Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-23
PEOPLES PARTY .
Of Maine Found Golden Cross Hall
Large Enough for Convention.

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nv Relieve. BY Platform. Humanib's Ills and
Nsminais Batsman fer 0evsgner.
There was an attendance Of about 100 on
.he State convention Of the Peoples Party
AZ Maine in Golden Cross hall, Thursday.
The forenoon. meeting was , rather
ouiet one, but few sratorical pyrotechnics
hs;oe let off. A man from Auburn, how
.ver. startled them with the information
that 1900 shoemakers in his city were starv-
ing, but this was only prelude or explana-
< t;on of his desire for State board of arbi-
tration.
The convention was called to order at 10
o'clock A. M. by II. s. Hobbs Of, Rockland,
State chairman. The can was read by
I! D. G. Richards of South Hope. A. A.
Beston Of Rockland was elected temporary
chairman. Whitefeld Harris of Auburn
and James E. Campion Of Portland were
elected secretaries. It was voted to admit to
the deliberations Of the convention all Pop
ulsts present regardless Of credentials. A.A.
Beaton, as temporary chairman, was chosen
chairman Of the convention.
Voted that each county select member
for the State committee. The following
we're elected: Androscoggin, j. E. Ash,
Auburn; Cumberland, w. H. Jewett, Port
land Franklin, B. II. Ridley, jay; Han
cock, Henry Belts, Ellsworth; Kennebec,
A. W. Boynton, Augusta; Knox, A. L.
Young. Camden Lincoln, G. w. Bickford.
Dresden Mills; Penobscot, John White, Lee
want; Pi,cataquis, Willard Lord Abbot Vii
lsge ;Sagadahoc John M Jordan, Richmond ;
Somerset, w. G.. Hatgood, Skowhegan !;
Waldo, Andrew.E. Clark. Belfast. Voted
that the State committee be empowered
to fill all vacancies in committees no. rep
resented in the convention, and also all va
,cancies occurring during their term Of office.
The following were chosen committee
on resolutions:
AndroscogQin, J. f. Ash, Auburn; Cum
berland, W. H. Sargent, Portland; Frank
lin, B. H. Ridley, jay; Hancock, Henry
Belts, Ellsworth; Kennebec, f. w. Boyn.
ton, Augusta; Knox, d. G. Richards, South
Hope; Lincoln, j. L. Jones, South Dres-
den; Penobscot, O. d. Chapman, Plymouth
Piscataquis, Willard Lord, Abbot Village
Sagadahoc, BENZ. CASTILLO, Richmond ;
Somerset, G. C. Sheldon, Athens; Waldo,
L. C. Bateman, Searsmont.
Afternoon Session.
At the beginning of the afternoon session
Prof. L. C. Bateman read the platform
that had been drafted by the committee.
This platform had the usual prelude about
the people of this country being reduced
to the condition of serfs, the reign of plu-
tocracy, etc. 1t favored free silver coinage
at q ratio of l6 to /, to be supplemented
by legal tender paper money till the sum
total is equal to $50 per capita, the issue
thereafter to be regulated by the bureau of
statistics. 1t also favors governmental
control Of railroads, telephones and tele-
graphs, also that Congress prohibit unde-
sirable immigration. enact . graded income
tax, provide for arbitration between en-
ployer and employee with power to enforce
the decision of the arbitrators, and that
the Maine Legislature provide a system Of
State insurance for farm property, also q
listing system of taxation.
When the platform was read Mr.. Ler
mond OF Thomaston spoke in opposition t.
the plank advocating free coinage. Ngav'
special privileges to the mine owners. HI
and his party was opposed to special priv
leges, he said. If they were going to re
tain the free coinage plank he felt certain
that the sub-treasury plank should be pu
in. He thought both should be struck ou
and give no special privileges. Prof. Bate
man replied that while paper money wal
the ideal money, that was hundred year
in the future. They must take things ii
they found them. If they struck out fire.,
coinage they got out of line with their party
in the nation. The people are prsjudiced,
he said, in favor Of free coinage.
Scion Chase jumped into the middle Of
the fray. He said the free coinsge plank
was the meat in the whole platform.
Another orator leaped to his feet and
tragically declared that it would be treason
and treachery to cut that plank out. He
closed with an exhortation for the Peoples
party Of Maine to leave their footprints or
the sands of time.
w. H. Sargent Of Portland struck a
chord in the Populistic heart when he de-
clared with fervor that there were more
votes in the dollar of our dsddies than in
anything else. He had good deal to say
about wheat and cotton producers starving
to death, but didn't mention any examples
1t was difficult to tell just what motor
there was before the house and the chair
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