The Portland daily press., 1880-06-11
GARFIELD AND ARTHUR.
The Opening of the Campaign in
Portland.
A MAGNIFICENT DEMONSTRATION BY
MAINE REPUBLICANS.

A MAGNIFICENT DEMONSTRATION BY
MAINE REPUBLICANS.
as, Jr., Hon. Sidney Perham, Hon. J. j.
Perry and Others
The Republicans of this city are to be con-
graduated upon the splendid demonstration
made by them last evening, upon the occasion
OF raising the first. campaign flag of the
season. Long before seven o'clock people
began to wend their way towards Market
Square, and at 730 p. m. dense mass of hui
manity filled all the space from just below
Brown street to Elm street. The scene re-
minded the spectators of the second presiden-
tial campaign of the late lamented Lincoln
more than any similar gathering since that
time. 1t was estimated by competent author
ity that from five to six thousand people were
wedged into the space indicated by the above
named streets. The windows of Lancaster
Hall-the Republican headquarters
brilliant with the presence of numberless
ladies, while the windows of the Preble House
House opposite, and the adjoining blocks,
| were adorned with the faces of the fair sex.
The surging crowd were perfectly good
natured, even when pressed to one side or the
other by the passing horse cars which had all
they could do to penetrate the throng. From
the top of the hall the sight was grand one
and the thinking Republican could but see in
this occasion glorious victory for his ticket
| in November next.
From to o'clock Chandler's Band gave
delightful concert, and surely this splendid
musical organization never acquitted itself
better. AT s o'clock, amidst the cheers of the
| crowd, the superb Garfield and Arthur flag
was gracefully flung to the breeze, while the
band played "Rally round the flag and rock
cts and Roman candles added their luster to
the scene.
Chairman W. II. Plummer of the City Com
mittee, then introduced the Hon. VIM W.
| Thomas, Jr., who was received with prolonged
cheers and who spoke as follows
SPEECH OF HON. W. W. THOMAS, JR.
Felloao Citizens of Portland u congratulate
you that this early within forrty-eight
| hours after the nomination of Garfield and
campaign in Maine by fiinging to the breeze
| this beautiful banner inscribed with names of
| the next President and Vice President of the
| United States.
1t is true that we hoped and expected to
| write on that flag the name of Senator of
| Maine, the great parliamentary chieftain,
| James G. Blaine and though we were defeat
ed and disappointed in this it is equally true
that the men of Maine with their friends were
| equally victorious, for we named the nominee
of the convention-a good man and true, Gen
| eral James A. Garfield of Ohio.
| The National Convention which has but Just
| adjourned will ever besmemorable. lit was the
most protected, the most arduous, and be-
| lieve the most important convention ever held
| by the Republican party. For four days that
| convention of 756 delegates sat in that vast
hall at Chicago overlooked by 1900 eager
| spectators without reaching ballot for Presi-
| dent. But the time was not lost. Questions
Of vital moment were discussed, fought out
and decided, and best of all, they were decided
| right The first question that confronted your
delegates was the so-called unit rule, by the
application of which the majority of the dele
gates of any state could cast the entire vote of
| that state. regardless of the votes or wishes of
the minority. In this way it was sought to
bind and gag 20 delegates in New York. % in
| Pennsylvania and Is in Illinois. But so deter
! mined was the opposition to this gag law, that
| the "unit rule" was beaten before the conven-
ton met, and will never again raise its head
| in Republican conventions
/, The next question, one that was fought over
for two days, was the right of district repre-
| sentation. Our, own district, you know,
gentlemen, sent two delegates to the national
convention; each district in Maine did the
same. But in Illinois the state convention re-
| fused to recognize the Is delegates elected by
nine districts, and by force of a small majority
| in eleven otEer districts DISTINGUISHED these
nine districts and appointed delegates therein
to suit themselves. And these districts were
thus robbed of their representation; worse
| than that, were misrepresented because ten of
their delegates happened to prefer for a Presi-
| dent a Senator of Maine, and the eight others
held as their first choice an illustrious son of
our own state, 'Elihu B. Washburne, late Min
| lister to France.
This was the doctrine Of State rights revived
| with a vengeance But even as that heresy was
beaten in the war, so its reproduction was
| beaten in your Republican convention. The
| bogus delegates were given leave to retire, and
| the district delegates were admitted and the
| right of each district in this Union to send her
own delegates to reflect her voice and views
| was completely and permanently established
| On Monday last the balloting began. All day
and long into the night the contest went on.
Again and again the friends of our brilliant
| Senator swept into the fray with the impetuosity
| of cavalry charge, but the columns of the
great General seemed to be filled with his own
stubborn courage, and his gallant three hun
dred, never wavering calmly "held the fort. !"
| Tuesday came. On the 34th ballot Wiscon-
sin broke for Garfield. Indiana followed on
the 18th, and on the 36th Maine, Iowa and
| nearly all the forces of Blaine and Sherma
| swung into line, and amidst a whirlwind of
/ cheers James A. Garfield, sitting modestly in his
| of the United States. This nomination, gen
tleman, unites all factions of the party and
| means victory.
Gen. Garfield is true American production,
| true man of the people. Born in poverty and
obscurity, he has worked his way upward and
onward by his own industry, virtue and force
| Of character. In his case it can with absolute
truth he said ''the office sought the man."
With him as leader, the grand Republican
every face to the front and every lance toward
the foe, has already begun its triumphant
march to assured victory in November.
At tie close of Mr.. Thomas speech-which
was frequently interrupted by cheers, especial
ly when allusion was made to the names of
Blaine and Garfield-the band played the Red
White and Blue.
| HON. SIDNEY PERHAM
| was the next speaker. He said:
We are here to congratulate each other on
| the happy issue of the Chicago Convention,
and to give to the breeze the name of the
| statesman we propose to elect President of the
United States. Not only as Republicans, but
as citizens of common country, irrespective
| OF party considerations, we have abundant rea-
son for congratulation, as, if the ticket shall
be elected, as we believe it will, it secures the
continuance of wise and able administration
of the executive department of the govern
| ment. Perhaps no national convention ever
assembled in this country with so large a list
of excellent and eminent men from which to
make selection, and it is not strange that the
people and their representatives at Chicago
should have their special favorites, and that
the contest should be earnest and exciting
| But though the convention and the people
| were divided at the opening, at the close every
Republican from Maine-to California and from
the lakes to the gulf was for James A. Gar
field. If not the first, he was the second
choice of everybody. The harmony is COM
plete and the result of the election hardly adj
mits of doubt. An acquaintance with Mr.
Garfield of six years in the Nrtiopal House of
representatives, enables me to speak of him
with degree of assurance that otherwise
might not be authorized. Like the most of the
eminently successful men of this country he
has been the architect of his own fortune
From a condition of poverty, without the aid
of influential friends at the start, he has
raised himself by his own energy and solid