The Portland daily press., 1900-09-10
AT SOUTH PORTLAND.
Mr.. Pearson Held Big Meeting satur-
day Night.

Uay Night.
LED lights were burning on the corner
OF Sawyer and High streets in South
Portland, Saturday evening, and in the
presence of over 3OOpersons Rev.S Z. Pear
son, in the good old-fashioned way, from
a large wagon for a platform, addressed
the citizens in behalf Of his candidacy
for sheriff. He opened the meeting with
a fervent prayer and then introduced
Rev, S. ). Bisbee of Brunswick, who
went back to the days of the Revolution
when we had traitors to the cause of free
dom like Benedict Arnold. He found
parallel to Arnold in the person OF Oren
Il. Despeaux, who had betrayed the peo-
pie in his notification of law and sal d
"that if Despsaux and Benedict Arnold
should be buried in the same grave,
Arnold would have just cause for COM
plaint." He referred to the condition Of
things in Cumberland county and asked
who IS responsible, answering, ''No
other than the high sheriff OF Cumber-
land county. lie is a perjured man
when he lifts his hand to Almighty God
and swears that he win enforce the laws
and purpossly fails to do so, thus be-
coming traitor to the commonwealth OF
Maine, surrendering it to the hands OF
the rumsellers Mr.. Bisbee said in
Brunswick there was colony for
Bench Canadians, and a few days ago
they were marched over to Bath and were
naturalized at an expense of about $500,
which, he said no doubt was borne by Mr..
Despeaux. The speaker saw victory in the
air for Mr.. Pearson on Monday for knives
were out for the scalp Of Oren Il. Des.
peaux.
Rev. Mr.. Pearson followed and COM
menced by saying that after hard con-
tested campaign the battle was drawing
near It's close and after fair and candid
review of the situation he could see no
good reason why on Monday next the
peoples candidate should not be elected
by a handsome plurality. He had en-
deavored to make a clean, honest cam
paign, but how was it with his oppon-
ent Mr.. Despeaux.
Mr.. Pearson read a circular which had
been circulated broadly insinuating that
the funds Of the Gospel Mission, of which
he is the head and preacher, had been
applied to his own use. He frst3 touched
on the charge that he consulted a lawyer
ito know just how near sIander and
libel he could go in his attack on Mr..
Despeaux.' This Mr.. Pearson did not
deny, but rather Justified on the ground
of self protection, saying: ''I knew there
was a cess pool to be cleaned and 1
wanted to be careful about what disin.
feotant was used"
Scouting the statement that ''for the
past five years he has had no salary at
all, =" which was followed by a schedule
Of property, etc, he reached the sent
ence ''he lives with his family in one Of
the most fashionable quarters in the
city, at 125 Park street."
"Why shouldn't live with my falni-
ly," continued Mr.. Pearson. ''Isn't
that better than living with some one
else's family? There are already too
many doing that nowadays .
He described his summer house in
HarpsweIl which the circular said she
njoyed" as one on which he paid tax
of about S2.l0, ana one so airy that boys
amused themselves by climbing through
the rafters. This circular as whole
was pronounced scurrilously false by
Mr.. Pearson and he feared it so little as
a campaign document that he was then
and there industriously engaged in dis
tributlng them and when they first came
to his attention OF cred boy who had
them So for two thousand copies.
The main lines of Mr.. Pearson's re-
marks were those followed IN other
speeches which have been already pub
lished. Despeaux stands for nullifica-
tiOn, Barton Tor resu omission and Pear
son for an honest and vigorous enforce
ment of the low.
These points he elaborated WIN
caustic references to Mr.. Despeaux- S adj
ministration of the jail, lack OF proper
seizures with the calico horse, vermIlion
wagon, etc, and as piece of ''unmiti-
gated gall, referred to an extra charge
made by Despeaux on one OF his bills
in the treasurer's Office of $500 for en-
forcement of the prohibiJory law He
exhibited his chart of rum shops, and a
specimen ballot and predicted success
for himself If the people would only
stand up like men and said that succeed
ing he would drive every rumseller out
business