The Portland daily press., 1896-06-17
GONE TO THU BOW vows
George Fred Williams on Our Lost
Condition.
NATIONAL VIGOR SUPPED BY VII
LANIOUS MONOPOLY.
Cheerful Entertainment at the Big Demo-
cratic Feast-Some Who Were There
and Things That Were Done.


cratic Feast-some Who Were There
and Things That Were Done.
1t is said that to State Committeeman
Llewellyn Barton belongs the credit of
the idea of feeding into good humor the
members of the state Democratic con :
vention. There generally has not been
any consolation for Maine Democrats
after their conventions so the idea of
taking it in advance was popular. There
must have been between five and six
hundred of the Maine Democracy at the
long table in City hall last evening. In
teresting and illustrious as would be the
list, If all the names could be published.
space forbids mention of more than those
sitting at the supper table of the feast,
to the right and left of Dr. Gordon who
presided like Saxon earl.
Those who sat at the table of the earl
dom were: Alonzo Garceion, Geo. L.
SWEET, j. 9. Lane. Frank M. Bradbury,
Joseph E. Moore, Francis B. Torray.
George e. Hughes, Fred Emery Beane,
W. Deering. Charles T. johnson, Ar
thur Sewall, Harvey W. Shepard, S. G.
Gordon, Geo. Fred Williams, Henry W.
Lamb, S. D. Leavitt. Fl. j. Hathaway,
Stephen G. Perry, Charles H. Chase,
Geo. Walker, Charles Baker, Parker T.
Fuller. Bion Wilson, T. T. McGillioud-
dy, Arthur L. Farnsworth, Weston
Thompson, B. W. Larrabee Geo. r..
Nichols, W. L. Spear, DR.. G. ". Pierce,
L. M. Fulton, Geo. G. Frye. Henry P.
Merrill, Francis A. Fox. Russell d.
Woodman, Kimball Eastman, T. Gold
waith, Jr., Ernest G. Gibson, W. G..
Davis, L. J. Martel, ]. H. McNamara,
e. K. O'Brion, A. W. Br adbury.
| 1t must not be inferred that these were
| the only men of noble lineage who gath
| cred in that hall. At the lower tables
sat many whose Democratic escutcheons
| for many generations have known no
stain, unless it be the bar sinister of
| Greenbackism.
| The dinner, well served and made more
delightful by strains Of music was gen.
orally unevenrful. Gold and silver were
| the fayorite topics of conversation The
| federal off1ce-holders and their friends
were generally for gold and they 500 uted
the idea that Arthur Sewall and the
silyerites could stampede the convention.
In one or two instances the friendly dis
cussions became quite pointed. 1t could
| hardly be said that the banqueters fully
represented the party; because relatively
few OF the eastern men were present.
After cigars had lighted, DR.. S. c.
Gordon, the presiding officer, welcomed
those present with general congratula-
tions on the attendance. He recalled how
hard it had been to be Democrat dur
ing the last 80 years. Nothing but
abiding prin ciple could induce man to
undergo the oontumely heaped upon
Democrats by their skilfull opponents.
DR.. Gordon then proceeded to repay the
Republicans in their own coin.
The speaker struck fire when he spoke
of Sound money, (applause), the good
old bullion Of Benton" (Applause.)
Then
GEORGE FRED WILLIAMS g
of Massachusetts was introduced. The
reception he received was most cordial,
his audience rising and heering, again
and again.
Mr.. Williams, cultured and pleasing
orator of the best Massachusetts form,
began by speaking of the two great par
ties as permanent fixtures Of government,
the one inspired by the ideas of Jeffer-
son, the other Dy the spirit of Hamilton.
The form Of our government is SO ad-
justed that radical error is never very
likely to attain to power.
Mr.. Williams then said that he didn't
believe the Democratic party was per-
forming its true function in opposing
the Populist party. He believed it
worth while to ask whether the popular
the results of an unjust and oppressive
series of conditions. Agriculture and
commerce were depressed by cruel in
justices. After 25 years Of Republican
rule, commerce. the hand-maiden of
agriculture, was languishing, and agri-
culture was or prostrated. MoKinleyism,
the consummation of 80 years of unequal
government had ushered In the oppres-
sion Of labor and paralysis of manufact-
ures.
Mr.. Williams then went on to rehearse
how in 80 years railroad stocks had been
watered, trusts created, monopolies fos-
tered by the patent laws and other legis-
lation, traffic pools formed to increase
railway charges, and many other dark
iniquities perpetrated upon the people.
This description he referred to as q
brief history of the ''sad story of our In
dustrial Development"
Who pays for this? Whence flows this
stream of gain? Who can doubt that it
comes out of the toll of the laborer? If
we have money to invest where shall we
put it to have it safe. I have lost more
from dishonest railway managers than
silver standard ever could take from me
(applause) and the men who stole it are
walking the streets of Boston, heads up,
and will denounce me for "arraying
class against class