The Portland daily press., 1879-12-24
Mr. THOMAS REMARKS.
In submitting them, the resolutions, Mr..

In submitting them, the resolutions, Mr..
Thomas said:
This matter from State point of view has been
ably discussed and will speak, fellow citizens, put
one word in regard to own interests as citizens
of Portland II is impossible for you to overestl-
mate the Importance of full representation at
Augusta in the Legislature at the next sessi9 9a
This city covers in area less than three square mics
of territory less than one tenthousandeth part OF
the area of the State. But, such has been our ad-
vance in wealth. that these three square miles pay
il has been said one-eighth of the State tax; but
the gent eman has been too modest; 1t pays more
than one-eighth of the whole State tax. Out of
every So assessed by the State on the cities ana
towns of Maine, the city OF Portland pays more
than ST. to be specific out of state tax OF less
over over SIT 900. and You are DISTINGUISHED.
What is to be done at the Legslat ure?
Among other things there's t. be revaluallonm Ia
plantation and city in the State And what does
that mean? That valuation is to be the pasls on
which YOU are TO be called on to pay taxes Not 1or
one wear nor for two years, but for the ensuing ten
years And when a Legislature is to meet when
is to frame the basis of taxation on which you are 70
nav your State tax for ten years to come you rep
resenting more than oneeighth of the whole taxable
property of Maine are DISTINGUISHED and have no
voice in the House of Representatives to speak one
word for YOU 1t is said the action of the Governor
and Council is only preliminary; that they may let
your Representatives in after aWhlle es lter t ia
mischief is DONE And how do they propose to let
them in? They propose to let them IN at the very
heel of the season. at the back door of the Legisa-
ture as matter of courtesy.
Fellow citizens, by seven hundred majority you
elected your REPRESENTATIVES to march in on the
first day of the session at the front door as matter
of right Continued appause) The action that de-
prves you of representation is an outrage and as IL
is impossible to overestimate the Importance OF your
being represented in the next Legislature, so IL Is
impossible to exaggerate the enormity OF the out
rage by which you DISTINGUISHED on pretext 20
thin that it will not bear the light OF day move
Mr.. Chairman, the adoption OF the RESOLUTIONS.
Continued applause)
The resolutions were then unanimously
adopted.
HON. NEAL DOW.
Hon. Neal Dow spoke as follows:
In the PRESS of the 22d is an excellent article
upon the great robbery perpetrated by the Governor
from the people the results of the last election But
| was surprised to see in it an admission that the
persons who have been falsely and fraudulently
counted in might properly for limited time take
the seats of those who have been fraudulently and
wickedly counted out. The words are
sOn the first Wednesday of January next eight
persons who have not been elected to the Senate
whose only claim to a seat in that body consists in
in bogus certificates from the Governor and Council
will probably appear take their seats and act in the
organization of that body 1t you'd seem that self
respect would dictate 70 these men after they had
performed this duty to quietly retire and allow the
men who have been legally elected to take their
seats'
/ do not see how honest and honorable men can
possibly take those seats; even for moment. II
they present themselves at the State House, 1t Will
be with false and fraudulent certificates OF election,
in their hands. They KNOW every honest ana intel
gent knows, that such is the only character OF
those certificates. There is not an honest and rue
word in them; then how can man with any senti-
ment of honesty in his heart any sense of honor in
his SOUL join hands with the villains who have
sought to perpetrate this shameful shocking crime.
The doing of such thing would be procama-
ton that in no matter involving integrity and honor
could they be trusted, il the temptation to cheat
steal and rob were presented to them, Inc credl-.
tors of such can have. no security for the per-
Torrance of their contracts OF whatever KIND, II
they fancied their interests might be promoted by
violating them Banks should not trust them, no
honorable man should deal or associate with them
To cheat, to STEAL to robe is to take what belongs
to another without his consent, and that is the
whole of it. The Governor and Council have taken
the majority of the peoples votes, and have handed
them over to parties to whom they do not belong, in
face of the earnest protests of those to whom they
belong. 1t is robbery on gigantic scale of that
which concerns the life of the nation. Let us see
the men who will present themselves at Augusta to
condone this horrid crime and to share in it, and let
stamp them as partcepts cfininis in this dread
full treachery to free Institutions, and turn our
faces away from them as from men infected with a
loathsome, contagion, fatal alike to honor and to
life.
MANY years ago there was a great abandon
ment of the Democratic party in this State by many
of its members men of honor, who could not and
would not countenance its methods by remaining in
it From that day it has been a hopeless minority
here; but now it seeks to obtain q temporary ad-
vantage by method which has had no parallel this
side of New York, where elections have been car
ried by habitual fraud as all the world knows
Thomas Moore was Lord Chancellor to Henry
VIII, high in the kings confidence and respect.
But he would not acknowledge the king as head of
the church. His wife begged him and entreated
him to yield, and pointed out to him that by only
one word he could his life and they could pass
many happy years together. But it would not be
true word, dear wife, and cannot say it,. His
daughter threw her arms around his neck in flood
of tears and stifed by sobs. "Oh, Margary,' ex-
claimed the father, sit would break my heart II
thou shouldst try to persuade me to do this thing
mo- dear father, she replied. 81 would gladly sac
rifce my life to save thine, but l would suffer
hundred deaths rather than thou should'st say
false word or do a dishoporable act" "Ah! there
spoke my sweet daughter said the father, as
he pressed her to his bosom.
Thomas Moore decapitated His head was
placed on London bridge; his daughter went in
dark stormy night and brought it away. Governor
Garcelon and the rest of you, can you understand
such act? That man should willingly die if
the alternative were to do dishonorable deed or to
say false word
MR.. ALDEN j. BLETHEN
the last speaker of the evening was received
with applause.
He said that he supposed he had been invited here
because he represented political party that last
spring he connected himself with party which he
believed had principles of reform and independence
that he had made woeful blunder. He
demned the action of the Governor and Council as
unjustifable and recommended an agitation by the
people until those guilty of fraud sink so low in the
political stream that they will never appear again
above the surface.
The meeting then dissolved, the audience
as it dispersed giving vent to the indignation it
felt at the executive usurpation in language
that was certainly forcible if not always po-