The Portland daily press., 1894-09-06
CAPE ELIZABETH.
dessrs. Heckbert and Clifford Empty
the South Portland Hall,
And Col. John G. Cobb Was Lest without
an Audience.

And Col. John G. Cobb Was Lest without
an Audience.
Local talent at SouthPortland may try
and try again, but it never will sue
ceed in putting upon the opera house
stage more ridiculous farce than that
of last Tuesday evening, in which was
cast the amateur Democratic performers,
Dyer, Cobb, Clifford and Heck bert.
Union Hall, or the Opera House. was
moderately well flied by people, drawn
thither by the Knightville band and
through curiosity to hear what excuses
and apologies the speakers had to make.
The audience was half women and chill
dren, and at least half of the remainder
were Republicans. A citizen named
Noah very fttingly called the meeting
to order and told it's object. He then in
troduced Mr.. Louville Dyer as chairman.
He undertook to WOO the audience with
praises of Cleveland andDemocratic prin-
ciples, and wound up by saying that
the new tariff bill was thing dear to
every Democratic heart-that is, rum
and molasses, sugar and whiskey4 !, had
been made dearer. @s
Mr.. Dyer then said he would introduce
the next represen tative to the legislature
and the audience appeared surprised
when Mr.Heck bert came forward instead
of Mr.. Cole. But this mistake of the
chairman was good humoredIy over
looked just as we overlooked . the mis-
take be made a few years ago when ,he
tried to be a poet. OF course we all
knew that the meeting was planned to
have Mr.. Heck bert make his debut. On
comingsforward he:blushed very prettily,
and expressed the diffidence with which
he appeared. fS
One point he dwelt upon with empha-
sis. He wished the audience to under
stand that he spoke as Democrat. This
explanation seemed necessary for reasons
well known. to the speaker and most OF
the audience. He then proceeded with
his orati on. which contained SO much
strong Populist doctrine that had it
been uttered in the square ut Knight
vile, boys of the speakers age would
have applauded him with tomatoes. To
lengthen out his weak effort, he read
what sounded like schoolboy's compo-
sition on. the tariff, and he received a
fairlysgood need of applause when he
alluded to the~sRepu blican doctrine of
protection I'd American labor. His re-
mark that we could hear Mr.. Reeds
views next Saturday evening was well
received by the audience. Somebody had
told him SO, and SO he made the foolish
statement that where 60 per cent of
American people owned their homes 35
years ago, only 25 per cent owned them
now. But he either didn't know, or it
didn't suit his purpose to offer any ex-
planation as to whatever truth there
might be in it.
The chairman next introduced Mr..
Clifford as man somewhat identified
with Cape Elizabeth interests. HI made
no such allusion to the former speaker.
After paying Cape Elizabeth and the
State of Maine high compliments on
their superb location and general pros
perity, catching sight of Noah's pres
ence In the stage scenery at his left, Mr..
Clifford seemed to catch an inspiration,
for he at once reverted to the ancient
and obsolete ships of many years ago.
and lnnocently asked where they were
at. He said that though he was getting
to be quite old himself, his democracy
was very young. No one doubted this
when he commended every tax imposed
curing the war as right and necessary
for the preservation. OF the Union. and
we all rec called the fact that he and his
associates roundly denounced all such
taxes when they were levied. He admit
ted that he might be mistaken in being
Democrat, but that his politics were
the result of conscience and according
TO his best light. The speaker asked lots
Of easy questions, but gave no opportun-l
ity to answer. One big mistake that he
made was his attempt 10 initiate the
speech and manner of Mr.. Reed. The
effort was so palpably an example of the
animal in the wrong skin that the many
Repu blicans present were greatly
amused. He told how all Democratic
success had come of great pain and party
travail. and the audience thought Of the
parturition of the mountain By the
time that Mr.. Clifford had spoken half an
hour, there were many vacant seats in
the hall, and when he had been paid the
evidently grudged compliment of a hear
ing and sought his seat, the audience
rose en- masse and made for the door.
leaving Mr.. Cobb, the, next speaker, and
a deserted house.
This seemed to badly rattle the chair
man, who came forward and called up
on tue vaca MT seats for three cheers for
Candidate Heckbert. Democrats admit
that only four voices responded, and
they didn't all sound like cheers.
The veteran soldier element of the
of which there was a good
sprinkling, was much tickled over the
persistency with which Merriman's
Sand played-1 Marching through Geor-
gia," Marching Along," John Browns
Body" and other patriotic airs, although
Mr.. Heck bertin his orations seemed to
give the band a cue by mentioning "Dix- |
e Land" and my Maryland "
For the purpose evidently of giving
Mr.. Cobb, whom the people refused ITO
near Tuesday, a chance tot unload, the
Democrats announce another rally at the |
Town Hall Friday evening, and the Re- |
ou bl1cans have decided, after witnessing
me South Portland opera house farce,
hat they have no need to make any
counter demonstration. s ~ III Is IN
Next Monday the voters will repudiate
the principle of representation without |
taxation.