Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-08-26
NEWS TELEGRAPH
aIasm3sjtI9G0B m7%
TO THE
daily Eenntbet gonrnal.
OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN.
500 + g. ---------- iac
Republican Mass Meeting
i'm Portland.
SPEECHES BY GENERAL COMMON,
SENATOR MORTON AND
OTHERS.
Large and Enthusiastic Me ting. 81
OPENING OF THE CAMPAIGN.
Large and Enthusiastic Me ting.

Portland, August %. An immense republican
mass meeting assembled in City Hall. o-nght,
presided over by Hon. w. w. Thomas. There
were present on the platform Senator Morton of
Ind, General Woodford Of New York, General
Counor, republican candidate for Governor Of
Maine; Stanley Pullen,. Esq, and Ex-Governors
Washbu,n and Pcrham.
General Conner spoke fist, briefly acknowledge
| ing the enthusiasm with which he was receiv ed
and expressing his confidence in the republican
party and its principles. lie commended the con-
| duct Of State affairs and deprecated change in
its politics. There are laws which the people
cannot risk in the hands of the opposition, nota-
bly,, the liquor and educational laws. He was
satisfied that the present prohbitory law is the
best yet devised, and the best license laws of other
States deldson and snare.
Senator Morton followed. lie spoke of the
distance between his State and Maine, but thought
their interests Identical and felt that Indiana was
indebted greatly to New England for many of her
best institutions and forms of society. He paid
tribute to Gen. Conner as the standard bearer in
Maine. lie would make no allusion to local poll
tics, but speak of the object, aims and character
of the republican party.
| We have two parties. Many may like neither.
but for the next few years the country must be
governed by one, and a choice must be made be-
| tween them. Parties are not made but grow up :;
are never transformed or changed, but retain the
| character first impressed. When the times change
and its principles are no longer popular, that
party must die. He then sketched the reign of
the democratic party. 1t had been educated in
the theory Of State rights. That point was just
as important to it to-day as ever. That was the
doctrine Of the rebellion and led logically to it.
and if handed down to posterity may make other
rebellions possible, and this nation will never be
safe unless the contrary doctrine-that we are one
| people, Of one blood and common Institutions
shall prevail The democratic party was edu-
Gated to believe in slavery, and cannot escape
from the influences of that belief, though slavery
has passed away. The central idea of the repub-
lican party is the belief in the rights of man. and
that liberty was a common gift of God to man.
The republican party has accomplished its mission
In direct hostility to the democratic party. Not.
withstanding many thousands of gallant dems.
| laid down their lives for their country, that we
have an undivided, free country to-day is due to
the republican party. The success of General
Connor in Maine will be the success of the rep.
party, and Indiana and the West are looking with
anxiety to Maine as indicative of the result of the
elections in 1876. 1t has been said that we should
not drag up illusions to the war that memories
of the battle should be botted out; but outside of
the financial question, there is not single living
issue which does not grow out of the war. In
the South, no man can have office unless he was
in the Confederate service. And not only is that
the touchstone to Office, but to social position. If
Confederate soldier dares turn republican, he is
rejected from society as a mean fellow.
If man from the North goes there, unless be
turns violent democrat, he is not recognized and
cannot succeed; and Union soldier, even if he
turned democrat, cannot be even elected consta-
| bic if Confederate soldier wishes it.
| Now the democrats have majority in Congress
and the people of the South have policy. Dem
ocrats of the North have none, except a want of
| office. The democrats of Maine want hard mon
ey-in Ohio, seft money, and so in other matters
but in the South they have earnest, settled pol
| icy, to which they will sacrifice everything. The
first is pensions to rebel soldiers When they get
power do you think they will pay pensions to those
who crippled their own men and leave their own
| to suffering and distress, Then their war claims.
When they get power, will they pay northern
claims and not pay for their own property destroy
ed Lastly, payment for their slaves Invento-
res have been made in every case and they are
confident the time will come wien they will re-
ceive it. and the democratic party of Maine is in
favor of it.
When Lncoln's emancipation proclamation was
made all democratic papers protested against it as
taking the property of citizens, and the democrat
ic party is committed to the theory that they
robbed, and when the time comes they will be
paid or the democratic party wrecked. When the
democrats get President they propose to recon-
| struct the South on the white mans basis.
| About the accounts of violence in the South
when thousands of negroes are murdered and you
| complain, it is said you are shaking aloft the
| bloody shirt; when the evidence has been taken
| and piled mountains high, of the outrage and
murders, that whole mass of testimony Is put away
with sneers. They speak of Grants interference
when it has saved thousands of lives. They dc
not propose to accept the negro, but to hedge him
about with vagrant laws and other che cks which
shall make him helpless.
| He spoke of the Alabama elections, where the
violence of last year had reduced large republican
votes to nullity. Also of Louisiana in 1868, wher
the republicans carried the State by $4,000 major
ty. Before the November election the bloody
deeds of the Ku-Klux had so frightened the ne
groes that the democrats carried the State by AZ,
OOO, making difference of 60, 900 votes from May
to November. He predicted that the democratic
party would not attempt to repeal the l4th ane
18th Amendments, but trample them under foot
He then spoke of the financial question. The
democracy in Maine pretend to favor specie pay
ments but the Ohio democracy oppose it. In Ohio
they appeal to the poor, and against the rich a:
robbers who are plundering them. Greenback
were issued in 1862 under peculiar circumstances
New York had all the currency. The State banks
money was insufficient to carry on the war. A
greenback is a promisory note Of the Unite'
States without interest or set time Of payment
promise to pay when government is able; it is thu
same as bond, but morally higher obligation
The question is, what can government pay' TIT
democrats opposed the first issue of greenbacks
| depvino the RIGHT TO make il legal tender: Blu