The Portland daily press., 1871-07-22
hi, Kifabaii iStsfyte,,sd,

she saw all along the road from the hub
hither, she at length arrives at the Office Of the
gentleman that she calls ''the most popular
man in Maine" At the door of Mr.. Kimbalfs
place of business, the imaginative "Percie." as
she gazes at the rich display of carriages, stops
to think. What she thought let her express
for she does do it srrperbly. "We thought at
once OF the many busy hands employed in the
construction of all these, and the energy, en-
terprise and capital necessary to the creation
ofso apparently fourishing business, and
Immediately looked about for the Hercules
who. by hard, unremit' ent labor, had wrought
his way from poverty to all this prosperity. -
There he sat in his -partitioned, luxuriant'
ly.carpeted, prettily-furnshed office, surround
ed by large number Of waiting men,"
But so facinating lady as "Percie" is not
not permitted to wait for attentions at the
business place of Mr.. Kimball. "Percie" con-
tinues:
Noticing our presence he at once came for
ward to greet US, and after learaing our busi-
ness and expressing his pleasure at meeting
representative of the Boston Post, very frankly
and in the most business. like and concise man
ner told us where and when we could have an
interview. Accordingly z o'clock found US at
his reSidence-a plain, cOmmOdiOuS edl6ce-
at the corner of State and Congress streets land
there in the neat, prettily furnished parlor en-
tered into conversation with this honorable,
prosperous, large-hearted man.
Here the following coloquy takes place which
Percie has SO fully Transcribed from her note
book, giving the exact words of Mr.. Kimball:
Corres-I understand, Mr.. Kimball, that you
have very reluctantly; and only after much
urging. COpSHr ted tn have nSpd at
the coming election. May inquire if such is
the case, and your reasons?
Mr.. Kimball-Certainly. 1 refused simply
because the successful prosecution of my bust
ness demands my whole and undivided atten-
ton. But when assured by my party assoc
ates that the use uf my name would advance
its interests, gave my consent, being willing,
at all times, to sacrifice my own personal inter-
ests Tor the good of the party of which 1 am
proud to be member. -7'"n
Corres-You have been lifelong Democrat,
have you not?
Mr.. Kimball-Yes, ever since my boyhood,
when l read the constitution of the United
States among the hills of old oxford. Rever-
ing as do that dearly bought instrument,
could not help giving my adherence to the
party that then and now would strictly MAIN
tain its principles.
Corres-You are in favor, then, of the So
called New Departure?'
Mr.. Kimball VERY composedly)-I expressed
myself Just as feel with regard to that in my
letter of acceptance. .FFrs
COrres--n 1860, when there was a division
in the Democratic ranks, what position did
you take?
Mr.. Kimball-I went with the lamented
Douglas, and later was firm supporter of the
gallant Mcclellan and our own noble Jane.
son. ....
COrres-I have been told that you were on
the Portland Board of Aldermen during
the war, and that it was mainly owing to your
influence that the "Reliet Fund" for the fam
lilies OF volunteers was raised. Is this cor
rect? s.s.... .- .#t.t tEE
Mr.. Kimball-It is correct so far as my be-.
ing Alderman is concerned. As for the fund,
| did simply what considered to be my SOL
emn duty.
Corres-Is it true that you paid from your
own private purse large sums of money,to keep
back the draft and support the destitute fami-
lies of soldiers? -s-.r.
Mr.. Kimball VERY modestly) -Yes, but that
also did from sense Ofduty, and it always
seems like Dragging to me to hear a man speak
of what good he has done.
COrres-I suppose it is as laborng man and
mechanic that you wish to come before the
people? a.
Mr.. Kimball-Precisely. am just that. l
never claim to be anything else.
