The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-02-13
THE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS.

A Large and Enthusiastic Gathering.
Spirited Speeches and Scathing Ar
raignment of the Democratic Admins
tration.
The Republican voters of Belfast met in
the court house last Tuesday evening to
nominate candidate for Mayor, and ward
officers for wards l, and 8. Wards and
5 held their caucuses Monday evening"
There was a large attendance and much
enthusiasm. Arthur Richie, Esq, presid-
ed and Mr.. Charles S. Bickford was chosen
as secretary. On taking the chair Mr..
Ritchie addressed the caucus at some length
on our municipal affairs. He began with a
reference to the old Taxpayer and Tax
Reducer fight, now happily thing of the
past, but which it is said the Mayor pro-
poses to recall with view to melting anew
the bitter animosities of that time, and
spoke of the railroad matter, commencing
the action of the Republican city govern
ment which refunded the city's indebted
ness and placed the bonds where they could
not be meddled with by scheming, self
seeking politicians. 1t may be stated here
! that for many years past the rental OF
road and the railroad tax received from the
State exceed by several thousand dollars
the interest on the bonds, SO that the road
| is no longer burden on tax payers. Mr.
Ritchie then contrasted the condition OF our
city under Republican and under Demo-
cratic rule. When the Republicans had
control the tax rate was II mills, all our
local industries were 1ourishing, there was
not vacant tenement, and the population
had been increased to 5000. The great re-
forms promised by the succeeding Demo-
cratic administration did not materlallze'
the tax rate was increased to 20 mills ana
for the $58,OOO raised from tax payers, IN
place of the $4,000 under the Republicans
there was nothing to show. The present
administration while keeping the rate at 20
mills had increased the valuation. and col
lected $59,0O0 from the tax payers. How
about the promises of ''greater prosperity,
lower taxes, better wages, better prices for
products, new steel bridge, electric rail-
road, hotel" ETC. Have any of these prom
ises been kept? We still have our old
bridge, which is quite sufficient for our
needs, there is not a word about an electric
road, and the only hotel we had has been
closed under the present administration.
lit may be added here that when Mayor
Hanson got into office before it was through
melting hostility to the public-spirited citi-
zens who of their own means had built
modern, we'll equipped hotel, from which
they could expect no pecuniary returns,
aud that it was burned to the ground under
his administration. On closing his address,
which had the close attention of all present,
Mr.. Ritchie said that nomination 1or
mayor was now in order
MIR. Orlando E. Frost was called upon and
; rising said that, looking into the faces OF the
Republicans present, he was reminded OF
!. story. Some may have heard it, but ne
! would venture to tell it. Three foreigners
"a German, a Frenchman and an lrishmai
had come to this country looking for EN-
ployment, and hearing of job the three
, called upon the man who had it to give. Al
they were all young, strong and intelligent
it was difficult to decide between them, ant
finally the man said he would ask them eact
question and the nature of their answers
would determine him. To the German III
said, eff you were not German VIVA
would you want to be? The reply was, II
I was not a German | would want to be I
Frenchman. The Frenchman when ques
toned returned the compliment and said i
he was not Frenchman he would want tt
be German. The Irshman said: "lt
was not an Irshman l would be ashamed
of myself." And, continued Mr.. Frost, il
the presence of this gathering, if was no
a Republican I'd be ashamed of myself. lie
then spoke OF the qualifications needed IN {
candidate for may or, saying that man who
duly considered the responsibilities thai
would devolve upon him and weighed his
own abilities for performing the duties OF
the office, was to be preferred to one who
sought the position with view to attaining
something higher. A successful man was
} to be preferred to one who had been found
wanting. In the course of his remarks MIR
Frost said, see the mayor is present and
as this is our caucus if have occasion te
say anything that may be unpleasant to him
he can step outside. l understand that the
mayor has been claiming my vote, but will
notify him here and now that he will moi
get it. He then took up municipal matters
dwelling particularly on the road question
For an expenditure of some $1,000 in road
machinery, etc., all we had to show was 631
feet of macadam road, which was neither
underdrained nor surface drained, while far
ther along the street, opposite the Marsano
block, the mud was deep, nearly to the
knees of horses, and the soil was such as
would have made good potato patch. The
steam roller was run over this and smooth.
ed it down, but with the first rain it was as
bad as ever. He referred to the statement
of the mayor that crushed rock could be
furnished as cheaply as gravel, which costs
ten cents load, a statement that should de.
ceive no intelligent person. MIR. Frost then
took up the financial question, showing the
increase in taxation and in valuation under
the two years of Democratic rule.
Passing to the Mayors promises before
election Mr.. Frost spoke of the meeting
in the Opera Honse, when Mr.. Hanson
told his hearers how he proposed to build
a schoolhouse. He said that as the speaker
went on he closed his eyes and could see on
the common modern fully equipped school
building But when he concluded there