The Portland daily press., 1880-01-01
THE PEOPLES PROTEST.
Indignation Meetings at Ellsworth,
Machias, Castine and Cherry
field.
STIRRING SPEECH BY THE HON.
EUGENE HALE.

Hon. James #. Davis, mayor of the city,
called the meeting to order, and called Hon.
A. F. Drnkwater to preside. After brief
statement of the objects OF the meeting and
of the gravity of the occasion Mr.. Drinkwater
called upon Rev. Sewall Tenney, D. D., to
invoke the divine blessing on their delibera-
tions In his prayer the Rev. Mr.. Tenney ex-
pressed the gratitude of the people for the
blessings of free government in the past
and besought divine assistance for the people
in their efforts to preserve it against unprinci-
pied officials.
The chairman then called upon Ex-Attorney
General Emery who reviewed the action of
the Governor and Council in detail. He took
up and explained the various cases of counting
out and argued that such action was clear
| violation of the constitution and laws. He
| further claimed that the Governor and Coun-
| Gil acted wilfully we'll knowing that their
| action was against law. He cited their hiding
of the returns, the irrefusal to investigate the
| charges made by Mr.. Rounds and their per-
| sstent refusal to take the opinion of the count
| as conclusive evidence of wilful, conscious
| guilt. AS to the remedy that would be dis
| covered and applied in good time. In the
meantime like Hannibal of Carthage they
| must swear and make their children swear
eternal hatred of such wrong.
After Mr.. Emery's speech the chairman in
! troduced Hon. Eugene Hale, who had arrived
home only a few hours before the meeting.
Mr.. Hale was received with great applause
and said:
81 thank the Lord that the ballot is not yet
| dead in Maine The meetings throughout the
state, the fire in mems eyes and the wrong
which burns in their hearts show this. There
| are many reasons Mr.. Hale said, why he could
| not and UOn1d sneak all the THINGS which
| lay in his breast. He had not yet fully got
| back his strength after his late illness and he
should need it all in the conflict which would
set in on the first Wednesday of January at
Augusta. He had been elected and certif-
Gated as member of the House of Represen-
| tatives and should have an official part in that
| conflict, and it was not fitting that he should
seek to inflame the people. How it had hap
pened that he had escaped the axe of the
| Council seemed to many a mystery. If the
| Ellsworth city clerk not been an old, expert
enced and capable officer who looked we'll to
his returns, or if it had happened that the
speakers mother had given him in his cradle
middle name with the letter "P' at the be-
| ginning of it, as in Mr.. Bragdon's case, his
| head would have rolled into the Council basket
as had the heads of As better men than he.
Mr.. Hale said that he need not go over the
facts in the case. Mr.. Emery had done that
most searchingly and ably, and after all sach
| recital is the strongest presentation which the
case affords. But he wished to call attention
| to the fact that these enormities had not been
commisted piece-meal or in struggling way.
They are the carrying out of a conspiracy
| formed previous to the election. The form of
| the blanks sent the city officers by the Green
back Secretary of State show this. Lewiston,
| Bath, Rockland and Saco were caught in the
| trap deliberately laid for them in the forms of
| the returns which by their make up excluded
the idea that inc more than three aldermen need
ed to sign. Ellsworth was not caught for she
has but five aldermen. The threats which
were made all over the State, as soon as the
election had passed that the Republicans would
never get possession of the Legislature, show
this, and the hiding of the returns which when
pened to view showed affidavits and protests
in towns and cities where Republican Repre-
Sentatives were thrown out show this. and
shows that the plan conceived before election
was being carried out, while secrecy sat like
darkness over the records. No sane man reads
these these things but in one way. They did
not happen naturally as rain falls or as the
seasons troop one after the other in natures
march. They did not happen accidentally as
ships go down at sea or as fires burst out and
devastate. 1t is gigantic, appalling conspir-
acy to seize the government of the State of
Maine and it does not mean to stop until the
electoral vote in 1880 is either secured to the
Democracy or tainted SO that it cannot be
counted And now while the air is full of the
cry of the Fusion leaders and newspap ers that
the Republicans mean violence and resort to
arms tell me what manifestations there have
been of this, while the plot has been I'M
folded before our eyes. They shut up the pub
lie records never before withheld from inspec-
ton; they repulsed men like Gov. Dingley,
Mr.. Lindsey and Mr.. Emery. when they cour-
teously sought access; they rudely thrust fro m
their doors elected members who desired to
look at the returns on which their right was
based, and yet no man in the Repub-
lican party stirred in violent protest.
