The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-04-18
The Vote Stood 2O5 To
176.
Town One Of Those Claimed BY
Shepherd Men.
rsPrcIAL TO THE FRRssl

Rockland, April II. The first gun in
the second District Congressional cam
paign was fired In Camden tonight when
Hon. Charles L. Littleteld. the Rocklsnd
candidate gained signal victory over
Hon. Herbert l.. Shepherd of Rookport
Camden Is in class with Rockport and
the Shepherd forces had made loud claims
of their ability to carry the two towns
and an especially hot aght was waged In
Camden as 1t was recognized that victory
there meant prestige for the winner. The
Shepherd forces have been at work there
personally since Saturday and every
stable team in Camden was hired today
in the pursuit of voters who lived In the
remote districts. Mr.. Littleheld and
several of his supporters appeared on the
scene this forenoon and n battle royal was
waged. The Republican vote in Camden
last fall was 2sS and the largest Rspubli-
can vote ever cast there was but little
over 300. Tonight 3Sl votes were cast and
IN adjournment had TO be made to the
Opera house as Engine hall did not begin
to hold the voters and spectators. Organi-
zatlon was made with George L. Had
man. a Shepherd man, as chairman and
Cherries Wood, Littlefield man as clerk.
The two Gets of delegates were as fol-
lows:
For Littlefield,' Ruel Robinson. Charles
Wood, A. f. Miller, V. Wardwell and
Alden Miller.
For Shepherd, Joseph Beers, William
G. Alden, W. X. Gill, Jesse Ogier and
Frank j. Wiley.
The chairman announced that by agree
ment of the two factions the check list
would be used and but known Republi-
cans permitted to vote. j. Il Mont
have recently joined the party, and who
were among the leading Shepherd sup
porters, objected to the use of the check
list, arguing that every body who desired
had II right to vote and that they might
have changed their politics since the pre-
ceding night. Judge Robinson, the leader
of the Littlefeld forces, favored the check
list and his sarcastic allusion to the poll
tics of the newly fiedged Republicans was
wildly applauded. The voting then pro-
ceeded and did not close until nine
O'Clock.
A few minutes later the result was an
nounced: 205 votes for the Littlefield
delegates and I76 votes for the Shepherd
delegate.
Then Bedlam reigned for five minutes.
Cheers resounded through the picturesque
Opera house, hats were thrown aloft and
one enthusiast In the wings began to
manipulate the machinery used to initiate
thunder. Mr.. Shepherd aroused consider
able adverse criticism during the caucus
by distributing votes in the hail and per-
sonally soliciting support
After the result had been declared a
committee waited upon Mr. Littlsfield
and escorted him into the hall where he
received magnificent ovation, ana was
introduced by Chairman Hadman. q
Shepherd man. as the next Congressman
from the Second district. MIR. Littlefleld
said in effect:
81 thank you for this most profound
and sincere support. We have fired the
first gun and l believe with the chairman
that it has named the next congressman.
We have met our friend, the enemy and
believe we have sounded the death knell
of the combination which was trying to
encompass my defeat.
MIR. Littlefeld held an informal recsp-
tion for an hour and was cordially con-
graduated on every side. While the five
votes which Camden will send to the dis
triot convention do not mean much
numerically they are regarded as especial
ly significant coming from a town
claimed by Mr.. Shepherd and as being
the first given to any candidate.
The Rockland caucus was TO have been
held tomorrow night, but just in season
to avert serious blunder, it was dis
covered that the required seven days
notice had not been given and u new call
was Issued for next Monday night. We'd
nssdny Republican caucuses will be held
in South Thomaston, Vinal Haven, Hur-
ricane and Warren.