The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-18
REPRESENTATIVE DINGLEY
Delivers Stirring Speech at Cape Eliza
beth.

Ex-Governor Dingley delivered an eloquent
address at the Town House at Cape Elizabeth
last evening. The attendance was very fair.
Henry Nutter, Esq, the chairman of the town
committee, presided. Gov. Dingley said:
SPEECH OF GOV. DINGLEY.
For the past twenty-five years we have had
two great parties, the Democratic and Republi-
can party, and one or the other must for the
present govern the country, for we govern the
country through political organizations. The
Greenback party for the time being, and per-
haps for all the time must continue to be,
party very much in the minority. honor and
respect the man who follows out his convic-
tions, but when L see men abandon convictions
and trade with another set of mon for the sake
of Office / cannot respect them.
AS regards the two great parties they must
be judged by all the tests applied to moral and
social life. First there is this striking fact,
the Republican party is Northern party in
full accord with the spirit that went out from
Plymouth Rock. OF the 143 Republican MEM
bers of Congress 1873 are from the North; of the
36 Republican members of the Senate 27 are
from the North, and it is just as striking
fact that the Democratic party is O Southern
party. OF the 1876 Democratic members of
Congress, IS are from the South, and 60 of the
IS were once officers of the rebel army, and of
the IS Democratic members of the Senate, "a
are from the South. What is the result? That,
as the Republican party feels to-day, the in
fuence that went forth from Plymouth Rock,
so the Democratic party reflects the influences
that go forth from Virginia. The Democratic
party has staken its key note from the South
all along. Before the war, and all through the
war there were thousands of Democrats who
desired to be loyal to the government, but the
party went on resolving that the war was
failure, and denouncipg Lincoln as tyrant.
But to leave the past, let us come to the liv-
ing present. The first question that came be-
fore Congress at the recent session, was on the
seating of Cannon, the four-wived delegate
from Utah, and on that question, strange as it
may seem the party lines wore drawn Every
Democrat voting for his admission, every Re-
publican againt it.
The tariff has been another of the great
questions with Congress, and the question has
been the simple one, shall the tariff bs protec-
tive, or for revenue only, without regard to the
rights of American labor? The tariff on sugar
is tariff "for revenue only, as of the $780,
100000 of the article used here, but $5,000,000
worth is manufactured here, and so duty of
55 per cent, is duty "for revenue only"
while duty of 40 per cent. on cotton is por-
tective tariff, because we raise more than we
USE In Congress, the speaker had tried to
have the duty on sugar removed, but was met
by the question from Mr.. Townshend of Hi
nois, why not commence with the tariff on
cotton?" and he replied by explaining that at
present, the poor man can buy his cloth here
us cheaply as in Liverpool. Not SO with sugar,
the tax upon which is a tax upon the poor.
What is the protective tariff for?
To ensure to the laboring man. armed as he
was with the ballot, that his labor shall be kept
at figure where he can live Sas man, and
educate his children. What would it be to see
the American laborer placed on a level with
the laborers of Europe? The speaker could
talk from experience, and tell what he had
himself seen. In Happy France
women bearing heavy burdens for ten cents a
day; and in England, skilled labor accepting
work at 80 cents day-and in Ireland men
looking for work at any price, but in vain.
The South is not yet lifted up to the plane
where the man will be accepted because he is
man. The hope of the South is the constant
ure must come with the consistent pressure,
also of the Federal government.
Congress had considered the subject of taxes.
The South demanded the reduction of taxa
tion-on whiskey on tobacco, and on distilled
liquors, scheme that even the Democratic
members of Congress could not in all cases APP
prove of. The South is full of private distill-
cries owned by men whom we called "Moon-
sinners" because they make liquors by the
light of the moon. With the exception of SIX
the entire Republican delegation in Congress
fought for four days against thislscheme. Last
year the tax on VIII iskey yielded $87,000,000,
the tax on tobacco SAT 100000, or both paid
the interest on the National debt, and $75,000,-
900 over. Take this tax off, and the National
debt, must be perpetual, for the American peo-
pie will never consent to direct taxation to
that extent
Gov Dingley said he could not feel to close
without speaking of the subject of temperance, |
a question in which he had taken so deep an
interest. The temperance people had long
asked for the appointment of a commission to
investigate the liquor traffic. On the question
of the suspension of the rules, SO as to consider
the bill to provide for the commission, the
vote stood, in favor 112, against 81. OF the |
liz, 106 were Republicans and 6 Democrats.
OF the 81 who voted against SO were Demo-
Gratis and one Republican. You could hard
ly draw the political lines closer. When Sena-
tor Frye tried to get a bill through prohibiting
the sale OF liquor at the Soldiers Home at To-
gus, Senator Beck of Kentucky objected and
it was lost.
Gov. Dingley here considered state ques-
tions, referring to the fusion scheme IN the
most telling manner. What do we see? A
mere matter of traffic. Support my candidate
and I'll vote for yours, not that am with you
of course, but Eli trade" is the spirit OF the
whole. The Greenbackers denounce the re-
demption fund, the Democrats favor it, The
and some of them yet propose to vote for man
who says that very system is the best possible.
Gov. Dingley suggested it might be well for
the Greenbackers to think the matter over a
while before deciding TO vote against himself,
because one of the fusion candidates for Con-
gress believes exactly as he does in regard to
all financial questions.
The silver question is an important one.
Give us silver dollar and gold dollar, but
give us a dollar of each that one shall be worth
as much as the other. DON'T cheat the labor
ing man by giving him a silver dollar worth
but 8S Cents; give him a silver dollar If you
will, but let it be worth 100 cents on the dollar
But it is said that the Republican party was
born of fusion Ii so, it was fusion OF men
united for one common purpose-the extlnc-
ton of slavery. (Applause)
Gov Dinghy here spoke of the opposition
cry mo Monopoles" and reminded his hear
ers that it was the Republican party that in
this State insisted upon taxing the railroads,
measure that has saved the State already more
than $500 000 aud some of the very men who
opposed that measure then, are to-day promi-
nent in the management of the opposition par
ties in this State.
Gov. Dingley closed with stirring review
of the events of two years ago, and declared
the course of the Council OF Gov. Plalsted In
refusing to allow the upright Democratic
Judge Lbbey to be punished for uniting with
the rest of the court on decision OF matter
of law to be the proudest act of any public
body, and said that the reelection OF Gov.
Plaisted will mean that the day OF an lndepen-
dent court will be numbered.
The address was listened to with the closest
attention throughout.
Association for Advancement OF Women
AS stated in yesterdays PRESS the Associa-