The Portland daily press., 1892-06-01

Efleuus were MOSC numerous In6r6-
Visiting Portland Statesmen-Loud
Charges That the Caucus Was Packed;
But Nothing to Prove Them-Apparent-
ly No SWEET Sentiment Whatever in the
Caucus.
The first skirmish in the great Demo-
cratic contest for the nomination for
county sheriff tool. place last evening in
the Deering caucus, which the genial
and magnetic ''Bob'' Somers captured
with rush in spite of all the friends of
Alderman George Tolman and City
Marshal George L. SWEET could do. 1t
was big, stormy, dramatic and intense
ly interesting caucus.
In the first place, no one seems to have
had much notice of it. The call for the
Democratic county convention was
issued Saturday, and the Deering caucus
was called at the earliest possible
moment.
Consequently there was great hust-
ling about among the candidates yester-
day, with the result that the ever-enter-
prising Somers won.
Mr.. Cyrus Green called the caucus to-
gether at Adams Hall, Woodfords, and
read the call. Then Mr.. Green was
elected chairman and George Ward clerk.
The caucus was just, organized when
a young man-it was said afterwards
that he was from Portland-walked up
to the chairman and handed him the fol-
lowing resolution, with request that it
be adopted:
Resozued, That the delegates chosen to attend
the Democratic county convention to be held at
Portland June 20, 1892, be and are hereby in
structed to use all honorable means to secure
the nomination OF sheriff for Geo. L. SWEET
The chairman took the resolution, of
which more will be heard hereafter.
Then it was voted to proceed to the
selection of a delegation of eight to at
tend the Democratic state convention at
Bangor.
Mark Jordan, war-horse of East
Deering, arose and said some were pres
emit from out of town, and he thought
they ought to leave the hall.
The chairman, in loud voice, pro-
claimed that all outsiders must retire.
This brought Major Alden to his feet.
He said there were no outsiders present
who would attempt to participate.
The Chairman-"There is one; see
him going out the door,
Major Alden-'sBut I think the Port
land gentlemen here will not attempt to
participate. They are honorable men,
[Applause].
This ended the work of casting out
devils.
Then the caucus voted to proceed to
the choice of delegation of eight to at
tend the state convention. There was
long trouble getting this delegation, as
nobody seemed to want to go to Bangor.
Finally a delegation was made up as fol-
lows: Captain William Sennett, John
Seaman, George Furlong, G.. G. Lane, A.
S. Wentworth, Howard W. Winslow, Au-
gustus Tate, George B. Leavitt.
This being done, the
Ring Was Cleared for the Sheriff Fight.
And it was a greatfight, superintendent
by visiting statesmen from Portland.
The most prominent of these were Coun-
Gilman w. u. O'Brien, Assistant Street
Commissioner Richard Norton and
Thomas Carey.
These gentlemen were destined to play
a somewhat prominent, if passive part,
in the caucus. 1t is understood that they
were generally in the interest of other
candidates than Mr.. Somers.
The leader of the Somers forces on the
floor was Alexander McKone. He was
both early and audacious, for the chair
man had hardly announced the conven
ton ready to proceed to the selection of
delegates to the county convention when
Mr.. McKone was on his feet with writ
ten motion that delegation composed
of George W. Ward, Martin Curran, A.
A. McKone, E. M. Lang, Jr., L. P. Haw-
kins, j. j. Connery, George Alden and J.
Scanlon be chosen to attend the county
convention. L. W. Dyer was originally
ON this list; but he declined, and Martin
Curran was substituted. Upon his mo-
ton MI McKone loudly demanded vote
at once.
Then there was protest against hur-
rying vote, but the Somers men, who
had gathered in the back of the hall in
dense mass, loudly demanded and got a
vote. On show of hands the crowd in
the back of the hall PANIED out 80 votes,
and the opposition q. So the chair de-
clared the ticket elected amid loud
cheers of the Somers men.
The anti-Somers men, who had begun
to recover their breath, were mad.
men who had no right here voted down
in that corner" shouted L. w. Dyer.
II don't like to
See Caucus Packed"
Adjourn! Adjourn shouted the
Somers men.
Then there was much con-
fusion. When it subsidized,
Thomas Cripp and Major Alden called
attention to the necessity of choosing a
city committee. This was arranged by