Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-10-04
pdlp Aennebet sournal.
Augusta, Saturday korn'g, Oct 4, 1879
Gov. GarcelOn's Stump Speech at
the Agricultural Show Of the
Kennebec Society.

The address of Gov. Garcelon at the
Exhibition of the Kennebec Agricultural
Society, delivered at Readfield last Thurs
day has materially lessened the respect
in which he was held by the farming COM
munity of Kennebec county. 1t proved TO
be a political speech of the most ultra par
tizan character. 1t was in fact one OF the
Governors campaign speeches, with adj
ditions drawn from the fountain of bitter
ness which the result of the recent elec-
ton seems to have filled to overlooking.
A passing allusion to politics might have
been excusable even from the Governor OF
the State on such an occasion as an agri-
cultural exhibition, but an exaggerated,
one-sided, partisan harangue from begin
ming to end is not what people expect at
such place, nor what speaker is invit-
ed to deliver.
The slur east upon the ministry Of the
State. in his remarks upon their teachings
in relation to the getting Of money,
was gratuitous insult to that class. born
of political prejudice. Under what kind
of preaching does the Governor sit at
Lewiston? That is = question Of some
importance. Is he a man who advises
young men that their first duty is to get
money. and to get it dishonorably If they
cannot otherwise obtain itP Who is the
minister that thus instructs youth? Who
beside Governor Garcelon ever heard
minister of the gospel do this thing? Let
the mans name be announced. We have
known ministers that were a disgrace to
their profession, but never knew one that
declared from the sacred desk such senti-
ments as the Governor imputes to this
class OF our people.
In regard to heavy taxation and the
small increase of population since 1860.
the Governor was not frank enough to give
the war the weight it has in this matter
Tens of thousands of the flower of the
young men of the State sent into the army,
and the heavy cost of the war, were good
reasons for check to population and for
heavy taxation. The destruction by war,
in addition to the attractions of the fertile
fields of the West, of the mining regions,
and the customary drain from country to
city, are sufficient to reasonably account
for the loss of young men to the State.
without imputing to the ministers any
share Of this loss on account of cultivating
in their sermons greed of money. The
inconvertile. deprecated, fuctuating cur
rency has had much to do with increasing
expenses and necessarily taxation. but this
the Governor did not mention, possibly
thinking that might be construed as politi-
cal talk.
But the greatest of all of the causes Of
the deterioration which the Governor sees
in the State is the protective tariff. This
is what loads us down with taxation and
prinds us into the dust. There is duty
he says on sugar and molasses, which we
in Maine have to help pay. Well, the
farmers of Maine are trying to get rid OF
this tax by raising their own sugar There
will be raised and manufactured in the
State this year, one hundred tons OF first
class sugar. The beets to produce it are
to be seen on many farms now. When
Napoleon wanted to get cheap sugar for
the people of France, he placed heavy
duty upon sugar coming into the country,
and encouraged the cultivation Of the
sugar beet, and in that way succeeded in
getting cheap sugar. We shall accomplish
in this country what Napoleon did in France
if we but properly encourage the cultiva-
ton of the sugar cane in the South and the
sugar beet in the North.
The evil effects of the tariff are also seen
by the Governor in what he calls excessive
prices for iron. Now, up to last year there
were but few iron furnaces in operation
They were nearly all silent and unworked,
because to work them was to lose money.
But demand for iron has sprung up since
resumption became certainty, and under
the stimulus prices have gone up. and on
this rise the Governor bases what he calls
excessive prices for iron. But the prices
of iron are not excessive when compared
with the prices of 1860. Farmers never
bought their implements Of iron so cheap
as for the past two years, and are still
buying cheap. If the iron industry contin-
ues to prosper, look out for more furnaces,
greater production and lower prices still.
This is what will come from judiciously
fostering that interest.
Copper is another article which is grind
ing us to death through protective tariff.
Yet within year we have known Bath
shipowners buy metal in this country and
send it to Hong Kong to copper their YES
sells there, because that would cost them
less than to buy the copper abroad. A few
years ago all our vessels were sent abroad
to be coppered; now they are coppered at
home because it can be done more cheaply
here. During the war paper was very