The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-24
Condemnation OF the Demagogues.
IL IL

40 TIE EGtLoT OJ tHS ETeSS.
There is one element in the political canvass
new pending, WHICH should be deprecated by
everyiintelligent and patriotic man among all
parties I allude to the disposition Of one pc
litical party to prejudice one class in the COM
munity against another for the promotion OF
its peculiar political ends and interests. How
often we hear the rich called oppressors! No
matter how abundant are their charities, how
much they do to elevate fallen humanity, their
good deeds and acts are all forgotten and bur-
led under the imputation of being bondhold-
ers, or interested in national banks, manufac.
lures, trade, machinery, shipbuilding, in any,
thing which may have given them wealth; or
engaged in any enterprise, or connected or in
terestsd in any institution, public or private,
which promotes the welfare of both rich and
poor, and without which all industries would
go into chaos and confusion.
1t does not require any argument Of mine to
prove that the interests of. the rich and poor
are one and the same, indissoluble, and that
they cannot be separated without great loss to
both. This fact has been too often proved to
need further discussion. Why then should
any man array the rich against the poor, or the
poor against the rich?
Who are the rich men of today? The poor
mems sons of yesterday. Who will be the rich
men of tomorrow? The poor mems sons Of to-
day. This statement can be proved beyond
all contradiction by past history. Where are
the estates that were gathered up in any city
fifty to seventy-fve years ago, or in the city in
this country? With few exceptions scattered
to the winds, and the man who works hard,
and economies to accumulate property, or be-
come rich, which is all right, cannot assure
himself, that without extraordinary guards and
checks placed around it, that his heirs will re-
tain it for one decade. Thank God there can
be no entail of property in this country. Our
institutions go for its division. No privileged
classes are known under its broad banner.
We all stand upon one grand level in this ma
ton. The goal of wealth and eminence is be-
fore every young man. Ability, intelligence,
industry, economy, integrity and perseverance
are the requisites for success, and usually re-
suit In that, whether in business or the learned
profession and that too, without any refer
ence to the posses ZION of wealth, or the iufiu-
ence of friends.
have often thought that wealth was an i'm
pediment. and burden to young men. The
frequency with which they are ou.strpped in
the race by those who do not possess anything
is pre- Of that this is true.
Let the poor man who is melted by dema-
gogues to class prejudice, look about and in
quire the origin of the enterprising merchants
of this city, for the past fifty years, and he will
find that ninety-f five out of every one hundred
were poor boys. This proposition will hold
good throughout the length and breadth
Of the country If he goes farther, and looks
fer the origin of men whs have been emlnenl
in Law, Divinity and Medicine. he will lind,
that nine-tenths or more came from the lowest
walks of life, or were poor boys. If he re-
views the history of the country, he will lind
that the patriots, who were ready to sacrifice
their lives-everything they had-to the estab-
lishment of this nation and government, and
whose fame is more imperishable than marble
were poor men. What was George Washing
ton but poor land surveyor? Abraham Lin
coin was rail split T. James A. Garfield