The Portland daily press., 1900-08-01
Mr.. Pearson Narrowly Escapes IN
dOrsement.
Convention EnlIyened by Many
Speeches.

They wouldn't fuse. That tells the
story of the Democratic county conven-
ton in a few words. The old line Demo
Gratis who don't believe IN Prohibition
and never viii, wouldn' endorse the
Prohibition candidate for sheriff. Rev. S.
+. Pearson Of Portland. Before they
came to this conclusion there was a good
deal Of oratory in which there was a good
deal said about national issues. It
seemed to be the opinion of some of the
delegates that the Dem ocrats of Cumber-
land county would do well to nominate
Illeweiiyn Barton of Portland for sheriff
and then LIewelIyn would see that the
Porto Rico islands had free trade, would
put an end to the Philippine war and
settle our difficulties in China. They
laid out pretty good programme for Mr..
Barton TO follow. lie is to annihllate the
trusts and the rum shops at one sweep If
he Is elected, Tor after much fiery debate
and the nearest approach to real live
convention that the Democrats of Port
land have held since the the famous fight
between George l.. SWEET and Robert T..
Solners for the nomination OF sheriff,
Mr.. Llewellyn Barton was nominated
for sheriff on the second ballot.
IN point of numbers it was "a good sized
convention. There were also gathered
many spectators who came to sse the fun.
Simon 3. Guthrie OF Gorham, the chair
man OF the county committee, called the
convention TO order at $50 0 clock. The
convention was set down for nine o'clock,
but ia the Interpretation Of the Demo
cratic machine that meant any time be-
FORE ten. There was desire on the part
Of many of the delegates to get to Alfred
IN time for ths district convention, ana
this expedited matters a little. Joseph
Eff Connolly of Portland was selected
d. the county committee as temporary
chairman and Tobias A. Burke OF Port
land as secretary. Mr.. Connolly made
a tine presiding officer, and pushed
things along in his characteristic man
ner. After the call had been read by Mr..
Burke. Alr. Connolly proceeded to make
d speech. 1t was what the boys call
shot stun, = and it was delivered in that
ferocioas, whirlwind manner which has
given Mr.. Connolly the nickname of
~CycIone joe" Mr.. Connolly is a good
taIker and delivers his blows straight
from the shoulder. lie began, OF course,
by saying something about ''that match
less statesman, that fearless and gallant
leader William Jennings Bryan, which
rather woke the convention up little
ana brought forth some applause. He
then went on to say that Bryan was be-
loved by the Democrats for the enemies
he had made among the trust magnates,
the dlsreputable politicians and ward
heelers OF the Republican party. He
characterized the platform adopted at
she Kansas City convention as the second
Declaration of Independence, and he
said that the platform adopted By the
Democratic State convention at Lewiston
appealed to the heart Of every honest
citizen He SAID that the Lewiston con-
vention had selected its candidate for
governor for his honesty, ability and in
tegrity rather than for the amount he
would contribute to the campaign fund
IF Honest sam Lord is elected governor
be Will be the best governor Maine has
ever had. Compare the Bangor and
the Lewiston conventions" said Mr..
Connolly. ''The delegates to the Lewis
ton convention went there at their own
expense to select their candidates IN q
good old Democratic fashion, while those
at the Bangor convention were either
Office holders or were supplied with free
passes by Joe Manley, the great dignitary
OF the Grand Old Party in Maine.
Mr.. Connolly then went on to tell how
important the Office of sheriff was and
how dangerous it would be for the COM
munity to place that office in the hands
OF an unfaithfuI man. Z" For years the
Republican party in Maine has fostered
and protected the hypocritical prohibitory
law. Portland is overrun with rum
shops in spite OF the fact that the atten-
tion Of the county attorney, the sheriff
and the mayor have bean called to them.
The sheritfs appear to be on the alert,
but the rumsellers are forewarned by the
calico horse and the red wagon
Mr.. Connolly went on to tell about
deputy sheriff and a convicted rumseller
going to Bangor under the banner of a
local Republican organization ana walk
ing hand in hand through the streets of
Portland, thereby raising a laugh In the
convention. why are so many rumsel-
1ers connected with the Republican or
ganization? asked Mr. Connolly, and then
he went on to say that it was because
they were protected by Republican otli-
Gals and because the Republicans used
them to raise large revenues for cam
paign purposes. The speaker then went
on to talk about what a Republican off,
cial had said in the common council re-
garding the fee system and said that
Honest Sam Lord was the first man in
this State to raise his voice against it. ="
Do the people Of Cumberland county