The Portland daily press., 1898-01-11
TO the Editor of the Press:

TO the Editor of the Press:
The people of both Portland and Deer
ing are to vote next March upon the ques-
ton of the annexation of Deering to Port
land. Portland never has had the opportu-
nifty before, but it is no new question In
Deering. 1t has been discussed in every
possible phase for at least eight or ten
years. After couple years of desultory
agitation, in the year 1888, when Col.
Edward Moore was the Deerjng represen-
tative at Augusta, and Hon. Charles f.
Libby of Portland was i'll the Senate,
two measures were passed by the legisla-
ture, with the avowed purpose OF giving
the citizens of Deering a choice OF changes
| of form of municipal government. One
was an enabling act for annexation TO
Portland, generally understood to have
been drafted by Judge Geo. G. Hop kins
OF Deering, who at thst time champ1oned
the annexation movement. The 9th r
was city charter for Deering, drafted
| by a committee consisting of l.. D. Chap
man, Daniel D. Chenery, Adam W. VIII
son Ruel Small Joseph III. Hutchins
| Isaac L. Elder and +. .. Bailey three
of whom are now said TO favor annexa-
| ton, This charter is the same, though
some what changed by amendments, under
which Deering now exists.
| Following the enactment OF these two
measures 8 division of opinion arose
among the advocates of new departure,
as to which to adopt; SO that. for a time,
| the party which still adhered to the old
| town form of government had tnelr way
| Annexation was submitted to the people
| in the year $780, and was defeated by q
majority of only eighty-four in a total OF
seven hundred and one (701) votes, show
ing a 'strength of at least 3OS voters at this
early date. Son after. the city charter
was defeated with "a very light vote, by
about two to one. In May, 1891, annexa-
| ton was again submitted to the people,
and this time 3S6 votes were cast Tor It,
gain Of IS votes. i'll spite OF the com
btned efforts of the charter men and the
| town men, who, this time, organized,
canvassed, and spent money freely Tor
their campaign purposes, and mustered
every available vote. Annexation was
defeated by vote of 500 to 1856 mt the
| largest town meeting ever held in the his
tory of the town. At this time the East
ern Forge Co., was in operation ana tnls
| helped the vote OF the ''Antis" by about
SIXTY transient voters, which. when added
| to what was then known as the dump
| cart brigade that is, those who were
| regularly employed upon the roads by
| the town officers, was sufhc1ent force to
| hold the balance of power. Besides, the
| splendid organization OF the ant1-annexa-
| tionists succeeded in bringing to the. polls
almost every voter whom they had
marked as opposed to annexation. In the
fall of the same year, upon Oct. IL, the
! CITY charter was accepted by light vote.
| The enabling oct of 1899 was exhausted
| by it's second trial, and from that time
| until now the people have not had an OPP
| portunity to vote upon this question. At
every session of the legislature, however,
| an attempt has been made to get legisla-
| ton for the purpose; and on each occasion
| the netitiopers have been met at Augusta
| By the ORGANIZED efforts of the Office hold
ers and ,noliticians of the city OF Deering.
who have been successful In preventing
the legislature from again suDm1ttlng
| this vital question to the people Ihey
have uniformly claimed toh0 1he measure
could not be carried; but have. Leverthe-
less. bean unwilling to trust the peoplelin
the matter. Last winter. however, the
| law creating the commission TO formulate
terms for annexation was passed; ana
now we are once again TO nave an oppof.
tunity to pass upon 1t. Inc me6hoo
| adopted for fixing the terms seems 10 pc
as fair method to both cities as could
possibly have been contrived. Ihero mas
| been an increase Of about seven nuhureu
polls;in Deering since 1891, Wheh IL was
last voted upon, and many or these are
| from Portland.
There would seem to be good gfouhuls,
for the belief that this time Deerlng WIN
| vote for annexation; more especiah! ~
since the chief arguments when were
then advanced against 1t are no lo .l..
valid, and the relative financial condl'lon
Of the two cities is now about the same.
| PROG RESS.