They ruthlessly decapitate scores of Reubli-
can Senators and Representatives and make
up their own black lists to suit themselves
and when that is done block up the way to the
Supreme Court by the Governors logged re-
fusal to call for it and yet no one of the con-
spirators has been hurt or even threatened
They, on peaceful Christmas, without tax
ing the pains to get an official order and
against a set ordinance haul through the pub
lie streets of Bangor, selecting the most fire.
quented ways for the purpose, arms and
munitions OF war and when the people of that
gallant city sprung to life and activity by
thousands, almost mad at the outrage, single
word from the Mayor and other leading citi-
zens dispersed them like magic and today to
put new humiliation on Bangor, which elect
ed three Republican Representatives who
could not be counted out, the Adjutant Gel-
eral has appeared on the scene and the arms
and munitions have been taken from the peace
full, loyal city to Augusta For what? And
for what is it proposed to summon the Irish
company from Portland to preside over the
Inauguration next week? These men while
they howl against violence with malice afore-
thought are melting it, expecting unsuccessful
violence by which they can shift the issue and
yet hold their plundered booty. They build
upon the known moderation and forbearance
and conservatism of the Republican party and
the forbearance and moderation which has
been shown all through this villainy, such for
bearance and moderation as were never
shown before by men under like circumstan-
ces. How much further will they dare to go?
1t takes no vision of the seer to sketch the last
scene. On the first Wednesday in January
the people of Maine are wont to assemble in
the Capitol of the State at Augusta to witness
the Inauguration of the government which
shall hold power for the year to come. 1t is a
spectacle which interests all men, women and
little children who throng the rotunda, the
corridors and galleries by hundreds Every
body is free. everybody is peaceable, every
body is welcome. This year it is all changed,
the building is baricaded, the Montgomery
Guards hold it and its avenues; armed men
sand at the door with lists in their hands and
the citizen is eliminated from the assemblage.
Men start at such picture and doubt that it
will ever be seen. Four, yes two, weeks ago
should have doubted. Now fear that such is
the cup which will be presented to us. am
in favor of peace, want it kept. want a
pure and peaceable emergence from the dan
gers which beset US. I yet hope for and expect
it, though l shall not dwell upon the ways by
which it can be brought about Let us hope
for that, long for that, pray for that. But, We
elguI IleH WHO Slu as ueSpOuS nave SAT before In
places that seemed safe and rock-rooted and
which yet were but an inch from the volcano,
/ warn you not to go too far in your expert
ments in the forbearance and moderation of
the citizens of the state.
Meeting at Machias.
MAcHIAs, Dec. 81 The Republicans held an
indignation meeting in Liberty Hall last
night. Chas. Sargent presided. Hon. Austin
Harris, DR.. Carpenter, James W. Lyman and
two or three clergymen in town made
speeches. The speakers denounced the Gov
ernor and Council and characterized their
proceedings at Augusta as theft and robbery
Owing to the extreme cold weather the audi
ence was not over $50 persons.
Meeting in Cherryf1eld.
CHERRYFIELD, Dec. 31.-An indignation
meeting was held here by the Republicans
last evening and was largely attended by the
citizens of this and adjoining towns. Speeches
were made by Hon. J. A. Milliken and others,
and resolutions condemning the action of the
action of the Governor and Council were pass
ed.