The Portland daily press., 1886-07-27

should furnish the monument; and interest
in the undertaking very generally abated
outside of the city. The fact that the peo-
pie of New York themselves, have in a
measure lost interest in their great under
taking, will not encourage Congress to make
any expenditure. The monument Associa-
ton has been at work little over a year,
and has collected in that time $129,SS9. But
for the last few months the receipts have
dwindled until they are now discouragingly
small. On Decoration day boxes were placed
at all of the elevated railroad stations and at
Riverside Park, but the contributions
amounted to but little more than hun
bred dollars. In other cities attempts to col
lect money of the public have been even
more futile. The sentiment seems to be uni
versal that if there is to be an elegant mon
ument in New York it should DE built by the
people of that city. When national monu-
ment is asked for to be erected at Washing
ton, or West Point, neither Congress nor the
people will be backward about contributing.
THE DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT CON-
vENTiON.
luC SO1lf w q
candidate for Congress, is to be held at Bid
deford tomorrow. Though the Democracy
have been hunting for candidate for months
past, they have not apparently succeeded in
finding anybody whom any considerable
number look upon as available. The men
whom the party would have been ready to
nominate with substantial unanimity have
all declined. The Hon Nathan Cleaves
spoke first, and said he did not want to re-
peat his experience of two years ago. The
Hon. William III. Clifford at one time thought
of accepting the nomination, but closer ex
animation of the field convinced him that it
would be better to reserve himself until
there was a brighter outlook. The Hon.
William Emery could undoubtedly have had
the nomination, but it looked too much like
shower for him to expose himself. All
these men were out of the race months ago,
The men now in the field are three in num-
berthe Hon. John W. Deering of Portland,
Mr.. James E. Hunkins of Biddeford, and
the Hon. William A. Cromwell of South
Berwick. Mr.. Deering is said to have de-
veloped considerable strength in York
county, and in the event of Mr. Cromwell's
cause becoming hopeless it is reported that
Mr.. Cromwell will turn over his. strength to
him. Had the ex-Mayor carried the Portland
eaucuses last night his chances of success in
the convention would have been very bright,
but his defeat in this city is liable to extin-
guish him altogether Mr.. Hunkins relies
upon the Knights of Labor, with whom he is
said to be very popular. He is almost en-
tirely unknown too, and a certain amount
of strength attaches to that fact,
but his conversion to Democracy has
been SO recent that a good many
of the Democrats suspect its genuincness.
Some of the Democratic sachems in Port
land have 'looked him over" and their YER
dict was not altogether favorable. Mr.. Crom-
well has some strength in York county, but
there is hardly possibility of his securing
the nomination. OF the three avowed candi-
dates Mr. Hunkins's chances would seem to
be the best at the present time. 1t is among
the possibilities, however, that all three of
them will be thrown overheard and new
man selected. An effort is making which
has not however, as yet been attended with
success, to induce the Hon. William G. Davis
to allow the use of his NAME There is not
much doubt if he would say the word he
would be nominated, and it is by no means
improbable that the convention in sheer des-
peration may thrust the nomination upon
him against his will.