The Portland daily press., 1899-03-02
POLITICAL LANDMARKS.
what Rev. Caleb Bradley Wrote Rsls-
tive to a. DE emocrstic Celebration In
Portland sixty Years Ago.
To the Editor of the Press:

TO the Editor Of the Press:
1t seems TO NE that the followingiwhich
havc. copied from one Of the Journals
Of Rev. Caleb Bradley, who resided
among us more than sixty years, is sufii
ciently interesting for insertion In the
PRESS, hence send 1t for publication.
WARD NIGHT.
Deering, Feb. 81, 1899.
July 4. 1870. Overcast In the morning
but proved to be pleasant, fine day,
called the birthday Of the United States
/ n i776, ,-64 years ago-we declared our
selves free and independent Of our mother
country-Old England. This day we
keep in remsm brance of the event by be-
disorderly conduct mark the proceedings
Of tn, 4th OF July. Today a great con-
course Of people assembled in Portland to
celebrate By way Of remembrance. The
present Governor and ex-Governor Dun
lap, l am told, were present and very
srent multitude OF all ra nks, color, sex
and ages o. what 2 time they must have
hadi What dust they must have kicked
upl The whole county Of Democrats
were invited by the of1ioe holders to come
INTO the city, unite in the demon strAti0n,
and take little Of the good stun and
thereby drown all trouble for the time be-
ing. ] don't know the particulars but
when do shall take some further notice
OF the wonderful celebration.
BY @ request Of the committee of ar
rangements at 1orham l went to that
p ace and officlated as Chaplain and Neal
Dow delivered an address Of one hour and
ten minutes lin )eugth-verJ good, and
we'll spoken-good sssemblage, very order
ly, good dinner, SAW no one run en-.
The Democratic celebration in the city
was u total failure. A mu....une assent
bled, between eleven and twelve hundred
in the procession, but more THAI tn .
hundred II the um Der being Leys parad :
ed the streets in the dust and a.. th-if
rags, many of them dirty; NO oruer, and
not fifty of the citizens of Portland in the
procession from which ID would seem TO
appear that the Portland democrats were
rather ashamed to he seen associatiDg
with.their country Democrats, emocrat's .
moorats, ocrats, crats, rats, for thus he
word democrat may Do analysed. IL ma.
be made to mean something or nothing.
A true democratic government means a
government Of the people, that Is, the
people govern. This should be the prao-
tical meaning, that Is the people should
60 freely Of their own accord to the polls
and cast in their ballots unbiased. uu-
bought by rum, money or promises.
Citziens should be well informed and un-
dsrstand the principles of the go, ernment,
know what their rignLs are an maintain
them, but IL is not so In this county (of
Cumberland). The people so to the polls
and cast in their ballots as the leaders OF
the parties dictate. The party that osn
urge, buy, or threaten and by these
means obtain the most votes Is considered
the most correct and most worthy of Putt
lie confidence. The Lord have mercy
upon democratic nation tnat Is in such
a situation as we ars. The people do as
they are told by their respective leaders.
An invitation WAS given out by few
Office holders, a few weeks since, to the
Democrats OF the county, to meet in Port.
land and celebrate the 4th aHd partake OF
an entertainment in barn at the end OF
Union wharf Now. who is TO pay the
pills? 1t is to be done principally by the
custom house officials and now 1t will be-
of all who partook of the enter
tai inment to vote at the next election In
favor of .the party that paid for the din
ner. Those present are bounu to do this,
and thus they are bought and are under
obli ga tion to do all they can 10 support the
party that invited them to the entertain
ment. Ihis Is a plain statement OF the
case. Can a government stand long ike
ours wherein things have come to this
pass? Certainly not. There must Le
God grant there may be one for
the better; may the eyes of the people be
ope ned may the ears of the people be
may the hearts of,,the people be
soitened and may the spirit OF the gospel
of Christ prevail and then all Will be
we'll