Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-08-20

STRONG, Aug. 10.
On the eth OF August. 1854, a convention
vas held in Franklin county, at Strong,
which adopted the the name of the republl-
can party and nominated full county ticket.
Surviving members Of the convention assert
that it was the first to formally adopt the
name republican and the thirteth annyer-
sary of the event was celebrated in Strong
today. The date was postponed from the 1tll
to the l9th so as to not interfere with other
republican meetings. The program was ar.
ranged by general committee of one from
each town in Franklin county. Hon. J. ".
Porter of Strong was chairman and Hon. 7.
II. Stubbs Of Strong, C.. w. keyes OF Farm
ingt0n, w Fred +. Fogg of Strong and q. X.
Higgins Of Liyermure Falls. executive com
mttee. Strong is charming little village
of 700 inhabitants in the valley of Sandy
River, ten miles from Pennington, and fifty
two miles from Lewiston, accessible by a
narrow gauge railroad which was taxed to its
]
crowds. Every freight car was used, and
1 ingenuity of the management was exhausted
in rigging seats. Sixteen heavily loaded
trains arrived this morning, besides all the
people who came with private teams. In all
I five or six thousand people assembled. The
town was decorated with flags, streamers and
/ banners.
! A procession was formed at l2,lj to escort
/ the speakers to the grove where the exer-
eises were held. Major b. j. Hi of Au.
/ burn was marshal. The Pennington, Liver.
more Falls and Weld bands furnished music.
/ First came the Grand army posts,-E. W.
Woodman Post, No. Is, of East Wilton
John F. Appleton Post, No. %, of Farming
ton Isaac ii. Pcnnell Post, No. %, OF New
/ Portland; General Ord Post, No. 90 of North
Anson; James Porter Post, No. lO3, and
Cushman Post OF Phillips. Following them
came the veterans who were present as dele
gates thirty sgo-Benjamin +. Eastman,
Seward Din, Sewell Cram, Joseph &, Hoyt,
Otis Hathaway, Peter +. Norton. Isaac
Knowlton, Richard Pomeroy, Samuel Blanch-
ard, c. w. Russell, Samuel Whitney, Gid
con l.. Pease. Benjamin TarboX, Abel II.
Weeks, Alanson Vaughan, Joseph Wood,
Abel Houghton, David Hunter, Joseph Tear,
Gideon X Staples, John Richards. Henry
McKeen, VIM. n Mosher. Enoch Huse.
Wm Dolbier. John L. Taylor, IL, b. Pres
L., II IS I
Ioar, Increase Blake, Jerry Pottle, George
Iowes, Samuel Wyman, s. w. Weymouth
Alvin Couvier, II. ID Norton, VIM. Cush-
man Asa 7. Talbot, J. NJ Kenpsou, Jane:
T. Wellman. James NJ. Mosher. George
Gore, Rufus Brett, Stillmau Moves, F. v
Stewart. John Hanson.
The weather was perfect, and the meeting
was called to order at O'Clock by Hon. j.
W. Porter. Prayer was offered by the Rev.
Mr.. Apsey of Cambridge, Mass. Mr.. Porter
announced the organization of the meeting as
follows:
President-Nelson Dingley, Jr.
Vice Presidents-D. G. Bean of Wilton,
J. G, Hoyt of Pennington.
Secretaries-N. G. Noble of Phillips, ID.
II. knowltou of Pennington, Otis Moore of
Watervile.
Mr.. Dingley on taking the chair briefly re-
cited the history of the republican party OF
Maine. For Mr.. Dngley's speech see Sec
ond page.
The secretary then read the following let
ter
AUGUsTA, Aug. Is.
W. +. P. Fogg, Esq,
DEAR SIR-Your favor of the 3lst ult. in
behalf of your local committee inviting me
/ TO be present on the 10th instant at the cele-
/ bratiop of the formation Of the repuslicsn
party, was duly received. Remembering as
J / do the labors of those who actively psrtici-
/ pated in All sZ5snizaton of the republican
/ party aud%sealfzing the splendid record of
I that party for the past quarter of century,
rejoice in every effort of our citizens to keen
/ in remembrance these lsbors and the inesti-
mable blessings that have flowed from them.
/ Through those labors under God we now re-
/ ioice in united government more -osperous
/ than snv other on the globe. In 1861 when
the fret republican president was inaugural
! ed. our country was in ruins by long demo
cratic rule The domain was too vast TO be
governed bv one democratic president, there
fore il was divided. and Jefferson Davis wa:
inaugurated over a southern confederacy,
while Buchanan held court at Washington
Everything was harmonious and lovely be
tween the two democratic governments until
the 4th of March, when Abraham Lincoln in
the name of the people, relieved Buchanan
and notified Davis that his p7etensions mus
cease. The national treasury was bankrupt
its credit gone. Every department of th'
government was in dire confusion ThesS
were some of the obstacles which the repuh
lican party had to meet on assuming contro
of the government. The fearful struggle
thar ensued. the billions of money snC
the tens of thousands of heroic lives that j
cost to put down the democratic rebellion