The Portland daily press., 1898-08-16
IsrEcrAL TO THE rnEss.l

leaders of Biddeford and Saco, profting
by the errors of their Cumberland county
brethren who allowed the s.ss campaign
powder to flash in the pan at Yarmouth
last week, had Parson MeKinney's snow
well advertised. In addition to gettlng
out their posters early, and booming the
thing in their local organ, the invited the
reverend candidate to spend the whole day
here. rendered him an informal reception
in the afternoon, and tonight gave him
ride in barouche behind a brass band.
The procession ended at the Biddeford
Opera House, and enough people followed
the band into the building to completely
fill the lower hall. Only ladies' and their
escorts were allowed to take seats in the
gallery, and us there were not more than
twenty ladies in the two cities interested
enough in the occasion to visitsthe hall,
the few occupants of the opera chairs up
there looked very lonesome. Down stairs
the space between the chairs and the rear
wall was packed solidly with men.
It was q restless, not over-enthusiastic
crowd. and as tho evening wore away and
the factory curfew sounded, in the middle
of Candidate MoKinney's speech, the
audience thinned out to an extent that
must have been disappointing to the
managers Once Mr.. Mckinney paused
full minute, in the midst Of one of his
most inspiring passages, to await cessa-
ton of the noise occasioned by an exodus
Of tired out listeners.
MIR. Cornelius Horigan, d popular
young Democrat, who would have the
handling of the county funds, the next
two years, If his party stood any show of
carrying the election, presided at the
rally.
The first speaker was Honest SAM
Lord, IL o nominee for governor. His
speech was brief. and Was practically a
reiteration of his declaration of principles,
set forth in his letter of acceptance.
Lawyer George Il. Haley, a peppery
Saco politician who holds the Democratic
nomination for county attorney, next had
his say. The big seizures made in town
today by a deputy sheriff who had been
imported from North Berwick, gave
Candidate Haley q new text, and uponi
he evolved q discourse Of. half an hours
duration. ee-iA p. Il 4
His chief accusations were hurled at
City Marshal Charles B. Harmon. the
head of Biddeford's police department,
whose Wholesale raid of the Biddefard
Bottling company's plant, last week, was
the first move in Biddeford's sudden out
burst of liquor law enforcement Mr.
Haley figured out that Marshal Harmon's
salary and commissions amounted to
more than $4,000 q year, which is bigger
salary than is paid the chief of police of
any city of Biddefords size in the
country, Three.tha usand dollars year for
bossing six non partisan policemen with
three commissioners over him to see that
he doesn't neglect his duty" This was
one of the many changes Mr.. Haley rung
on the marshal. sr M
Candidate Haley declared that though
Marshal Harmon was appointed ostensibly
to enforce the laws, bar rooms and rum
shops heye multiplied and fiourished
under his administration. The court
house fight Of two years ago was recalled,
and come figures given on the cost of re.
modelling the Alfred court house. in COM
parison with approximate estimates pre-.
sented before the legislative committee
when the agitation for removal of the
county buildings to Biddeford was under
discussion.
Parson Mckinney was introduced to
the audience by the chairman as 1.-THE
man who between now and September II
will give Tom Reed the greatest hustle he
has had within the memory Of the oldest
inhabitant of this first district of Maine"
The audience cheered and whistled, and
then the Bridgton candidate began an
hours speech. He spoke along the same
line as in his Alfred speech, except that
he did not sandwich in any explanation
of his 1896 attack on Bryan and free
silver. He studiously avoided any refer
ence to currency matters.
He explained how he was enticed away
from his peaceful home at Bridgton to at
tend Democratic gathering in Portland,
two months ago, and was urged to accept
the nomination for Congress. ! could
not decline that invitation,'' he added,
81 St1uu pOtoIo yOu IOuiSud DIS your
candidate for representative to Congress,
and humbly ask your support, that /
may, at least, make respectable run
against the man who has so long repre-
sented this district in the House of
Representatives.
After stating that he did not come
here to abuse anybody, he proceeded to
arraign tho Mckinley administration for
going back on its promise of two years
ago, that the tariff wouldn't be meddled |
with. He denounced the Dingley bill and
said the deficiency in revenue since the
Dingley bill went into operation has been
greater than that under the Wilson bill
during similar period. He further said
that the Dingley legislation had failed to
stimulate business or increase wages.
He said that the action of Congress to-
day does not represent the will of the
people; that under the existing gag
rules one solitary man can sit in the