Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-10

cratic National convention had particularly
selected Maine for resentment and injury,
they demand that IN future the commercial
policy of the government shall include free
ships. which means that British or Cana
dian ship. built in the waters of the Clyde, or
| on the ST. Lawrence or ST. John. shall have
precisely the same rights and privileges UNI
| der the American flag as are now enjoyed by
| ships built on the Penobscot or Kenaebec,
| on the Hudson or on the Delaware. 0fcourse
the demand for free ships is made with the
view of getting ships cheaper, and if that be
| necessary this year it will be still more nee
essary next year, and the year after in still
greater degree. This policy will not long
continue until the United States will be COM
pletely dependent on Great Britain for her
commonest marine. and ship building will
become one of the lost arts in America.
Then of course if we shall choose TO indulge
in the luxury of naval establishment we
shall have TO depend on Great Britain for
our vessels of war; and this policy would
prove strikingly convenient in case hostilities
should ever break ont between England and
the United States. If you shrink back from
this absuriity OF our depending on our chief
rival in the world for the means Of providing
our naval detences, then l say 10 you the
maintenance OF government shipyards for the
construction OF vessels of war, AFTER You
have destroyed or surrendered yeur mercan-
tile marine. would cost the government far
more in dollars and cents every year than it
would require for the National treasury 10
maintain a line of steamships by proper gov
eminent aid from all the principal ports of
the United States t. all the principal ports of
Europe, Asia and America. The United
States will soon have to determine whether
sha Inn H.
cial nation pr whether she will adopt the
same means for building up srea, CONNER
cial marine tina, England has SO successfully
pursued. The democratic party propose To
abandon the contest. strike the flag, surren-
der TO Great Britain and become the mere
dependent on nation which We are easily To
rival and surpass. Free ships. as announced
in the democratic platform, means the throw
ing open of our coaster trade TO vessels of
all nations. From Washngton's administra-
ton down To this hour the coasting trade has
been reserved for vessels of American con-
struction, sailed by American crews; and the
proposed democratic policy is the swift de-
struction of the great leading interest in
Maine. With all the dizziness of shipping
consequent upon the war and the piratical
cruisers, Maine has built more than 5000
vessels since the day Lincoln was inaugu-
rated vessels that aggregated nearly
million and half tons. costing the day they
were launched $40, 900 600. OF this vast
sum large proportion was paid to me
chanics, and it has distributed itself
throughout the length and breadth of the
State and especially throughout the coast
towns, more than $4,000 day for every
secular day of every year during the whole
period the republicans have governed the ma
tion. If Maine wants to strike that down,
and declare shipyards in Canada as well
worthy of protection by our government as
shipyards on the New England coast, then
let her vote for Hancock and English and she
will probably have leisure in the silence of
her shipyards to repent the partisan folly
that has driven her to assault the interests of
her homestead and her own freside. In
addition to these gr, ut National reasons for
the people of Maine renewing their expression
of confidence in the republican party, we
have State issue of pretentious magnitude.
From the foundation of the government of
Maine in 1920 down to the year 1879, We
we've blest with good government and honest
administrations. No matter which party vas
in power. whether the old democratic party
or the old wing party, or the republican
party, there was general confidence on the
part of the whole people in the integrity and
uprightncss of the administration. Election
was perfectly free and election returns were
counted with scrupulous care and impair
TALLY. IL the entire 60 wears in the election
Of Legislature annually there had been but
Is cases in which the irregularitv and defect
iveness of returns were such to deprive
the Governor and Council of the power to
give the certificate to the man who was
probably elected, and in every one of these
cases, when referred to the Legislature the
right man was seated. But when Governor
Garcelon and his Council came to count the
returns of last years election they found re-
turns defective in So many towns that
81 members Of the Legislature actually
elected were counted out and 81 that
were defeated were counted in:
and thus the Legislature strongl, repub-
lican in both branches, was changed to
democratic or fusion ma jority in both Senate
and House. These 81 defective cases all
happened to be republican, and the town
officers of Maine who in 60 years had made
but 10 mistakes. or one on an average every
four years, were suddenly found by Gov.
Garcelon and his Council to have made 81
fatal plumbers in a single year; and all these
mistakes. by a singular freak of fortune.
happened in republican towns. The demo-
cratic returns were alleged to be correct in
every instance, and it was only republican
returns that were directive. wen, / need
not repeat the scaundalous story. 1t is
familiar to all of you. 1t involved every
possible form of official misconduct-lying,
swindling, forgery, fraud, force and every
other offence necessary to achieve the results
aimed at. twas simply setting aside the
verdict of the people of Maine, without regard
to law, fact, honor, decency or truth; and
these men, after their atrocious offence
against popular rights and honest elections,
are now appealing to the people to be vindi-
Gated. They were not able to usurp the
legislative powers, they were not able to
face the scrutiny of an upright judiciary, one
of whose ablest judges has always been
conspicuous member of the democratic party.
Up to this time it has only been Governor
Garcelon. his Council and their immediate
abettors that have fallen under popular con-
demnation, but at the approaching September
election every citizen of Maine is called upon
to vote his appreciation or Interpretation Of
the wicked effort to poison the mind of
popular honor and to destroy the principles
of popular elections. A vote for Gen. Plaisted
will everywhere be spoken of as an approval
of the fraud. A vote for Gov. Davis will
everywhere be taken as a condemnation of
the fraud.