Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-24
MAINE NEWS by TELEGRAPH.
FROM PORTLAND.
The Great Indigna-
ton Meeting.
A GENERAL DENUNCIATION
OF THE OUTRAGE.
Prominent GreenbackerS De-
nOunceS the COunt-Out.

City Hall, this evening Wilbur T. Lunt
U. s. Dist. Attorney, called the meeting to
order and nominated Hon. Israel Washburn
as President with long list of Vice Presi-
dents. The venerable Parson Carruthers Of
fered prayer.
| Mr.. Washburn made an earnest speech.
comparing this to the time when Paul Revere
and his compatriots met at the Green Dragon.
He thought that never since the revolution
has there been an hour of such gravity, nor
the action of rulers so dangerous and sowick-
ed. He spoke forty minutes, and introduced
Hon. Thomas b. Reed, member of Congress,
who was received with rounds of applause.
Mr.. Reed said the citizens of Portland have
met here many times since these walls were
raised, in multitudes as great as this. The
hall has witnessed the beginning of many
great business enterprises, has rung with the
struggles and Civilizations of all political par
ties, and has throbbed with all the anxietes
of great civil war, and yet, while my idea
of my duty here will call on me to refrain
from all exaggeration, | know that | should
not be just to you if did not with all soem-
nifty declare that we have met this night on
subject the most important of them all.
The principles on which our government
is founded are to-day on trial. Whether the
government of the people by the people, can
exist is as surely at the bar of the world, as
it was on the days of Gettysburg. The sole
basis on which our government rests is the
control of all by majorities. Let the majority
be never so small, it must be so sacred to us
as though it were millions. 1t becomes the
will of the people and the supreme law of
the land
| If it be then in the power of any set of men
to permanently set aside the declared will of
the people, our form of government has per-
shed from the earth. The attempt to do this
thing is the crime which we are met here to
reprobate. l have come here tonight in no
partizan spirit. For this crime up to now
hold no party responsible.
The misguided men who have done the
deed are thus far alone guilty; whether any
one else is to be held responsible will de.
pend upon their acts. For my part | have
no epithets to fling, no defamation to in.
dulge in; adjectives are cheap. If the acts
of these men do not condemn them no words
of ours can do it. The plain facts Of the
case are what the people desire to know, and
these are what desire to discuss.
During the last year we had a campaign
which, for thoroughness of manful discussion,
has never been excelled or equalled. We
met our enemies on their own ground. That
the election was as fair, as honorable and as
pure as any which was ever conducted in
this State l appeal to the knowledge OF
every man here. When it was over, every
organ of public sentiment, every newspaper,
Of any and all parties, freely admitted the
victory which gave to our opinions 10 sena-
l5l. This result, thus universally admitted
has been overturned. This State has beer
the theatre of many sharp and vital contests
many close and doubtful fights, but this is
has occurred.
No Governor, wing or federal, republican
or democratic, has ever until this day been
summoned before the bar of public opinion
for like offense. That this Governor has
been so summoned, he himself feels, and
publishes his defense in the city of New
York, four hundred miles away. That he
should make excuse was in the nature OF
| thinus No crima puhlio auainct puhlia lih.
erty was ever committed for which the crimi
nal does not proffer valuable reasons.
A good high minded patriotic deed defend,
itself. bad deed needs words. For him
self and fellows then, this Governor offer,
excuse that they followed the forms of law
When you use this phraseology which no
tce the Governor does not use in his las
publication as he did | believe in earlier
interviews, there is no provisions in law
for tripping anybody up. For fifty-nine year
it has been the expressed will of the people
Was there no craftsmanship until my frient
Charles II. Chase became a member of til,
Council? (Great applause.)
He would enumerate the names of all
| those great men. as there never any non
esty, any knowledge of law to be found il
Augusta until those gentlemen consented t,
serve. The law is plain and and simple. How
have they performed it? In the case of Port
land, paying one-eighth of the tax of Maine
there was found l43 scattering votes return
ed and in majority of six hundred tina
would have made no difference. Did tn
law contemplate shutting out such retur
as that? lie referred to Cherryfield, Farm
ington, Skowhegan and other towns, and dis
cussed the merits of the cases. In the Skow
hogan case, where the ballots were throw
out for being printed in double columns, h
called attention to the fact that the law pro
vides that no ballots shall be thrown out TO
any distinguishing popularity after being re
ceived. He was one of those who did not be
lieve at first that this thing could be intend
ed. But it is done, and if it cannot be re
buked out of sight what is the use of an elet
ton? What need to go through the forms
Il this ~ - done without punishment. Gu
legal and honorable means I