Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-06-16
NO. al.

opened them and put in them the silent bal
lot, that mark of American citixenship, and
left il there. and il is there to-day; that party
| which for the last two weeks in Congress has
succeeded in keeping those ballots in those
black hands and in securing to those men all
| rights of American citizenship guaranteed by
the constitution of our country; that party,
which. taking the country as il did over
twenty years ago, business depressed, men
out of employment, Immediately went to work
and built up law in the interests Of labor
ing men of this country, and enacted in the
laws tariff under whose benign influences
for the last twenty years we have lived, and
in agriculture and in manufactures, in the
arts ana all of the industries. have made .
greater progress than has ever been seen in
any country in this world in the same length
of time; that party which has so built up, 60
prospercd this grand republic of ours that now
every year million of men are coming from
the old world into its bosom. and its bosom
receives them and they become a part of our
grand old republic. Oh! my friends, why
should not men who represent party like
that be men Of intelligence, Of enthusiasm, of
determination.
| Gentleman of the convention, YOU have one
| of the highest duties that appeals to You as
American citizens, TO do, and that is to non-
| mate men for public office that are fit to be
leaders of snch party as described. 1t is
not your duty to be partisan for this man or
that man. You do not come here to make war
| on this man or for that man. You come here
to perform high duty and upon the manner
| of its performance may depend the result Of
next fall. In the name Of that party de.
mand of this convention that they should
bring to the selection Of their candidates to-
day unbiased, unprejudiced minds that they
should bring to that selection calm judgments,
wise discretion, and that you shall go about
your duty like men feeling the heavy weight
of the great responsibility that is to-day rest
ing upon you, and when you have made your
nominations and this convention adjourns, in
the name of that same party demand of you
that you shall make yourselves in every Sec
| tion of the State you represent. committees
to take in charge the election Of the men you
have nominated. Ii like men you leave your
plows and your anvils and your stores, your
offices and your carpenter benches and devote
to your country one, two OF ten days If need
be, you will be absolutely certain TO roll up
majority of 10000, and you will have re-
deemed this grand old Pine Tree State from
what to you and to me certainly seemcth al
most disgrace.
Go back for a minute; take the 20 years
the republican party ruled in Maine-who
complains? Who dares assert that the re-
publican party, having full control Of the
governing and legislative branches, ever in
tiicted wrong upon any citizen of this State?
Ever took from him his ballot; that II ever
refused to count that ballot which he cast, or
to count it other than in the way he cast itY
Not human being Who complains that
the free schools did not prosper in that quar-
ter of a century, Who complains that agr-
culture and manufacture were not encouraged
so far as the State could encourage them2
Take the next four years. Is there con-
trast gentlemen? Why, the very first two
years there was an attempt to overturn this
republic and destroy il. You east your bal
lots, elected men for the legislature. and the
new party which had control declared that
your ballots should not be counted. What
is a republic? government of the people.
How? BY the ballot and only by the ballot
and the moment you make ballot say what
the man who east il intended il should not
say, You have no longer a republic. 1t is
gone. The very first attempt made by the
party that came into power was to destroy
the republic and take away all power from
the ballot. And the Supreme Court of the
State of Maine, in n decision which ought TO
give them an immortality of fame. saved
your State from anarchy, il may be from
war.
What next? When the head of that party
well, don't know what party--according TO
the letter to ''Dear Sam" it is the head Of
the greenback party according TO the demo
Gratis it is the head of the democratic party,
and according to republicans it is republican
in anything but name, that is, ms ! am in
formed. but that gentleman the very first time
he got an opportunity, attempted to strike
down this Judiciary because 1t saved his
State from anarchy and war. Now in the
name of decent common sense is there not
contrast between the then and the now which
ought to settle the question Of who shall con-
troll the the political affairs of the State of
Maine for the next quarter of century?
(Applause.)
AT the close of Mr.. Frye's speecb,the hour
of 1890 having arrived. the chairman said
that under the motion of the member from
Penobscot the convention would proceed TO
nominate a candidate for governor.