The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-03-13
Mr.. behring's Business Preten
sions.

1850 OAAA4E a oO61A0SS ET6IGU-
slons.
The Hon. John w. Deering is a lumber
merchant. He has succeeded in getting
living, and if his tax bill is to be accepted as
conclusive evidence, which everybody knows
1t is not, has accumulated something be-
sides. Before he began to "boom;' himself
three years ago for the Republican nomina-
ton nobody ever heard that he possessed
more than ordinary business capacity. He
certainly never had been reckoned among
the foremost merchants of Portland, and If
the business men of the city had been called
upon to choose one of their number to trans
act business affecting the interests of all of
them they would never have thought of se-
lecting John W. Deering. Mr.. Deerl ng's
reputation as a business man has been
worked up by long and persistent putting by
his organs and his boomers. 1t is nothing
but bubble filed with air which disappears
on the slightest puncture Like hundreds of
other men he has succeeded in getting liv-
ing, and that is of course to his credit, but
it is absurd to speak of him as great bust
ness man.
Great business men are made of diffele nt
stuff from Mr.. Deering. Goodness, calm
ness, foresight, ability to consider both
sides OF question, and energy are
some of the qualities indispensable to a
great business man. Mr.. Deering has only
one OF them, energy. He is never cool or
calm for any considerable length Of time.
He is impetuoHs in everything be does, and
his judgment is at the mercy of his temper.
His career as mayor was full of demonstra-
tions of the truthfulness of this description.
Take the Chestnut street school house alter
ations as an illustration. Responsible par
ties who had carefully counted the cost of
fered to make the alterations for a certain
sum. Mr.. Deering Immediately jumped to
the conclusion that it was too high, and pro-
claimed that the job could be done by him
at less cost. He under. ook to do it and
what was the result? Everybody knows.
before the work was completed it cost al
most double what the original bidders
agreed to do it for. A good business man
would never have rushed into a business
which he knew nothing about as Mr.. Deer
ing did in this case.
The PRESS the other day called for some
OF his acts while mayor which tended to
show his alleged business capacity, and
what did it get? A list of acts which had
they appeared in any other paper than the
Argus would have been regarded as the
broadcast kind of satire, and which, as it was,
set the whole town laughing.
His career in the mayors chair was full
of mistakes like this resulting from the fatal
facility with which he jumped at conclu-
sions with very inadequate kno Wedge or no
knowledge at all. Luckily large part of
his bluuders were rectified by the council, so
that only in few instances the city suffer-
ed any disastrous consequences from them,
but the fact that he made them, which can
moi be successfully disputed, is sufficient
proof that bis business capacity is absurdIy
overestimated by his organs.
A year ago the people of Portland were
appealed to to re-elect Mr.. Deering may
or on the same ground that is urged
this year, namely, that he is a thorough
business man. But with the facts of his adj
ministration fresh in their minds they re-
fused to do SO by large majority. Nothing
has happened to show that they were wrong
in their estimate of him then. On the other
hand all subsequent developments have
tended to confirm their Judgment.