Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-03-07

i in favor Of this bin, and upon those
sAaemanfs be asks yca % believe thaf ths
Pablo senfimsns thefe 10 unantDoaay N
favor al il I deny Is. claim that De
msjority Of the peap.e Of Portland fodAy
are hostile 70 T. Five hsndfed redoenefs
from the city Of Portland. Why, gentle
men. We cast IRON 500 to 200 voses, &C.
conaing = the political excitement and
party feeling rms high, and The gentleman
from Gardiner would have you understand
that these SEQ petitioners represent the
unanimous sentiment Of the other 500
voters. But Who are these petitioner: l
hold ia my hand the only petitions coming
from The city OF Portland that | have been
able to and on the Ale Of this House. and
I propose TO take the time OF the House .
few moments in reading the names upon
these petitions
EMr. Dsunmond then read from the
petitions several names tending to shov
that the petitions were largely from i'ihh'
men OF little influence.
Am perfectly willing that anybody In
this House take these papers and 90 over
them and zee If have No. given fair
sample Of these petitions Nov, gentle
men Of the House, am willing to leave 1t
to your good judgment a. to Who and what
these petitioners are. Is there one prom
inent citizen Of Portland among that num-
Der: Not one, gentlemen. They are the
residents Of wards 2 and (. the only Demo-
cratic wards in the city Of Portland. They
are Democrats. I believe that there are no.
% men upon these petitions out OF the
whole 500 who ever threw . Republican
vote ia their life. They are Democrats
and the Democrats Of this Stat. are the
men who are urgiog this thing. These sre
the men who are asking the House COM
posed Of Republican majority to pass
law which they believe and which every
thinking Republican believes will help them
to the detriment of the Republican party.
I an Republican and il you please. and
partisan Republican and when come here
and meet this cold democracy of the State Of
Msine, NEE, the III members of the House
in q unit urging political measure, then
believe it is time for Republicans 70 hes
ita.e and examine with care that measure
and TO find, if they can, why it is these men
come up ia 3 solid phslsux and urge this
measure upon US IS party measure. But.
gentlemen. do not wish it to be under
stood that there are DO Repubh-
cans in the city of Portland
who are in favor of this measure.
There are quite 8 number of Republicans
in favor Of it but many Of them are from
the yourg men Of the party, men who have
had no experience in politics, men who
believe in these stories Of bribery, cor
rup.irn, fraud and intimidation that the
ffien's of this bill have been 50 industri-
ously circulating throughout this State and
that this measure would prevent il Many
fthese men have never read the bill, know
nothing about it and have never seen
it 10 operation, snd if i. could be explained
to them as is has been explained 10 the
members OF this House they would oppose
it as bitterly as any man upon the floor of
this House. But q vast majority of the
Republicans Of Portland are opposed to this
bill, l don't know of ,ingle prominent
Republican in Portland who is ia favor Of
it. l know many prominent Republicans
who are opposed 10 it., men who are knosn
throughout this Safe as true and loyal Re-
publicaDs and men of safe and wise coun'
sci. But" cay the friends Of the bill,
1.-The Democrats are citizens of the State CT
Mxine. ard you shoula consider their
claims and their demands, and VIXEN they
come here asking for this measure as they
DO, you should give it to them.
Yes, gentlemen, they are citizens of the
State of Msiae, and when they come
here sincerely, without party reasons
asking for measure l believe that they
should receive the consideration accorded
to any man in the State Of Maine. Bu.
when they come here in insincerity. when
they come here dishonesty. when they
come here for party reasons and urge upon
dis uoase the passage of a bill which they
know will be for their advantage and
for the detrimept and harm Of the
Republican party. then, gentlemen, l AM
talking to Republicans today say that
thsy should receive no consideration at our
hands. l believe that when MSiae Dem1
Gratis who in their heaIts today believe this
measure ia fraugh. with evil and disaster to
the State of Maine come here urging the
the bill uuon US for party reasons, we should
not heed their c.s;m. believe that we should
treat them, as we have treated them in the
past, as on" natural opponents. and that we
should settle this matter without reference
{, Tho m. But the gentleman from Gardiner
says that the Republican convention Of
Cumberland county, which nominated the
dis,ip guished and able men who represe mt
Cumberland upon the floor of this Legs
,ature, passed resolutions instructiug them
TO vote for the Australian ballot.
Are you quite sure of that, gentlemen:
Was it Q resolution ins.Iuc.ipg them to vote
for The Australian ballot or WAS il a reao-
luton favo,ing pure ballot: Was j: not
resolution similar to the resolution which
vas passed by the Republican State con-
yention after they had refused to pass
y resolution fasosiag the secret ballot:
M, gentlemen, that WAS the measure that
vas passed there, and instead of it being
an evidence of the popular demand for this
measure, it 10 an evidence that the people
of Cumberland county are opposed to it.
New. The gentleman from Gardiner. as
another evidence Of the popular demand in
the city of Portland, alluded to instructions
passed by the convention which nominated
four Of the representatives from the city of
Portland upon the Il Dor of this House.
know something about that. Threats have
been made, and have been told that if
lid not vote for this measure would kill
myself politically in the city of Portland.
Well, gentleman, to fully explain this
ma't.r, have got to certain extent to
make personal explanation, and l hops
the House will bear with me. Long before
this convention met is was known that
vas candidate. Among my warm per
sorai ami political friends were two gentle
men in the city of Portland who aided and
supported me in my aspirations, two gen.
tlemen who are well known, by
reputati IN at less', upon the floor Of this
House-one, William Looaey. Esq. and
,hh other Walter G. Emerson, editor of the
Portland Advertiser and one of the warm
oct supporters of this bill. Those two men
xre~ my views upon this qaes,ion, and
knowing that was opposed 10 the secret
ballot. aided me il all they could do to help
me. ANY body who is familiar with the
political affairs of Portland knows that the
ticket nominated at that time was made up
upon diffsrebt issues. The Australian bal
lot bill WAS MT thought of, and the men
Who met there thst day were pledged to
vote for me ard ncminated me without re-
gard to what my views were upon this
Australian ballot. After the work hsd
been done and the convention was on the
poin. OF breaking up, one of those
gentlemen, will not say sprung, bnt
Introduced into that convention amidst the
confusion and the hurry Of breaking up this
resolution, and il was declared passed With
o dissausiny vnica wisb,,f En-