Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-08-26

presented Gov. Harris n. Plaisted to the audi
ence. The Governor was received with
loud cheers. He spoke for an hour
and a half. and his time was occu-
pied entirely in an exhaustive defence of
his course since he has occupied the chair Z
the Chief Executive. Beginning with his
inaugural address he reviewed that message
at length. and modestly said that the document
contained simply the just and equal principles
of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln.
The Governor then went back to Andrew
Jackson and recounted the story of his strug-
gle with the United States bank The speak
er gave his hearers to understand that he was
bigger man than Old Hickory" inssmuch
as Jackson had vetoed the bill re-chartering
one bank while he had vetoed 81 bills for
establishing State banks. His Spartan firm
ness had also been exhibited by his veto of
the apportionment bill and his refusal TO call
a special session of the legislature which
would have involved an expenditure of from
500, 600 to 100000. The speaker next dis
cussed the struggle between himself and the
Executive Council, beginning with the ap-
pointment of the messenger. The Council.
he said, tried to force Maj House upon him
as private secretary, and said he must take
Daviss leavings. If any one wanted Maj.
House for private secretary. they can
employ him. He believed that in an office
where the incumbent must have such con-
| fidential relations with the Governor, each
Executive should have the privilege of Sc
lecting whom he pleased for the position.
The republican press and republican speakers
were denouncing him for removing Judge
Libbey. He didn't remove the Judge; the
law turned him out at the expiration of his
term. The Council insist that l shall re-
nominate Judge Libbey; l propose
to nominate whom 1 please. The
Governor then had the nerve to COM
pare his position in the struggle with the
Council, who seek to prevent him from pun
ishing an upright Judge for expressing his
honest conviction, with that Of President
Garfield in the New York collectorship con
test. The speaker dwelt at considerable
length on the nominations which he had made,
and defended his course in attempting to re-
move certain officials. He closed by profess
ing to see the air full ofvictory for the fusion
lists, and exhorted his hearers to do their duty
like men at the polls in September.
At the conclusion of Gov. Plaisted's address
there was an exodus to the door, and Gen.
S. +. Cary, who succeeded him, spoke to
steadily melting audience. In Is minutes
the room was as fragrant as a conservatory
with the flowers of his rhetoric. Gen. Cary
spoke on national topics, interspersing his
flow of eloquence with flashes of wit. His
eulogies of the martyred President Lincoln
elected round of applause, startling many
of his old bourbon hearers, who glanced
around apprehensively thinking they
in republican meeting. General
Cary drew such gloomy picture of
the condition of affairs in this country. with
giant monopoies fastening their vampire-like
fangs into the life blood of the people, that
the farmers before him who are getting Sl4
ton for the largest crop of hay ever harvested
in Maine, and corresponding prices for other
products, shuddered at the dark vision. His
scathing arraignment Of the railroads elected
loud applause, in which Col. Darius Alden, who
sat in the audience, didn't join to any appre-
ciable extent. The republican party
is party of rings, syndicates and
thieves, and the sooner it is laid away In the
grave the better it will be for its posthumous
repretation. The General resurrected por-
lions of his old greenback speeches and
from them.
The meeting then adjourned, and the dele
gates began to hunt around town in SEARCH of
enthusiasm.