At this point the conversation was inter-
rupted by a letter placed in Mr.. Kimball's
hands, which, after begging permission, he pro-
ceeded to read. 1t proved to be from one of the
most prominent and distinguished statesmen
Of the West, thanking Mr.. Kimball for his able,
agreeing with the Boston Post that it should be
in the hands of every working man in the
Corres-May ask if, as manufacturer, you
find your business very much depressed under
the present system of legislation?
Mr.. Kimba.l-By no means.
COrres-Then you do not consider that the
interests of Maine suffer equal
ly with the shipping interests?
Mr.. Kimball-I believe like this, that all the
interests are depressed, and
some of them to an equal extent with shipping;
whilst others, like my own, for instance, being
wholly for the rich, do not feel it as much.
Corres-Could you name some manufactures
that are as PROSTATE as the shipping Interests?
Mr.. Kimball-Yes; here in our own CITY
large and once fourishing shovel factory and
an equally prosperous glass factory are entire
~ closed. The same is true of the immense
and noted sugar refineries of Hon. J. B.
BrowI and Hon. John Lynch, our present
tories employed large plumber of men and
created an immense business, the absence of
which is seriously felt in Portland. The same
;talements can undoubtedly be made in other
Corres-You employ great number Of men
[ suppose? N
Mr.. Kimball-About one hundred.
Corres-I noticed in your speech before the
that you had always employed large number
of men for many years, and had always paid
them the highest market rates for their labor,
and you were compelled to say that you had
boring classes were so poorly paid, in proper
ton to the expenses of living, as at the present
time Do you still hold this as truth?
Mr.. Kimball-Most emphatically. And the
conditions are even worse to-day than then.For
whilst the cost of living has not decreased,
Corres-But business men are constantly
saying, Il cannot pay the high wages demand
Mr. Kimball-Neither can they afford to do
So But they seek to prop their crippled BUSH
ness in the wrong direction. Wages are but
drop in the bucket compared with the high
tariff and taxation. These the poor man has
to support whilst having his means of support
ing them constantly cut Off
Corres-You undoubtedly have proof of this
in the case of your own men.
Mr.. Kimball-Yes. In 1860 1 employed about
as many men as do now, but at less wages
L was then in the habit, as now am, of paying
every Saturday night as much money as each
man wanted from what was due him. Once
in three m nths We had full settlement, and
I was always owing my men from three to four
thousand dollars collectively, money which
theytsaved over and above their expenses. The
same system is pursued to-day, and I am
scarcely ever owing as many hundreds as
curing all that he has earned at the end OF the
week to meet his expenses. fi-H
Corres-With regard to the tariff, will you
inform me if the manufacturing OF carriages is
protected. s'asr -
Mr. Kimball-It is so claimed. There is a
duty of thirty-five per cent. on foreign car
riages; but as there are none imported to this
country, it really amounts to no protection at
all.
Corres-How then does this protective tariff
affect you?
Mr.. Kimball-In this way Nearly every ar
ticle entering into the com positiop of carriage
is protected. This protection have to pay
for On one article alone (plush) which is
much used in my business, but more largely in
upholstering, the duty is SO high that gentle
man in this city recently paid at the custom
house $3.50 duties on what cost him only $500
in Europe, or nearly double its original cost
And yet there has never been and probably
never will be any plush manufactured in this
country. The same is true OF broadcloth, the
duties on both these articles being the same.
COrres-How much is that?
Mr. Kimball-Thirty five per cent. ad valo-
rem and fifty cents on the pound. And here
again is the injustice of the duty, for the cheap
or the plush the heavier is its weight, owing to
its coarse texture; consequently the man who
ID only able to buy chair or carriage covered
with cheap plush, has to pay more duty than
the man who is able TO purchase more costly
one. And on the same principle man who
wears cheap broadcloth pays more duty than
his rich neighbor does on his finer and more
costly article. q. y .'sl sit
Corres.-You would say, then, from your own
experience and observation that the tariff is
most unjust and injurious? sst ....
Mr.. Kimball livery emphatically) ~ know go,
nd oo I h,uo tod in latte To- alv