The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-10-04
Great Meeting in Baltimore.

The Democratic mass meeting held in Mon
ument Square on Monday evening under the
auspices of Irish American citizens of Balti-
more was a great demonstration. The people
packed all the standing room of the square
from the north side of Lexington street up to
and beyond the Battle Monument and they
remained solidly together during the whole
evening. Speeches were made by Gen.
0'Byrne, of New York; Congressman Post,
ofPennsylvania; ex-Gov. Pillsbury, of Maine,
and others.
Mr.. Post in his speech devoted himself to
a criticism of Mr. McPhersons rejoinder to
Mr.. Posts speech at Washington last month.
Mr.. Mcpherson, who is secretary of the Re-
publican congressional committee, recently
got out a circular which said the loss to the
United States treasury by theft and defalGa-
ton under the present administration was only
S5,364.09. Mr.. Post contended that the loss
from defalcations alone was over a million
dollars. Mr.. Mcpherson attacked Mr.. Posts
figures with data obtained from Assistant
Secretary Coon, of the Treasury Department.
Mr.. Post in his speech Monday night presented
evidence in detail of the correctness of his
previous assertion. He quoted from reports
of the Treasury Department to show that the
defalcations of Republican officials since 1861
down to June 80, 1888, amounted to $50, 522,-
825, exclusive of amounts collected from
bondsmen. From the reports Of the solicitor
of the treasury the total amount for which
officials have been in default, and for which
suit has been brought during the last three
fiscal years was 81, 500, 1877, of which only
$18, $685. so had been collected from bonds
men. The report of the first comptroller
shows defalcations to the amount of 1854,
$50. so have been compromised for SAL 1885,
70. The Attorney General report estimates
IL. al, ,t.,. ,;ot
"We now learn said Mr.. Post "from the
Mcpherson Coon statement, that these enor-
nous amounts of money stolen by the whiskey
ring, star-route gang, Howgate, Burnside,
Morgan, Gilman, naval medical bureau ring,
and by hundreds of other thieves, amounting
to at least one hundred million dollars, are
not charged as a loss to the government be-
cause not judioially asoertained,' when as an
actual fact the cash is in the pockets of the
thieves, and the United States has only old
lawsuits to show for it.
Ex-Gov. E. L. Pillsbury, of Maine, the
next speaker, said he was used to talking to
audiences, but he was not used to speaking
to them by the acre. He said he lived for IA
years as neighbor of Mr.. Blaine, and as a
scheming, underground, burrowing politician
that gentleman has no equal. But what great
act has he done that was for the good of his
country? In the civil war Blaine was drafted,
but he secured substitute for two hundred
dollars, and the substitute did not go to the
front, but was given soft place at Augusta,
Me. There he gave out forged exemption
papers, was detected and imprisoned. The
substitute afterwards got his full pay for the
time he was in prison, and the city Of Augusta
refunded to Mr.. Blaine the 5000 he paid for
the substitute. Laughter. Mr.. blaine,
when first elected to Congress, was assessed
in Augusta as worth less than 81 ,000 In 20
years in Congress, with an aggregate in sala-
ries of 100000, he has saved several millions
of dollars and built fine residences and sup
ported costly establishments. The speaker
gave details of the native American party
movements in Maine, with which Mr.. Blaine,
although born Catholic, oo-operated.
When the war came on Mr.. Blaine and his
substitute looked on complacently as the
foreign-born citizens marched to the field of
battle to give their lives for the country. Mr..
Blaine, he said, will take any side or do any
thing that will in his belief promote his per-
-sonal ambition,