The Portland daily press., 1880-08-09
MEETING OF THE VETERANS.
States that Were Made and States that
We're Broken.

1t is reported that the sanguine Hancock
Veterans of Portland held a meeting the other
. night to consider the question of distribution
OF Federal patronage. As the story runs the
Hon. Bion Bradbury took the chair and with
kindly smile upon his handsome face in
formed the crowd that Congressman Anderson
had delegated the distribution of the leading
offices to him and it would be mis- endeavor to
try and harmonic matters so that the party
founded by Jefferson and built up by jackson,
Pierce and Buchanan, (applause) should be
able to retain power. The motto of our party
is, TO the victors belong the spoils" Cheers
We mucst make sacrifices and some must be
disappointed. (Silence.) OF course that fool
ish statement of Wallace's that soldiers are to
be kept in the postotfice and custom house is
all nonsense. Great applause, led by G. H.
Fling and Cyrus Jellerson.) 1t is understood
by unanimous consent that your humble SER
want is to be collector of the port, Here Cap'n
Chase looked surprised; that is conceded.
(Faint applause.) The position of postmaster
seems to cause some feeling. Here Col. Ly-
man whispered to the great Tabulator and
COL Palmer looked solemn am we'll aware
of the great service that Col. Lyman, that
aged Ajax of Jeffersonian DemocIacy, has
done the party. [Col. Lyman blushed!ll 1
have heard his name mentioned in connection
with the Office. Col. Palmer aside-"Yes, for
twenty years. I have no doubt he would be
willing to have its duties thrust upon him, but
regret to say that in the judgment of the
younger members of the party Col. Lyman is
rather old 1.-THE = says the Tabulator] and Col
Palmer, they think, can be of more use to the
party than he. We all know how self sacri-
ticing Col. Lyman is, and then the party has
honored him by making him member OF the
State Committee, and he has served on the
National Committee. These honors will no
doubt go long way to satisfy Col. for this
disappointment. The = it will says the Tab
ulator. There is the surveyor of the port,
here Col. Merrill pricked up his ears and the
Tabulator looked hungry,] an office of great
Importance that requires man of high-toned
Democracy as well as the possession of all
those moral virtues that go to make up a true
follower OF those grand doctrines of Jetfer-
sonian Democracy. Here the crowd stared at
one another There can but one man hold
this office. wish it were different (applause);
but under that constitution given us by the
fathers of the Republic but one man can hold
an office at a time. (Slence.) There are
many candidates for this particular place;
among them that gallant son of Mars, Col. q.
b. Merrill, who was with the great Hancock
when !, ne won the battle OF Gettysburg. PHere
Josh Emery sang out "Good."l That great
victory, won by our boys i'll blue, put down an
unholy reb-unpleasantness. | hear that the
Colonel has thought of this Office, and if APP
pointed might be induced to take it = says
the Tabulator]; but with all of Col. Merril's
sacrifices for his country it becomes my duty
to inform him that he must content himself
with some other place as reward for his pa
tient waiting. There is but one man whose
claims cannot be disputed for a moment. That
mans well known integrity, his devotion to
his party, his suffering for the cause of Jeffer-
sonian Democracy, his greatness morally, and,
to crown all, the fact that he is so hated by
the Republican party, entities him to substan-
tia reward
Why, gentlemen, if supported Plaisted
because he hated Blaine and Hamlin, why
should not love this sturdy Democrat whom
Blaine and Hamlin and their whole party hate
so intensely? Here Jefferson hammered the
table with delight. Yes, gentlemen, l have
learned to love this pure exponent of true
Democracy, and Col. Merrill ought to be proud
to have the privilege of making way for such
a heroic embodiment of all those transcendent
principles of Democracy that are SO faithfully
photographed in the person of this honest
man. lCheers and great staring at each other.
1t is needless to name the Hon. Charles HI.
Chase there the great Tabulator wept] as the
only man who will adorn the place once hon.
ored by an Anderson. Col Merrill looked
dsgusted.] 1t is in sthe programme to have
Col. Merrill taken care of and he knows we'll
that promise Of that kind among Democrats
is sacred. AS to who shall fill the minor offices
L can only SAY gentlemen, that no greenbackers
need apply. l mean none who ever believed
in it. OF course such men as Cushman, Rog-
ers, Nash, Sargent and others who went into
the Greenback movement for the purpose of
roping in unwary Republicans and getting
them safely into the bosom of the pure and I'M
defled Democracy must be rewarded. Of one
thing rest assured; there shall be a clean sweep
OF the present corrupt otfice-holding crew.
Cheers led by Jefferson and RUSSELL Here
Spencer Rogers undertook to say something
but a cry of fire being raised the meeting dis
perSed. A LISTENER