The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-10-26
TWO EPISODES OF POLITICS
buchanan and the Honest Folks Of
Lancoster-A Converted Democrat.

Philadelphia October 25.-When Col.
John o. Winship, who was for years
resident of Maine, but is now a member
of the bar in Cleveland, met Joseph IL.
Manley OF Maine here he told some stories
of old time Maine politics and interested
a little group OF listeners who gathered
around them in the lobby Of the hotel.
1.-THE last time I saw Hannibal Ham
lin," Col Winship said, twas during the
Blaine campaign in 1884. Hamlin made
a few speeches in Ohio, and when he
came to Cleveland invited him out to
my home. He was in a pleasant mood
and told number of funny stories, one
OF which / recall. In 1859, when he was
a Democrat, he was announced to address
a Democratic meeting with James
Buchanan at Lancaster, Pa.
Simon Cameron resided. The meeting
was held in a large hall from which all
the seats had been removed. The hall
was packed to the door by men standing
up. Hamlin was the first sp eaker and for
an hour or more held the undlvid ed at
tention of the big audience.
"While he was talking several persons
In the back part OF the hall had been re-
lieved of their pocketbooks. The sergeant
of police, who was in the hall, worked
his way through the crowd to the stage
and whispered to Cameron a request to
announce that there were p1ckpockets in
the hall and that the people should be on
the alert to protect themselves Cameron
intended to make the announcement at
the close of Hanlin's speech, but in the
applause that followed he forgot 1t. When
quiet was restored he introduced Buchan-
an to the audience as their distinguished
fellow citizen. Buchanan got up and
surveying the crowd of his old neighbors,
began:
g Il assure you, my fellow citizens,
that 1t is indeed a plsasure TO return to
my old home and meet you again. like
to look into the honest faces OF the people
of Lancaster. A more honest people does
not exist than in this dear old county
Cameron just here thought of what
he had forgotten and, interrupting Bu-
clanan, said:
Z" L am requested by the sergeant of
police to state that there are pickpockets
in the hall, that several persons in the
audience have had their pocketbooks
stolen, and to ask you to be on the watch
to intercept the guilty Ones
g OF course said Hamlin in relating
the story to me, 'thers was great laugh
ter, but Buchanan passed 1t off casually
and went on with his speech
ued, was without question the best
political orator who ever lived in Maine .
And Manley nodded assent.
I'm the Democratic convention of 1869
q resolution sustaining the war was laid
on the table. Barker was fierce Union
man and, although he had always been
an incorporating Democrat, he picked
up his hat and left the convention hall
ana never again affiliated with that
party.
"a short time afterwards he addressed
Republican meeting up in Androscoggin
county, and among his listeners was
an old close communion Baptist minis
ter by the name of Burbank. Barker was
a very profane man, and his speeches
were few in which he did not work in an
oath or two. Burbank was an intense
Union man, and he was pleased to hear
that the Republican ranks had obtained
such an accession as Barker. He called
on Barker in his room at the village hotel
the next morning.
g I want to congratulate you,' he
said. upon the noble stand you have
taken in this cause. You have been
favored with an excellent command of
language and you are in position to do
a power of good. There Is only one fault
1 would find with your speech OF last
night, and that is that once or twice you
used expressions that bordered upon the
profane. Now, you know that the people
about here pride themselves upon their
religious breeding and the champion1ng
of only those things that are good. If
you VIII only moderate your talk in such
instances what you say VIII have vast
inf uence.'
BARKER looked at him minute and
then replied: You are right as far as
you CO. Elder burbank, but 1 want to
say that If we're to come up here and
tell the people that I had been Demo
crat all my life and did not swear they
Wou Id think it was a damn lie.
Arrange to go to Boston on October 80.