The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-31

and signiied by. stamping that it was time
for the speakers to appear.
At 7.40 the speakers filad on to the stage
amid loud applause, cat-cals, etc. Besides
the speakers and among those who took seats
on the platform were Hon. S. c. Andrews,
John t. Anderson, Aldermen Waite and An
drews, Councillors Fogg and Chase and Spen-
Ger Rogers Gov Garcelon was not present
Hon Bion Bradbury did not speak but sent a
letter.
Alderman Waite opened the meeting saying
that the people of Portland were in favor Of
law and order and Of supporting the Governor
and Council He announced for presiding
officer Hon S. c. Andrews and long list OF
vice presidents and secretaries and a COM
mittee on resolutions.
SULLIVAN C. ANDREWS.
Mr. Andrews said tllat people Of all political
| parties were accustomed to meet in this hall.
| We have come here tonight, said he, actuated
by common cause. We have not come as
mob, but as citizens Of this grand old city to
listen to the gentlemen who will enlighten us
on the great questions now agitating the State
and nation. L came here as the representative
of no man, but the representative of my own
convictions, and "paddle my own canoe" I
feel it the dnty of every man to give lawful
obedience to the lawfully constituted author-
ties Of the State. We have not come here TO
steal a state or legislature; nor to rob you of
| President of the United States. In this inyesti-
cation let right prevail through the Heavens
fall.
CONGRESSMAN LADD.
Congressman Ladd was next introduced.
He claimed that the Governor and Council
had been honest and that the Legislature could
remedy any mistakes that had been made. He
then warmed up and called the Republican
party the most damnable of any that ever
lived. He then blackguarded President
Hayes and Hon. Hannibal Hamln (although
all that was foreign to the so-called purpose of
| the meeting which was the support of the
| Governor and CounciD and at one stage of his
| remarks on this subject was greeted with
| Kisses. He said Hon. j. b Foster was as far
above Hon. Hannibal Hamlin as heaven above
| hell. He declared that Charles n Boutelle
and his assistants were the parties in Bangor
SO anxious for war that they drove to the ar
senal and wanted the teamsters to hurry up
to the main street for fear they would be too
late to get up an excitement He declared the
| Supreme Court could make no decision on the
| questions at issue. They could only serve as
| arbitrator, and their arbitration would not be
binding.
CONGRESSMAN MURcH.
Congressman Murch said all was quiet on
the Penobscot. Capt. Bouselle had surrender
ed and the arms wrested from the government
on Christmas have been transported to Au-
gusta without violation of law As far as the
| Supreme Court was concerned he conceded
with the views of Mr.. Ladd, and said that the
Legislature was the only proper place to de-
eide the questions of disputed elections, and
they would decide spite Of all the tunult Of
Republicans. The Governor and Council have
violated no statute in DISTINGUISHING Portland.
1t was the stupidity of the city officers. If you
don't like this dose put in officers who will load
the returns SO they won't scatter and you will
be all right. The lying Associated Press has
seen fit to say [ didn't concur in endorsing the
Governor and Council. l havn't seen a Tr-
bune reporter for week, but | keep better
company. Doctors without patients are
ming round like parcel of old women report
ing the talk OF every Democrat and Green
hacker / feel the Governor and Council have
| done their duty and l mean to uphold them.
He believed every man who had received
certificate of election to the Legislature would
take his seat.
After Mr.. Murch's remarks Mr.. Andrews
read d despatch from c. A. White OF Gardiner
saying: ''Palsied be the hand raised against
our state government. Stand fast; stand firm;
stand sure" Signed C. A. White and 343
Others
The next speaker introduced was the
HON. L. D. NJ. SWEAT.
Mr.. Sweat commenced by saying that he
took no active part in the last campaign al
though he exercised the great right of an
American freeman by voting for Gov. Garce-
lon. Since then he had not seen or talked
with the Governor or one of the Council, and
had not expressed an opinion upon the matters
now agitating the public mind except in the
most casual way upon one occasion, believing
from what he knew of the Governor and Coun-
Gil that they were disposed to do right and OBJ
serve the interests of the State. He felt safe
in letting them work out the matter according
to their own judgment But when the Gov
ernor and Council go to Augusta for the pur-
pose of performing their constitutional duties
in canvassing returns and are unexpectedly
met by almost all the living ex-Governors, ex-
members of Congress and active members of
Congress under the lead and dictation of man
whose presence is full of magnetism, devoured
with ambition and most aggressive in his
character, when these men appeared and de-
manded the Governor and Council to exhibit
the sealed returns of the voters Of Maine, when
he read the harangues of Hamlin and Boutele
at Bangor he felt that he could keep silence no
longer. He felt that this matter is not under
stood by the rank and file OF the people of the
State. 1t is not understood in Massachusetts,
in New York nor III the North West.
Mr. Sweat then read the provisions of the
Constitution, with which by this time the peo-
pie OF the State are undoubtedly familiar.
Mr.. Sweat said he would like to hear any
lawyer or judge say that return signed by less
than q majority of the aldermen of city was
legal return-would any one contend that
the Governor and Council were not authorized
i'll throwing out such q return? How was it,
said Mr.. Sweat with Portland? [ will not
joke with reference to our worthy city officers
they are men whom respect and are good
citizens, but the constitution says that the al
dermen and clerk shall sign the returns and
all the number Of votes shall be expressed, the
name of every person voted for and the num-
Der of votes shall be given; yet when the re-
turns came from the city OF Portland to the
Governor and Council, although they knew
from report that the Republicans had elected
their members of the Legislature by four
five hundred ma ority, they found against the
word scattering" q certain number of votes
That was not compliance with the constitu-
tional and statutory provisions and the Cover
nor and Council did not feel at liberty give
the certificates to those who were really elected
in Portland, because they were the judges and
no power outside could dictate to them. But
in declining to give the certificates to the Rep
resentatiyes they knew very well as you and
know that they are not the final tribunal but
that the House Of Representatives is the
judge of the election Of its own members.
In reference to the Skowhegan case Mr..
Sweat read the law in reference to distinguish
ing marks upon ballots and said it was a case
much nearer than he had seen to satisfy any
mind that the Governor and Council had
made mistake, but he thought when a fair
construction was put upon it, when they had
the ballot itself before them together with the
protest from the selectmen they were right in
saying they could not receive it because it was
contrary to the express statutes Of the State.
But, said Mr. Sweat, suppose they were mis-
taken? 1t is but little delay. a little time for
the injured man TO wait until your legislature
meets when he will get his rights.
The next speaker was
COUNCILLOR FoGG.
At the outset of his talk Mr.. Fogg said: ~
take occasion in the beginning of my remarks
to say you have a representative in the Coun-
Gil from Portland who stands even with the
rest, firm as rock and immovable as granite"
The crowd cheered this solid talk. He con-