The Portland daily press., 1882-08-25
lFarminston ohroniele.l


Congressman Reed in Pennington
Congressman Reed Of the Portland district,
was listened to at the Court House, Monday
evening. by large number of the citizens Of
Pennington and the surrounding towns. His
visits in Pennington are always welcome to
our people, as to others, but his speech Of Mon
day was especially effective; its sound reason
ing and candid statements made deep i'm
preston on all fair minded hearers.
We should be glad to report the speech in
full, would cur columns admit, for it Would be
good, wholesome mental diet for all classes of
readers. An outline will, however suffice to
show the train of thought, the chain Of evil
dence in his discussion, and the conclusions
drawn therefrom.
The speaker opened his remarks by brief
mention of the great deeds that had been done
in the country the last twenty years and then
cited the record the two leading parties had
made in these great affairs of national veal
and woe, and made the statement that COM
parson OF these records would show greater
average intelligence, foresight and practical
good sense on the part of the Republican, than
on the part OF the Democratic party, And
this he proceeded to prove by well-known his
torical facts and the record of their public
deeds aud party standings in the various ques-
tons at issue in the nation for the last score Of
years He did not claim that all good men were
in the Republican party and all bad men in the
Democratic party, but he did claim that the
average good Eense and good management of
the Republicans in administering the affairs OF
State had been little better than the Demo-
cratic, and the Democrats had virtually ac-
knowledgsd this by following in the Rs
publican footsteps. How was 1t on the
question Of slavery? When slavery ex-
listed, its supporters were Democrats and its OPP
ponents were Republicans, but, now that
slavery is suppressed, where is the Democrat
who would say that it ought to be re-estab-
lished? There is not one that thinks SO, mDch
less that would dare say so. When the war
broke out--no matter about discussing the
cause of the wsr-when the war broke out and
was in progress which party was it that sus-
tanned the government and which was it,that
all the time was finding fault and discourag
ipg the Union men? Not that there were no
Democrats who joined the army; there were,
and double honor is due to those who, overcom-
ing party predictions and party associations,
placed them selves in the ranks OF the Federal
army: but the majority of the Democratic par
ts were not in favor of carrying out the war
to the subiugation of the rebel states. why,
they said it couldn't be done even up to the
surrender at Appomattox Court House, declared
the thing impossible But in the light OF the
history of fifteen years and more OF peace, who
now would say the war was failure?
Democrats and Republicans now think alike
and say the war was not failure.
Who will say that in the days of the
war the average Republican sense was not
little better than the average Demoerau sense9
And after the war was over and the question
of the great war debt must be settled, how was
it then? Which party was 1t that said the
debt could never be paid and it was useless to
attempt it? Which party was it that said it
could be paid mast be paid to the utteTmost
farthing? But we hear no more complaint or
criticism Oh the payment OF the Donds except
from the Greenback brethren who would pay
them little faster than the Republicans
think best Was not the average Republican
sense on the payment of the bonds little better
than the average Democratic sense?
And then after a while came up the question
of the resumption Of specie payment One
party said it couldn'G be done, that financial
ruin and general disaster would surely follow
if such an effort we're made. The other party
said it would be done and went on leglslating
TO that end. Resumption began on the day
appointed and everything went on as before,
except far moro prosperouSly than in any ma
ton in the history of the world. No party and
no individual OF any party nov calls resump-
tion a failure.
The position Of the Democratic party on the
temperance question was mentioned as another
Of the instar ces which the Democrats, at first
behind the Republicans in sentiment and pro-
nounced principles, have now concluded to
oppose temperance laws no longer, ana where
as in the past they have usually had plank
in their platform faToring license laws they
now have nothing to say in their support.
Bringing this comparison OF the history OF
the two parties down to recent date the speak
er cited the acts of the Democratic party in
the late session of Congress. The obstruction
policy they had pursued was described and the
unfair methods taken to retain persons IN seats
to which they were not elected; the story OF
the election frauds in the case OF Mackey VS..
OConnor~wa giyen the passage OF tho River
and HarbcT bill over the Presidents veto, and
the delinquency of Ladd and Murch in coming
up to their Congressional duties on that oeea-
sion candidly, but plainly shown.
The position of the two parties on the tariff
question was noted end the importance Of pro-
lection clearly explained
Drawing the conclusions from the relative
standing of the two leading parties on the great
qustions which have agitated the nation for
the last twenty years, the speaker again in
sisted that none could doubt that while the Re-
publican party had proceeded with hating and
FREQUENT alissteps, nevertheless their work had
been for the greatest good and that their aver
age in prudence and wisdom had been little
higher than that of the other.
And what does this difference mean? 1t
means the difference between good government
and bad governm- mt, between success and fail
ure, between happiness and misery. And now
is not the duty of the hour plain to every man
who considers the great interests at stake in
the State Of Maine? We have four congress-
men and governor to be elected on the same
ticket and in the election is also involved the
appointment of several judges and the election
OF a United States Senator. Never was there
an election of mora Importance than the one
now approaching To the candid, thoughtful
Consideration Of the voters of the State he
commended the result, coniuring all to choose
wisely and act well in these affairs OF vital
moment