The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-14

Clty Hall was crowded with superb au
dience last evening to greet Senator Chandler
of Michigan and Gen. Grosvenor of Ohio. Not
only was every seat taken, and the aisles and
outside corridors crowded, but many ladies oc-
cupied the galleries. On the platform. sat
many of our most prominent citizens. Prior
to the speaking, and during the evening,
Chambers Band furnished some excellent
music
Chairman Plummer, of the City Committee,
introduced Hon. William W. Thomas Jr., as
chairman, who was received with hearty APP
plause. He spoke as follows
MIR. THoMAs's SPEECH.
F'eloac CitisenS-It has been loudly asserted
that the Republican party has outlived its
usefulness and should now be content to
gracefully die and pass into history. But
your presence here tonight in such goodly
numbers proclaims that the Republican party
is not dead; that it still has mission; that
you have once more enlisted under the old Re
publican banner, and that once again you pro-
pose to march on to an old time victory. We
have lived to see the day when the currency
of our country is fixed and stable currency;
when the standard of value is an honest dol
lar, the same dollar for rich and poor, worth
one hundred cents aud just as good as gold.
And for one I hope to live to see the day when
no party in America shall attempt to debase,
degrade or belittle our currency, or render its
value huctuating and uncertain. But until
that day arrive there is still necessity for the
Republican party. hope to live to see the
day when throughout our broad domain, from
the Lakes to the Gulf, there shall not be
single rood OF land wherein even the humblest
American citizen may not freely express his
honest political convictions; aye, nor single
voting precint where even the humblest and
m a
ballot in peace and security for life, limb and
but until that day arrive, the best
good of our country demands not only the ex-
istence but the aScendency of that grand old
party that has freed the slave, conquered the
rebellion and saved the nation. But fellow
citizens, 1 will no longer detain you from list
ening to the distinguished Senator of the Unit
ed States, whose name is familiar throughout
our country, who in the last Presidential
campaign organized victory for the Republl-
can party. now have the honor Of introduc.
ing to you the Hon. Zachariar Chandler of
Michigan.
Mr. Thomas remarks were so pointed, and
ly interrupted with round after round of ap-
plause.
At the close Mr.. Thomas introduced Hon.
Zachariah Chandler and the house came down
with an emphasis which showed the high
honor in which he is held in Portland. Not
satisfied with this demonstration at the call of
Mr.. Thomas three hearty cheers were given.
Mr.. Chandler spoke substantially as follows:
SENATOR CHANDELIERS SPEECH.
In his opening remarks Mr. Chandler having
used the words fellow-citizens' said that he
used the term in its broadcast sense 1t has be-
come customary to refer to citizenship in
very narrow way. State citizenship instead of
National citizenship. l claim that man has
the same rights in the South as in the State of
Maine therefore I use the term in its broadcast
sense, citizenship of the United States.
During the past year a new party, or what
claims 10 be new party, has sprung up de-
all old parties. 1t calls itself the
Greenback party in Michigan; but l don't
know what it calls itself here. 1t is composed
of four elements. In the first place we have
the Labor Reform element, composed of some
men who think that labor is crowded down
and does not receive proper attention. They
are in earnest, but it does not occur to them to
stop and consider what party has always been
the friend of the laborer they entirely forget
that it is the good old Republican party that has
ever been advocating their rights ever since it
Communistic element. Now every man within
the hearing of my voice will probably deny
that he is Communist, but the very
head of this new party, the man who
boasts that he has organized SO many
thousand Greenback clubs, Brick Pomeroy, is an
avowed Communist The next element is
of that class of men, who fully ap-
preciate themselves and think they are capable
Of filling any office, but fortunately the people
differ with them. They are the disappointed
men, or. as we call them out in Michigan, sore
heads. The last element is the Greenbacker par
excellence, the man who claims that he knows
all about the greenback and can tell how and
why it was born. How came the greenback
in circulation and under what pledges was it
born? There are soldiers who will remember
that in 1861 the Government paid them and all
Of its expenses in coin. The wealth of the ma
ton was laid at our feet and we borrowed until
none was left, and we found that we had bor-
rowed forty millions of dollars, without a dol
lar in the Treasury to pay the debt We had
TO do something and finally decided to appeal
to the people Of the Nation to trust us for what
stores we needed and take our notes for pay
ment. There was nothing else for us to do.
We must have these storesor give up the war,
md in response to our appeal, the people said
take anything you want and give us your
promise to pay; only put down this rebellion.
promise in coin, and issued the greenbacks
and took what we wanted for the successful
prosecution of the war. But now this man
comes forward and claims that he made the
greenback. Why, 1 was present when this
greenback was born, and served as both dry
L
its paternity. We gave our solemn pledge,
used the greenbacks and now in 1879 we have
that pledge; have redeemed it
to stay redeemed, and no political party
on the face of the earth can reduce the
value of the greenback.
A false assumption has been made to the eff
feet that a great many of the people of the
United States are dishonest Now 1 deny this,
but find no fault with them for making it, for
they are but judging others by themselves.
They say redeem the bonds in greenbacks and
that is just what we are doing, for during the
past three months we have redeemed one hun
lred and thirty-eight millions of them in
sreenbacks. They want to cheat someone, SO
make this false assumption. In the days of
our Saviour he selected twelve disciples from
among the poorer classes, and out of the num-
Der he found one Judas; but that was years
IL the Christian religion is failure, and to-day
We won't find one dishonest man in twelve, nor
n twenty-four The assumption is utterly false
ind my whole business experience proves it
such.
With us there is great cry of put down the
oloated bondholder Now who is the bloated
)ondholder? Every man, woman or child who
las deposited few dollars, saved from their
lard earnings, in the Savings Bank, is a
)loated bondholder; for every well regulated
Institution of that kind has part of its reserve
und in United States bonds. Every man who
nSureS MS mouse or LIE Is one; tor all the
that are sound and worthy have
BART of their funds invested in our United
States bonds. Every MANNED soldier, or widow
u orphan who has their money in trust funds
S also bloated bondholder. Go to the books
If the Treasury and you will find that where
me man has $4,000 in bonds ninety-nine have
S1O0 or less, and in order to carry out your cry
pay off the bonds," you must rob the poor
people who have their only dollar invested in
he securities.
The bond of the United States is promise
% pay the holder a certain sum of money at
given rate per cent, at stated time. The
money which this new party desire to issue is
promise to pay nothing to nobody never
WhaU is the stamp of the Government good for
you issue an unlimited quantity of money
'ased on nothing. The next cry is, well, we
will pay off the foreign bonds anyway. When
Jackson was President France owed this Gov
five millions of dollars, and he said
hat Unless this was paid he would declare war
gainst them. He was demonstrated with,
,ut he meant what he said, and France knew it
nd paid the debt. Your bonds are scattered all
ver the world, and still you 1--WE will pay off
he foreign bonds in our paper or stop the
interest at once You owe Great Britain fifty
billions of dollars; now stop the interest on
hat debt and in short time your harbors will
70 filled with foreign fleets; for when one
tarts all will follow. The Admiral of the
British fleet will come ashore and demand his
money, and then up jumps Mr.. Greenbacker
nd says, here is your money, don't you see the