Daily Kennebec Journal

The Greenback Convention.

The bolting convention of greenbackers at Portland represented Cumberland, Androscoggin, York, Kennebec and Somerset. The debate in the convention was quite spirited.

Mr. Ferris of Turner, said he came from the West to his home on purpose to vote the greenback ticket. In the West and South the democrats were the greatest enemies of the greenbackers. He showed how in Mississippi men who vote the greenback ticket take their lives in their hands, and, after mentioning cases of men known to him who had been shot down for voting the ticket, he said the greenback party was the only one that could divide the solid South.

Mr. Wilbur said if the time had come when members of the greenback party had to make apologies for expressing their views, as they had in the Congress Hall convention, he thought it time to pull down the stars and stripes. In that convention questions were put without giving the opposition a voice, and debate was cut off.

Mr. J. B. Chase said Mr. Hobson had evidently been drilled as to his position on putting the resolutions carried by the Congress Hall convention. The democratic party, said he, is a hard money party, and if we give them three electoral votes, there will be as little reason for doing it as for giving them to Garfield.

Mr. Rich of Berwick, said his delegation was instructed to come to Portland and vote against fusion, and, if fusion was endorsed, to bolt. He proposed the convention fill out the remainder of the electoral ticket.

Another delegate objected to taking the four men appointed by the action at Augusta. He thought they must go back to the beginning and put in the plow.

Mr. Maher of Augusta, said the delegation from that city was regularly elected by straight greenback caucuses and their credentials were in proper form. A fusion caucus was held in Capt. Black's office, Augusta, composed of Hancock veterans whose object was to capture the Portland convention to-day. When his fellow delegates presented their credentials to the State committee at Congress Hall, that committee were in favor of fusion, and objected to their credentials, accepting the Hancock men. He therefore thought seven reliable straight greenbackers must be put in nomination here. The greenbackers did not ask the democrats to come over and endorse Plasted. They came of their own accord. We may be few in number here to-day, and they may laugh and sneer at us, but there are lots just like us in the country. He said he was one of the original greenbackers but he said he would never support Mr. Bunker as elector for he knew he was not a straight greenbacker. He thought some of the electors nominated were good men.

Mr. Goff of Auburn, said if any cussed fusionists were put on the ticket he wouldn't vote for them.

Mr. Maher said if they put on seven straight greenbackers the democrats would get sick of the men they had nominated to-day, knowing they couldn't elect them, and come over and support the nominees of this convention.

Mr. Goff wanted it understood he would only vote for a straight greenbacker.

Rev. Mr. Butterfield of Deering, thought they had done right in bolting an unclean trade.

Mr. J. F. Turner moved that seven be nominated from the floor, and the motion was carried.

The following was the ticket chosen:
At large—Solon Chase and Judge Frye of Bethel.
District electors—1st, J. F. Turner, Portland; 2d, Thomas G. Burton, Chase's Mills; 3d, J. F. Hilton, St. Albans; 4th, Geo. W. Worcester, Glenburn; 5th, C. R. Whidden, Calais.

Mr. Rich of Berwick, said his town would give 100 votes for the ticket, and if a few only were got from each town and village, they should leave the three democratic electors out in the cold. We helped Anderson stay at home and we will serve these democratic electors the same way. The democrats may call us all manner of hard names but they cannot alter the result.

Solon Chase said they were the best friends the greenbackers in the other hall had got. He thanked God the rag baby was now born again. It was a bad thing to do what they had done—to bolt. But, said he, I thank God I've done it. I can now look every honest greenbacker in the face, from Maine to California. The party in every state will approve of it. Every time we have a fusion convention we lose greenbackers. The convention to day was run by the democracy. We stand here to day to teach these men a lesson.