Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-06-24

history Of the republican party. The
legislature of that State, know
ing its people, determined to
have board that should canvass the returns,
\ board which should be free from all
influence They therefore created
: board of fve members Of different parties,
and then svung them clear Of the Legisla-
ture Il made them = corporation, 1t made
them power entirely independent; because,
they said, man who does his duty here has
got to be entirely independent and as indie
pendent As the supreme court. Well, the
difficulties they had to contend with were
these: In = parish lot of people
would get together and intimidate and
kill and otherwise prevent voting
from taking place, and this board had the
power of throwing out such parish. The
way they first commenced it was to have
this intimidation in the big dcohocratic par
ishes. and they would raise majority from
1000 to 1900, and the returning board would
throw them out. They began to find it was
better to have 200 honest democratic votes
than to have 1000 that were dishonest.
Laughter.1 And SO they gave that up and
marauded over into republican parishes and
would take republican parish that had
thousand majority, and convert il into
thousand democratic. The returning board
would throw that out. They would get
dishonest democratic majority of 1000, but
unfortunately for them. it could not be count
ed under the law. In this last election had
occasion to investigate one Of the maraud-
ings, that Of East Feliciana, and I found
this state Of facts to exist: From 1874 to
1876 there had been, mostly in the last year,
IA murders. The murders were admit
ted. Nobody doubted it. Nobody
disputed it. But when the question
OF cause came the republicans said the muir
ders were for political purposes, the demo-
Gratis said that they arose from cOttonseed
stealing, and from thievery, and from person.
al difficulties, and there were respectable
men who swore to both situations.
Now how are YOU going to de-
ermine? will tell you one or
two other facts. In. the first place, every
man who was murdered was a republican.
Second, the numbering stopped on election
day. Third, that parish used to give in 1874,
1900 republican votes and 800 democratic.
two to one. In 1876. that parish gave 100
registered votes for Tilden. 400 unregistered
votes for Tilden and 3 for Hayes. Now
gentlemen. draw your own differences from
those facts. If there is any man here who
believes that that parish ought to have been
J. Tilden. who has got faith in Louisiana in
situations, would like to see him now, there
is an example. We do not have chance to
investigate the whole State. The more the
democrats investigate it the more they do not
like it. But there is the result in one single
parish aid from that adduce what you think
fitting. just and suitable.
Now, my friends, just want you to con-
slider these things in your mind. Whatever
may have been the case anywhere else, we
ourself know what it was in the State of
Maine, and however other communities may
become corrupt or be charged with corrup-
ton, the duty rests upon every man here to
see that the State of Maine shines as bright
at the next election as before the opposition
obtained control. A voice. We will do it,
sir].
SPEECH OF GEN. JAMES A. HALL.
General Hall was called for and responded
as follows
Mr.. President: l am not going to inf1ict
a speech upon you, but 1 want to say just a
word or two in regard to the situation in
Maine as l understand it at this time. A
judicious leader, whether in politics or war,
will endeavOr to let those who are to urge
this contest with him. understand fully the
situation at the commencement of the battle.
Now fellow republicans of Maine, we have
no child's play before US. If we are to re-
tain control of the old Pine Tree State and
place victory upon the republican banner,
every republican in the whole commonwealth
must constitute himself worker from this
time until the polls shall close. The enemy
with which you have to contend you know all
about. You must remember that the demo-
cratic party of Maine are hungry. Only
a.: oceI~- Is
democrat who has had no patronage for
twenty years! What is the condition of his
political stomach do you think? What
wouldn't he do, what traditions of the party
wouldn't he put behind him for success
What cares he about the old and time-honor-
ed traditions of Jackson and other great lead
ers of the democratic party in regard to hard
money, Benton mint drops, &C., when he can
see power and position by making an alliance
with anything, no matter what! Read the
letter of Bion Bradbury in the Argus in
which he said he went to Bangor and there
were two conventions there, and that there
was q gulf between them so wide that it never
cOnld be bridged, and they did not undertake
it, but made an alliance with the greenback
party this year only, and were to vote any
way to break down the republican party and
put Samuel J. Tilden in the presidential
chair OF the Onlte0 states. i MS is from
leader of the democratic party and shows to
the honest people of Maine that this is fair
and square trade and dicker operation. No
principle. Not a line ofplatform by the
democratic party of Maine. but simply an al
lance, a trade with the greenback party for
assistance to break up the republican MAORI
ty in Maine. And this is the work to which
you are invited in this present contest. /
need not stand here to say a word in favor of
the great and giantic leader that the republi-
can party chose at Chicago the other day.
[Applause] one of the people who has
brought himself up from the humble position
of driving mules along the tow-path to one
of eminence, of craftsmanship in this country
second perhaps to no other man;
a man whose every pulsation is in
sympathy with the toiling millions of this
country and its business interests. The
campaign. it seems to me, largely turns in
that direction. We are to take such action
politically Is shall serve to stimulate and to
foster and prosper the great and vital bust
ness industries in this country, and at the
same time to stand by and protect and see
that labor in every one of its phases has
every right that it can expect under the leg
islation Of this country. Applause.
After Gen. Hall had concluded his remarks,
A. Sl,..<. S,.xvx