The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-22
Democratic Speakers Discuss Twin
Evils.
Ex-COyGREsSMAN JOHNSON AND
SHEARMAN AT CITY HALL
An Immense Audience Greets the Two
Makes by Far the Best Impression.

Famous Democrats--The Ohio Man
Makes by Far the Best Impression.
The Democrats Of Portland and Vicinity
and the Democrats from the Vicinity
were few and far b,tween-had chance
last night 10 hear such distinguished
speakers as ex-Congressman Tom L.
johnson Of Ohio and Hon. Thomas u.
Sherman of New York talk about penny
whistles. soiled undertaking the de-
cadence of Names industries and in
cidentally abuse the trusts, the protective
tariff and the Republican party to which
they attributed all the evils and troubles
of the past half century.
The meeting occurred in City hall and
was under the auspices of the Cumber-
land county contingent Of the Maine
Democratic club, 1t was the first gather
ing Of the kind instituted by Hon
Llewellyn Barton, who hopes by this
means to reform Portland, convert he
publicans, unite the wavering cohorts OF
the demoraliEsd democracy and be elected
the first mayor Of Greater Portland. The
meeting was huge success. The CITY
hall was filled with men, women land
children, Democratic and Republican.
The platform seated all those distin-
guished stars of the Democratic firma-
ment who have been shining through the
darkness of black Republicauism In
Greater Portland during the past twenty
years who believe in the ratio of 10 to l.,
and who also believe that there should be
jxteen good Democrats after every one
public office.
Hon. Llewellyn Barton presided at this
meeting. He mounted the platform, fresh
from the triumph of the Democratic
mayotalty convention with neat little
speech which he delivered as Introductory
to the evenings entertainment. He closed
amidst "A burst of enthusiasm and tor
rent Of eloquence by introdu' sing as the
presiding officer of the evening ex-Con
Gresham Luther Mckinney. MIR. Mckin-
new spoke at some length harshly criticiz-
ing the Republican administration for Its
sins of omission and commission which
he did not attempt to clearly define and
which we're apparently not very clear &c
him. Certainly he did not make plain &c
the audience just what the administration
had done or had failed to do. He con-
tented himself after talk of some fifteen
minutes by introducing Tom johnson,
whom he characterized as good fellow
from Ohio who had at one time been In
Congress.
Tom johnson has round figure. Il
round, good natured face. and uses line
language which he round into fine
sentences, He was introduced to speak
about trusts and began something like
this:
81 am glad to come to Maine WHERE
they have the good sense to send good
men to Congress aud keep them there
long enough to amount to something.
am glad to come to the home of my friend
Tom Reed, of whom l am very found.
(Applause. / shall never forget my first
meeting wit him. He had Just been In
to Ohio making campaign speeches and
he told me that 10 seemed to him that all
the trains IN Ohio started at five O'Clock
in the morning excepting those which
started at four. (Laughter.) AT this
first meeting with Reed l told him that
would endorse his rules on the floor OF the
House De told me he had heard many
good democrats SAY that, but they
reyer did 1t. Afterwards l had chance
to prove my words and did IT. zap
plauss.)