Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-08-25
Rev. Gilbert Detasfatyr.

The above mentioned gentleman. who By
the way, has gained quite . reputation
through the fanatical schemes and projects
which have emanated from his capacious
brain. is now enlightening the people Of our
State with powerful address from the stump.
We had the pleasure. of listening to his
speech few evenings since, but could not for
the life of Us tell whether he was speaking in
behalf of the republican, the democratic or
the greenback party. This address deals to
large extent in 2eneralities, and while asser-
ton aft-r assertion may. for the moment, have
some effect in prejudicing the listeners un-
less they be accompanied with facts to sub
stantiate them, there is little likelihood Of
their convincing those who are DESTROYS of
having the correct issues exclusively treat
ed and explained. Mr.. DeLaMatyr opens by
predicting that the American laborer is des
tined soon to take the position socially and
financially of the laborer of Europe. He
attributes this impending transformation Of
society here to the ever Increasing and grasp
ing power of monopoly. He makes no efforts
10 present the different conditions under
WHICH the two classes of laborers work neither
does he seem to realize the utter difference
between living under a monarchical and a re-
publican form OF government. After appre-
bending the most direful condition of
society, he leaves the subject without sug
costing a remedy, except So far as the cry
.sput it down. He argues as
much for republican rule any other.
and, wonderful to relate, does not claim that
the desired results can be obtained by
change in the republican administration OF
the government. His ideas On monopoly
were in some respects good. but he seems
slightly inclined to the BELIEF that we must
have all capital and no labor, forgetting for
the instant that the two must always exist
substantially as they are TODAY. From this
point on the reverend gentleman, as well as
his fusion supporters, began to waver; and
when the speaker with loud voice
exclaimed down with the National
banks" and claimed that they were en-
riching the few at the expense of the masses,
and that they and their supporters should be
throttled, the fusionists clapped and cheered,
forgetting that they themselves on the llth
of next September will step up to the polls
and inconsistency vote for one of these very
blood-suckers as they style them. Ii Is
ludicrous to see how they attempt to defend
Danes nomination. While they look upon
the acts of banks and bankers as crimes, still
they maintain that their candidate from the
first district is only doing what the law
allows, and for all his evil in this respect,
will, when he gets to Congress,
vote against such institutions. 1t is
about as sensible as a reform club sending
their worst druukard in town to the temper
ance convention of the State. Such a
move as that would be ridiculed from the
first. Yet this is precisely what the fusion
lists must acknowledge they are doing in the
coming election. But to return to Mr.. De La
Matyr. After heaping upon the banks as
much abuse as his fertile brain could manu-
facture into words, he turned to his pet topic,
the greenback, and claimed that they should
take the place of the bank-note. One Of the
most important particulars in this discussion
he neglected to touch at all, namely, how he
was going to get his bills around over the
country as to meet the demands of trade,
and offer an elastic currency without danger
of sudden expansion or contraction. To
the question as to what limit should be put
on the issue, he said that he would leave il
to the will and common sense of the Amer
can people, which certainly must have struck
many as being a very slender check on the
avarice of our countrymen.
Mr.. DE LaMatyr acknowledged that he did
not feel able to talk on the tariff question,
but it was an unnecessary remark for he
failed to touch the tariff issue at all. when he
supposed he was discussing it.
All in all the speech was not productive of
great good to the fusion people here. AL
though he said some good things and coun-
celled some wise changes, he gave them no
definite instructions as to how these great re
suits of his were to be obtained. And when
he closed by calling upon all American citi
zens to vote for these grand objects, how they.
from what the speaker said, should vote the
democratic ticket sooner than the republican
is more than we can~see. n.