The Portland daily press., 1879-06-04
The Geenback Mass Meeting.

The Greenbackers resident in Portland
naturally wished to furnish some entertain
ment for their friends and delegates from
abroad last night and therefore they arranged
for a mass meeting in City Hall. Prior to the
meeting they put out flag across the head of
Exchange street inscribed with the words
"Greenbacks VS.. United States bonds. For
Governor, j. L. Smith"
By 730 the hall, both floor and galleries,
were we'll filled with Greenbackers and mem
bers of the other political parties who were
curious to hear and see some of the leading
men of the convention. Chandler's Band dis
coursed good music. Atlas p. m. Mr.. John
Todd introduced the Illinois warblers, Messrs.
Randall and Lurton, who sung couple of
their cheering campaign songs in true street
tramp style, songs in which the Republicans
and Democrats were covered with abuse.
Mr.. Ra1dall then bloomed out as a speaker
and proceeded to show he was a financier by a
mass Of .,tatistics that, of course, were copied
right from John Sherman's report. The
Green5lckers always like to say that. 1t
sounds well although they never get the
figures straight. Later in the evening he and
LurtGl asked each other lot of conundrums,
which they called questions, at the close
staff : they were printed in a little book
and just here their advertisement was cruelty
cut short by the music from the band.
Mr.. Todd then announced Mr.. Packard of
Bangor as chairman of the meeting. Mr..
Packard came forward with an alert and
graceful step and had hardly spoke the words
Ladies' and gentlemen of the''-when Mr.
Todd whispered in his ear cutting off the
word Convention most effectually. But
Packard was equal to the occasion. He took a
drink, said Convention" and proceeded. The
burden of his speech was that he had known
j. l.. Smith, candidate for governor, since he
was boy, when Mr.. Smith had only $3.50 in
his pocket-quite a good sum for boy t.
have-and he was proud to say he was worth
100000 now and was good fellow. We now
understand that wealth is most desirable in a
Greenbacker.
The audience begau to think that Mr.. Pick
| ard had talked long enough and began to re-
| mind him of this fact by calls for B. III. Mace
| of Bangor. A gentleman rose and came for
| ward but Mr.. Packard cody told him to sit
| down. This tickled the audience immensely
| and they applauded with will. Then Mr..
| Pickard subsidized and Mr.. Chas MacLean Of
| Boston was brought forward. He repeated
the speech he delivered last fall; all about pa
| per money being the salvation of nations thu
| Bank of Venice and the financial history o
| Cyprus.
| There was more music and then Elliot Kin.
| addressed the meeting in the old strain. Thel
| Congressman Ladd made short speech agains
the demonstration of silver, and saying that
| it was in the middle classes that a nations
safety and prosperity lie.
AS soon as Mr.. Ladd had concluded Mr.. f
| M. Fogg rushed to the front and said he dis
agreed with the preceding speaker in regard t.
the demonstration of silver. He was down
on the extolling of silver, and so was his
| friends. This announcement was receive,
with applause. 1t is reported that Mr.. Fogg i
about to come out in a special speech in favo
of demonetizatiou
Mrs. Dr. Still of New York then steppe
forward. She is woman who speaks well
with good strong voice. She said she intend
ed to stump the state for the Greenbackers
and would probably be heard at length il
Portland later. She gave slaps to the Repub
lican and Democratic parties, and advised tn
audience that if they, the Greenbackers, wer
successful they would also bear watching. B
this time the crowd was fast ebbing and tn
| meeting adjourned.