The Republican journal., 1914-03-05
NIX. DUNToN's ADDRESS.
Complete and Conclusive Refutal of
Falsehoods and Slanders.


It was q large and representative audience
that gathered in the Colonial Theater last
Tuesday evening to listen to an address by
Hon. Robert F. Dunton. So many went early
to BE- sure of getting seats that there were
few to come in when the doors were thrown
filled. While there were some ladies present
the audience was mainly composed of voters.
and Mr. Dunton had their close attention
throughout and was frequently applauded. He
began by saying that he did not propose to
make any attack on Mr.. Hanson. to speak for
q ring, as a par tisan. or to vent spite on any
one. He then proceeded to give history of
Mr.. Hanson's dealings with the Peoples Ma
tional bank, the legal and other proceedings
in connection with the house on Northport
avenue now occupied by the mayor. reading
from legal documents, showing that Mr.. Ham
sons oft-repeated charge that Mr.. Dunton had
tried to steal his wife's right of dover in the
property was utterly un1ounded. We shall
not attempt to report this address. and wish
it to be understood that what is said of it is
not the language of Mr.. Dunton, but of
one who heard him. In brief, then, it may
be said that the mayors recent harangues,
the elimination of long series of personal at
tacks upon Mr.. Dunton as a lawyer and as a
citizen. were conclusively shown to be series
of falsehoods that must have been known to
be such by their author. This is also true of
his like attacks upon many other citizens
As an illustration, Hanson has charged Mr..
Dunton with being the author of a letter sent
from the Peoples National bank in reply to
an enquiry as Hanson's financial standing. al
bank as n director and attorney had been
severed two years before this letter was writ
ten-a fact of which Mr.. Hanson was fully
aware. Mr.. Dunton referred to Hanson's at
tacks en- the Belfast Savings bank and at
tempts to create a run on that institution,
which if successful would have caused loss
of thousands Of dollars to the people of this
city and county, as due to personal emnity
toward himself and said it gave him great
satisfaction to know that not only had
there been no run on the bank but the
deposits had increased 100000 a year.
showing that the people did not believe
the accusations made. He created a gen.
eral laugh when he spoke Of the mayors
reference to him as going about the streets
with his head up, and said that was his habit,
as it was for the mayor to go about with his
head down. In closing he referred to a letter
received by certain Republicans from Con-
gresham Peters, in which they were asked to
vote for Hanson, and said that he was advised
that Mr.. Peters realized that he had been mis-
led as to the situation here and regretted his
action in the matter. 1t is well known by
whom the letter was inspired and who furnish
ed the list of Republicans to whom this letter
was sent, and it has proved boomerang
DR. G. C. Kilgore, who introduced Mr.. Dun
ton as "the next mayor of Belfast" rose at the
close of the address to announce that another
meeting would be held in The Colonial next
Saturday night. when they would be told who
stole Dana's Sarsaparilla, etc. He then asked
the attention of the audience for a moment to
finances. He said that they had not been able
to get all the figures, but the auditors report
for 1918 IA shows the expenditures as follows:
Appropri- Expend Over
ated ed drawn
Contingent, $4,000 sl6,5sO.4s $3.50. .4s
Highways, inciud
ing sidewalks and
bridges, 1000 13.699.44 6,699 A
Sewers, 500 539.2l 1921
State Road 100 1924 9S 2 1874 9S