The Portland daily press., 1880-09-16
BRUNSWICK. Sept, IA. 1880,

To the Editor Of the Portland Press:
An article in today's Argus, from its Bruins
wick correspondent, signed &C." is so malc-
iously personal in character, and SO full of
falsehoods, that deem it my duty to the Re-
publican party, as we'll as act of Justice to my
self, to ask you to publish a plain statement
of the facts in the case, which are as follows:
1t is undeniable that there was much drunk
enness on our streets during the few days pre-
ceding election, and on Monday an alarming
amount, which resulted in disgraceful brawls
and fights; but stontly deny that it was Re-
publican rum which occasioned it, and make
the assertion, which am able to substantiate,
that the liqnor was in every case furnished by
Democrats or persons employed by them, and
in many instances given to Republicans, who
were made drunk thereby and kept in that
condition until they had been marched to the
polls between sturdy Democrats and made to
vote for the Democratic candidates. I can
furnish the names of dozen men who have
heretofore voted with the Republicans who
this year voted the opposition ticket; many of
them under the influence of liquor at the time
who state positively that they were given all
$40 each for their votes. 1t is not susceptible
of proof that any person in drunken condi-
ton voted the Republican ticket, and l en-
phatically deny that any Republican
used liquor, either directly or in.
directly, in securing voters, but | do
assert that such measures were reSorted
to by the opposition party to disgusting and
disgraceful extent. In regard to the one case
specified where!it is claimed paid man 50
for his vote, have to say that the person re-
ferred to did not enter the hall on election day
for the purpose of voting, although, as he
states, he was paid S5 for so doing by promi-
nent Democrat who was engaged all day in
purchasing voters at so much per head like
any other sort of cattle. AS 1 drove away
from the hall to. bring a Republic
can to the polls II saw some half dozen
or more Democrats trying to prevent this man
from going into the hall to vote not as he had
been paid for doing the Democratic ticket, but
as he said he wished to do 'a black Republi-
can ticket" l did take him into my carriage
and told him if he wished to vote with us he
should be allowed to do so, but he replied that
he wanted $40 for SO doing, and that the DEM
ocrats had already paid him So for voting a
Democratic ticket. l refused to buy his vote
or to make any talk with him in regard to 1T
and left him. When took him into the car
rage his brother and other Democrats called
out Damn you, Crawford, let him alone; he
is our property, we have bought him and paid
for him and you can't get him."
i can prove by several witnesses that he ex-
hibited the IS note before spoke to him and
said it was paid him by Democrat for his
vote. did not offer him, or any other per-
son, either rum or money for his vote, and
dare the Argus correspondent or any other
person to name, over his own signature, one
single case where it is tclaimed l did such
thing. Concerning the Erenchmen who were
naturalized will say that instead of thirty
as the Agus states, less than twenty were nat
uralized and no argument was necessary to
persuade them to vote Republican ticket, as
only known Republicans were naturalzed,
and the overseer in the mill did not in any
manner interfere with them.
There are so many lies in the article referred
to that it would weary your readers for me to
answer them all in detail, My household goods
were not sold as stated, neither did go
from Maine with the intention of making a
permanent home elsewhere; that my name was
not stricken from the voting list, consequently
not put on again by the Republican officers
that voted in the presence of several Demo-
Gratis, none of whom dared question my right
so to do. q will here state for the pleasure Of
my Democratic friends that propose to re-
main and deposit my vote at the November
election) The course | pursued during the
canvass and ON election day was straightfor-
ward and honorable one, everything being
done openly and "above board" L believe
that not Republican in Brunswick can be
found who will disapprove of my actions In
any singular particular. l will thank the Argus
correspondent to name one of the many he
knows. 1t is true that Brunswick make Re
publican gain Of % at the recent election, but
the result is due no more to me than to score
or more OF other active and Jealous workers IN
the party, and this gain was made in spite Of
the lavish use of rum and money by the oppo-
sition party, who never before were so freely
supplied with Democratic sinews of war. / am
ready and able to prove that the Democrats
offered to pay Republican voters IS each to re-
main away from the polls. Now if it be true
as &C." asserts that "the Democrats and
Greenbackers have positive evidence in several
cases where L paid IS each for voters to throw
their vote for Republican candidates. de-
mand them to produce such evidence before
the proper tribunal, or retract the false state
nent, or stand convicted as false accusern
and forgers. Very respectfully,
WILBUR +. CRAWFORD.