The Portland daily press., 1886-01-07
heIghten the Enjoyment of the
Legislators Reunion.
The SoIons Accept Hannibal Ham
Inns Invitation.
Speeches at the Presentation of the
Late Gov. MorriII's Portrait.
The Banquet the Great Event of
the Reunion.
Abstract of Hon. James C. Biaine's
Remarks.
Especial to the PRESS. |

| the ex-legislators. Their countenances as
| they marched in long line up State street to
| the State House at 10 O'Clock this morning
indicated what they anticipated. They re-
| paired at once to Representatives Hall and
there continued the hand shaking greeting
and personal "reminiscences among them
| selves.
CONSPICUOUS FIGURES
| were numerous There was Uncle Solon
| Chase, direct from Chase's Mills. The reg
ulation ulster did not accompany him. 1t
| has seen too many hard winters to grace an
occasion of this sort. A dark blue oyercoat
| the pride Of Mr.. Chases neighborhood takes
| its place. But the regulation cowhides were
| there, and the old white hat which has done
| service through so many heated greenback
| campaigns. Uncle Solon on this occasion
| ties up ''them steers in the barn of Judge
| Andrews, an old greenback chum.
| One day near the close of a session twenty
| five years ago, Speaker Blaine left the chair
| and called upon the gentleman from Turner
| to take his place. The House was in a sport
| i've mood and at once the hall became o
| pandemonium. Solon roared and stamped,
| and addressed refractory members with the
| 6AplGblfC WulCll iiC pC1iiuPo littA AOoiiSi ShNN
| tive with ''them steers, but he didn't sue
| ceed in restoring order. The next day rep
resentative moved that copy of the Reyis-
! ed Statutes be presented to the member from
| Turner in consideration of the digniiied and
| impartial manner in which he had presided
4 over the deliberations of the House. The
| motion was carried and the presentation
| made in due form Walking down from the
| State House with the copy of the statutes
| under his arm, Mr.. Chase observed to fell
| low member; 'sWel, we all made fools of
| ourselves yesterday, but as can see I'm the
| only one out of the whole lot that made any
| thing out of it,
Then there were ex-senator Bradbury, a
! vigorous old gentleman far up among the
| eighties, Major Dickey and John G. Talbot
| of course, Ex-Legislators O'Brien Of Wal
| doboro, the oldest of them all, Ruggles of
| Carmel, the hero of many wordy fight,
| Kinks of BuckSport, Randall Of Gardiner,
| the oldest chaplain with the exception of
| Campmeeting John Allen, whose absence on
| this occasion is source of grievance to all,
| and besides these many other octogenarians
| and old survivors of hard fought legisla-
| tive battles. The hall was filed and beside
| the old members were seen many ladies ON
| the floor of the House and in the galleries.
Mrs. Blaine and Mrs. Hamlin occupied seats
| on the left of the speakers chair.
THE STORY TELLING.
| At precisely 1915 Hon. Fred Atwood,
| chairman of the executive committee, with a
loud rap on the Speakers desk called the
| meeting to order. Prayer was offered by the
| Rev. T. B. Randall of Gardiner. Mr.. At
wood then said with deep regret that the
| Hon. Bion Bradbury of Portland, who had
| been elected President of the Association
had been compelled by other duties to resign
| the Office. The nomination OF a successor
| being then in order, Harrison Hume, Esq,
| of Boston, mentioned the name OF Hon. Hen
| ry E. ingalls, of Wiscasset. This nomination
| was seconded and Mr.. ingalls, was elected.
| He at once gracefully accepted with an ap-
| propriate speech.
| Short speeches and "reminiscences were
! then the order of the hour.
! HANNIBAL. HAMLIN's SPEECH.
Ex-Gov. Hamlin was the first to respond
| to a call from the President. Amid deafening
applause Mr.. Hamlin. with vigorous step
| Immediately marched up the aisle to desk
| little to the left of the centre of the House.
'Fifty-six years ago this day, said he, u
| first entered this House and took my seat
| as a Representative to the Legislature OF
Maine Before go on | must express my
sorrow at the thought that not one Of that
body is here today except myself. This
thought gives me much pain. | come here
| to deliver no euIogy, but ! must pay pass
| ing tribute to the memory of the fellow men,
| bers who have gone before me- In all my
| experience as public man | never expert
enced the deep heartfelt pleasure that did
while serving those five consecutive years in
| this House. With me were men who could
| grace any body in this country. 1t is with
| exceeding pleasure that recur to that period
| of my life and the friendships then formed.
| Mr.. Hamlin then by way of caution to the
| younger members related personal remin-
| iscence, which he said should illustrate how
| unwise it is to be mirthful and joking at i'm
| proper times and with improper persons.
| The story is good one and was well told.
| 1t has appeared before in print, but is well
worth repeating 1t happened that when
| Mr.. Hamlin was Speaker of the House
member by the name of William Allen was
| noticeable for the neat manner in which he
| arranged his hair. "The ladies'" said he,
| "could well take lessons of HIM" One day
| during long and tedious debate upon some
unimportant matter, circumstance of fire.
| quent occurrence in those days, Speaker
| Hamlin called Mr.. Allen to his desk and in
| formed him in loud whisper that one hair
| was crossing another. Mr. Allen then and
| there became indignant. ''That joke" said
| Mr. Hamlin, "cost me Senatorship. lost
| it by hairs breadth as it were, for when /
| was up for that office l lacked one vote in
| the Senate of being elected. That vote,
| found was in William Aliens hands" Gov.
| Hamlin closed his speech with, Boys, let's
| have some fun"
| SPEECHES FROM OTHER VETERANS.
Following Mr.. Hamlin came Major Dickey
| the venerable member from Fort Kent, who
| paid fitting tributes to the names of John
Holmes and Jonathan Seeley.
Then followed Hiram Ruggles, who spoke
| of the ''Dems." and the Wings of old, and of
| Pitt Fessenden, the mention of whose name
| calls to mind the words of Hon. H. II. Ba-
ker of Hallowell when Fessenden was a
member of the House." says Mr.. Baker, II
had frequent occasion to notice the singular
power that he had in debate. In those days
party lines were strictly drawn, and the
apostle Paul or the golden mouthed Chrys-
ostom could not have affected the votes on a
question previously settled in caucus. But
on anon-partisan question Fessenden would
almost handle the members at will. When
all the indications showed that the House
was against him, he would commence by re-
4 lating some pleasant anecdote far from the
subject get the ear of the members, gradual
ly come round to the subject in hand, and
carry majority with him. To bring out his
highest powers you should corner him up;
he was then at his best; his eloquence was
like flashes of lightning. He had not drop
of cowardly blood Hewent into the United
States Senate in the. midst OF the Wilmot
proviso debate He had scarcely taken his
seat, when he felt called upon to speak for
freedom 1t was midnight session. Butler
of South Carolina, fire-eating Southerner,
interrupted Fessenden by threatening the
dissolution of the Union. The new Senator
replied in moment to the white-haired, hot
| l,.,cr fba unnt1nman will