The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-09-05
The BIddeford Ring Responsible

The responsibility for the illegal naturali-
cations in BIddeford, and the fact that sew
eral hundred persons who thought they were
citizens and find they are not, which the
Democrats have been trying to fix upon the
Republicans, is now put upon themselves by
testimony that cannot be impeached. The
Hon. Herbert M. Heath in his speech In
Biddeford on Wednesday night showed con-
clusively that ever since 1887 the Biddeford
Democrats have known perfectly we'll that
the authority of the Biddeford police court
to naturalize was In grave doubt. This is
Mr.. Heath's statement:
In 1887 the Democratic ring of the city of
Biddeford. practically the same ring which
is stlil In power, came to the legislature,
asked and was granted hearing before the
judiciary committee of which l then had the
honor to he chairman. The matter which
brought these men to Augusta was this same
natur alization question. They said that able
lawyers had been consulted and that grave
doubts were entertained as to the right of
the BiddefOrd courts to naturaliZe They
asked if it was within the power of the
Maine legislature to set the matter straight.
member the result. The judiciary commit
tee was at that time composed of nine law
yers. the ablest In the state and one mer-
chant. And one of these lawyers was
the man whom the Democrats ran as the
candidate for governor in '76 and TT.
Hon. John G. Talbot, the dean Of the legis-
lature. and one Of the ablest lawyers Of the
state. After. full and exhaustive hearing
OF the question presented by these Bidde-
ford Democrats, 1t was the unanimous vote
OF the committee that neither the Saco nor
the Biddeford courts had the slightest YES
tige OF authority to naturaliZe. Then these
men who had first raised the question came
back to Biddeford with this adverse report
knowing at that time as we'll as they know
today that naturalization papers issued by
tnese courts were no more valid than If is
sued by trial justice up In Lebanon. Know
| Ing this, 1t was the duty of these men to
have that error remedied; it was duty
which they had every opportunity to
| fulfill. as there was. session after
session Of competent courts held. What did
they do? They went right on as this same
| ring does In the administration of the affairs
OF the city. confident In their chicanery, fear
ing no law, either of state or country. 1t
took TIE decision Of Judge Webb whose
either party can honestly question, 1t took
the decision OF Judge Whltebouse and 1t
finally took the unanimous decision of the
Supreme bench of the State to bring this
Democratic ring to their senses. Now il
there are any aliens here whose right to vote
Monday has been taken away by this de-
cision, ask you to lay the trouble where 1t
belongs, to the door Of the Democratic ring
Of Biddeford, TO the men who, knowing the
utter incompetency Of these city courts to
naturalize kept you In ignorance of the true
situation up to the present.
After this statement, if the Democrats
have any sense of shame. they will hold
their tongues ami not have anything more to
say about their naturalization cases. Mr..
Heath clearly shows that the responsibility
for all the trouble lies at their own door.