Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-14
Correspondence from the AeS-
Stone State.

TowAxpA. Pa. Feb. 3. 1850.
Ds.s JorKxAI Large crowds Of people
have been attracted to town, filing the hotels
and clearinghouse, to attend Court now IN
session At the Court House in this borough,
Judge d. p. Morrow presiding. have
dropped in occasionally for few minutes to
witness the workings OF the institution and
measure. if could. the relative talent OF the
bar in this jurisdiction. Many members OF
the bar are comparatively young men, but
there is . good representation Of men grown
grew in this service, Who. though they may
have ACQUIRED distinction, have not yet tired
Of the FORUM
A few evenings since I had the pleasure OF
listening to q plea BY Gen. II. j. Madill. who
served during the rebellion in the Union army
and won a reputation rs brave and daring
officer. Though not brilliant orator. yet ne
presents his arguments ~ith telling force and
point which often-times has more weight with
jury than fowery speech.
A case for which Gen Madill stood for the
defendants. has lust closed, that attracted a
good deal Of attention. and excited much To-
cal interest A barn was burned in neigh
boring township. The sufferer by the IRE
suspected two men who he thought were an
gry with him for some real or supposed
injury. and went to work to accumulate evi'
dence against them. In order TO make con-
viction doubly sure the plaintiff and his wife
evidently created some evidence that was SO
improbable As to defeat itself and tended TO
destroy that which had the probability Of
truth. After three days contest the case
was given To Il jury of twelve Intelligent
men who, after celebrating upon It for SIX.
teen hours, brought in verdict of acquitfal
for the defendants but subjected them to pay
the cos, of the trial; in brief the verdict
was not guilty but ought to be punished.
The plaintiff in the case has the cheap salts
faction Of having burdened his neighbor
with bill Of costs amounting to four or five
hundred dollars. at the expense of his own
and his wife's reputation for truth and We
racity which was pronounced bad, very
bad, by some thirty or more Of their neigh
bors under oath. These are some of the
beauties of going to law. As sitter OF
character it is about equal to being candi-
date for some petty Office.
The gag law imposed upon the Pennsylva-
mia Republicans at the State Convention al
Harrisburg, on the 4th inst, by Don Cam
eron and his adherents does not seem to have
the desired effect, and his opposition to the
resolutions of that august body, in favor OF
Grant and unit rule, promises to be more
than a tempest in a teapot" Several hum
dred Republicans of Chester county. in con-
vention assembled have rebelled against the
dictation of the Cameron class, and have in
vited other counties OF the state to call
another convention which shall express the
sentiment of the great mass Of the republican
voters instead of the will OF one man.
The Pittston Gazette, an influential paper
in the city OF Pittston, says 1.-The action OF
the delegates IN the Harrisburg convention
disappointed almost everybody. we have
heard original abolitionists say that they
would vote for Bayard as the democratic
nominee rather than for Grant If nominated
in snch a manner. Many others would moi
seriously object to Grant, if fairly nominated
by the people, having no horror OF the third
term as manifested by some. These are
ontspoken in denouncing the Illuminating
spectacle which our party has presented be-
fore the country. through the weakness of q
few delegates: and the feeling is deeper and
keener here from the fact that Luzerne and
Luckawanna counties - the representative
district where rlttston Ia situated-furnishet
seven OF the ten votes which were diverted
from the Blame. forces, to make maJOrit,
Tor the resolutions giving cameron his packed
delegation for Grant and imposing the unit
rule. The young Senator's adherent's claim
that he has won victory, but it will hardly
require another such to ruin him."
All over the State there is a feeling of dis
gust judging from the local papers at the action
of the convention. and all agree that the re-
suit is crushing defeat to the Grant move
ment. prominent paper from the central
part OF the State says when Blaine delegates
at the Harrisburg convention became willing
to make the humiliating concessions demand
ed by Senator Cameron, to allow committee
selected by him to appoint the delegates Of
the State to the Chicago convention. and in
struct them to act AS unit. they should have
taken the shorter way and sent Don as a
go-as-you-please delegate, who could speak
for the State, without fear of DIVISION
1t is very evident that the enthusiasm fol
Senator Blaine has not abated, but rathe,
increased, since the Harrisburg convention
The action Of the delegates there was intend
ed for Grant "boom" but it has proved to b.
boomerang" which NAV bring disaster nm