The Portland daily press., 1886-04-07
CHAIRMAN BROWN TRluMPAs.
He Works the Democratic State Com
mittee as He PIeases.
The Portland Custom House Ring
Sat Down Upon.
Col. Cromwell Apparently UnfriendIy
to Hon. L. o. NJ Sweat.
Bangor, June I'd, the Place and Time
for the Convention.
Especial to the Press.

|
Especial to the Press.l
AUGUSTA, April 6.-The Democratic State
| Committee met at Hotel North this afternoon
at 2 o'clock. Thirteen counties were re-
presented Very little work was done by
the committee at its session private meet
ing being held last night at Waterville at
which was present majority of the commit
tee who mapped out the programme that
was to be carried out to-day. BY vote of
eight to five the committee decided to hold
the convention in Bangor on Wednesday,
| June I'd.
1t was whispered about the corridors of
the hotel that an effort would be made in the
committee to appoint an executive committee
with headquarters at Portland who should
have charge of the campaign and thus prac-
| tically displace Chairman Brown, but the
| subject was not broached it being found that
! Mr.. Brown and his friends were in the
majority.
| The event of the meeting was speech by
| VIM. A. Cromwell who endorsed President
| CleYeland but very severely denounced Hon.
L. D. NJ. Sweat and Collector Anderson,
whom he said had deceived the President
| There was no reply to the speech.
The committee was in session only short
time when it adjourned and private con-
ference was held during the afternoon and
evening with many of the leading Democrats.
! present.
The gathering here to-day has been a
notable one in one particular, it was COM
| plete triumph for Simon Brown and his wing
of the party. Ex-Mayor Bass of Bangor
was absent, but Edmund Wilson. Collector
| Chase, DIR. Garcelon, Gen. Plaisted, Ben.
| Bunker, VIM. H. Clifford, Col. A. w. Brad
| bury, B. F. Andrews of Portland, Charles
Baker of Belfast, w. H. Moody of Liberty,
| T. NJ Staples, Washington; VIM. Emery,
| Alfred; d. j. McGillcuddy, Lewiston; Gen.
| S. D. Leavitt, Eastport; j. ohm B. Redman of
Ellsworth, and exMayor Walker of Lewiston
were here. With the exception of Messrs.
| Wilson, Bradbury, Leavitt and Andrews the
| gathering was composed entirely of the
Greenback and count-out wing of the party.
Simon Brown is to be sustained and will run
the Democratic machine in Maine the coming
| year.
A good deal of bitterness was expressed
! against the administration and it is evident
from the decided opinions proclaimed that
| an effort will be made at the coming con-
| vention to denounce the administration for
| its pretended adherence in part to civil ser
vice reform. The gentlemen present openly
| declared that the great defect of this admin
| istration was that it had not long before
now turned every Republican out of office.
| No two members present seem to agree
upon candidate for Governor. 1t leaked
| out that Ex-Governor Plaisted was trying to
work up boom for Col. Morton and was
seeking to have him nominated on the
| ground that his nomination would be re-
buke to President Cleveland. Governor
Plaisted was told by many of the gentlemen
| present that Col Morton had not the capac-
| ity for common clerkship, and to talk of
nominating him for any important Office was
simply ridiculous. Poor ReGman has
no friends and it is the general opinion that
| some man not talked about will be selected.
| The only bond of union between the gentle
| men present is the distribution of offices. 1t
| is asserted by those present from the west
ern part of the State that Mr.. Clifford is to
be the candidate for Congress, and Cleaves
| is be thrown overheard. The absence of
| such prominent Democrats as Gen. S. j.
Anderson, w. L. Putnam, Henry ingalls,,
| Arthur Sewall, William G. Davis, William
| FL. Strickland, Gen. C. w. Roberts, Payson
| Tucker, Nathan Cleayes, Gen. Hastings and
| F. 0. Torrey was noticeable. 1t was pri-
| vately admitted that the Democracy would
receive humiliating defeat in September,
| but it was confidently asserted that if Pres
| ident Cleveland had distributed the offices
| among the elect the prospect for victory
| would have been better
At the meeting of the committee tonight
resolution was offered by Col. VIM. Crom-
| we'll, endorsing President Cleveland, which
was supported by A. W. Bradbury, w. Fl
| Clifford, Samuel Leavitt and VIM Emery in
| speeches. The resolution finally passed A
vote of confidence in the committee and
Chairman Brown was also given a passage.
| j. p Bass Of Bangor, was attacked rather
| severely The meeting today was victory
| for the Brown wing of the party.
Especial to the Lewiston Journall
| The meeting of the Maine Democratic
| State Committee was an interesting political
event. A preliminary conclave was held last
night at Waterville at which only few of
| the friends of Chairman Brown were present.
| The report of this conference proved a sur
| prise to many Of the sachems on their arrival
| here. and heard one ofthe sighted brethren
remark: "If Brown and his cronies were to
| fix up the slate before hand what in the
| (brimstone) is the use for us to meet here to-
| day?" Thos ewho attended this conference
were Capt. Chase of Portland, Gen. Leavitt
| of Eastport, Ben. Bunker of Fairfield, W. W.
| Sanborn and eX-Mayor Walker and Bridg-
| ham of Oxford and Milliken of Washington.
| The object of this conference, so far as | can
| find out, was to lay out programme for to-
| days meeting and to plan defensive cam
paign against the aggression of what is
called the Portland Custom House ring"
1t came to the ear of Chairman Brown that
this ring, prominent in which are Collector
Anderson and Appraiser Pierce, held meet
ing recently, and laid the basis OF move
ment to secure the appointment OF an eXecu-
tive committee of the State committee with
headquarters at Portland to manage the
campaign.
Pierce urged that this was necessary for
the reason that the chairman of the State
Committee lived in Waterville, the treasurer
III WlscaSset, and the secretary in SkoWhe-
gan, and they could not work we'll together.
Browns friends and Pierce's friends say the
real object of this custom house ring is to get
the management of the campaign into their
hands and not in the hands of the fellows
who have got the offices. letter of five
%ANAAA DASA&
read.
Chairman Browns conferees decided that
this movement must be resisted and control
of thecampaign be kept in Browns hands.
In regard to candidate for Governor, the
sachenls seem to be at sea. There is feel
| ing that Redman will not be the man, but
the sentiment has not centered on anybody
else. This matter was talked over at
Browns little tea party in Waterville, last
evening, but no magic name was spoken.
The latest about the Governorship is sto-
ry that comes from the best authority, that
ex-Gov Plaisted and Col. Morton are serious
ly scheming to bring out Morton as guber-
material candidate. Gov. Plaisted's idea is
that no canvass should be conducted but
there should be spontaneous outburst for
Morton in the convention; that amid cheers
and applause, while the band plays, Hail to
| the Chief" and with the delegates throwing
up their hats and shouting. Morton, Nor
ton, Mortonp in such dramatic way. as
| this, the Augusta martyr should be nomina-
ted for the Governorship as a cutting rebuke
| to the administration.
CLOSE ELECTION.