esq, of Raymond, one of
the vice presidents of the meeting, is we'll
known as life long Democrat, and one of the
most efficient workers in thatparty in Central
Cumberland. He is disguised with the utter
abandonment of principle by the Democratic
organization, and refusing to allow the leaders
to sell him with themselves to the Greenback
party has joined the Republican party to stay.
The meeting was in every respect success,
and the Republicans of Gray are to be congra-
tulated on opening their campaign in so
effective manner, indicating as the meeting
does, the determination they feel to make a
heady fight against the combination of Greeley
Democrats and soreheaded Greenbackers.7
A pleasant feature of the meeting was the
large number of ladies who attended. One
hay-rack filled with them would have de-
lighted Mr.. Scion Chase if he had been pre-
sent. Vehicles of all kinds were to be seen
from the carriage to pleasant wagon covered
with large flag. The farmers of Gray, it is
evident, not only believe in attending Republi-
can meetings themselves but in taking their
wives also.
The press was represented BY Mr. E. V.
Smalley of the New York Tribune, who Tues
day evening did good service to the Republi-
can cause by speech in Auburn Hall, in
which he pictured the condition of the South,
as he has himself seen it, and by reporters of
the PRESS and Boston Herald