The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-15
The interests of Maine

There can no longer be doubt in any
quarter of the earnestness and determine
ton of the Maine Republicans It was easy
and convenient for our opponents to at
tempt to impose upon the country false
idea of the condition of things here before
the campaign was seriously begun; but since
the meeting at Maranocook the folly of pre-
tending that Maine is not Jealous for The
Republican cause this year is apparent to
every fair.minded person. When the Argus
or any other journal, sets out to belittle such
meetings as hsvo been witnessed this week
by thousands and tens of thousands OF peo-
pie it only advertises its untrustworthiness
as a reporter of The news of the day.
And what has been seen is but the begin
ming of what will be. The enthusiasm will
grow from now until election. The people
of Maine, with whatever party they may
have acted heretofore, appreciate that their
interests now are 10 peculiar sense depend
ent upon the issues of this campaign. Ii
this State is to grow and prosper its increase
must come from the wise protection and
fostering of manufacturing Industries, must
come by continuation of the policy which
the Republican party is sponsor for, has
steadily pursued since it came to power and
is pledged to pursue in the future, the ., IL
cY to which the Democratic party is hostile
and which it purposes to end, aud will end,
if it is given chance. There is no working
man in Maine who can serve his own welfare
to- H.
ofice) by supporting party which de-
nounces and renounces the policy of foster
ing American manufacturing industries,
aud American markets for American farm
ers.
We do not care, SO far as the argument is
concerned, how clearly the Democratic free
traders make it appear that the competition
of American manufacturers has reduced the
wages OF workers. 1t has not reduced them
SO low as they will fall If English and French
and German competition is admitted on
equal terms with our own. While foreign
nations are excluded from the competition,
our own labor has great advantage in Sc
curing its just demands, capital and genius
will continue to be engaged in manufacturing
enterprises for supplying the wants of
this great people, the best purchasing mar
ket in the world, and those engaged in
agriculture viii continue to find the maiori-
ty of the consumers of their produts on This
side of the sea. But as soon as ever the rea-
sonable protection of American industries is
broken down, American capital and enter
prize are warned away from their legitimate
field, our labor becomes the vassal of Eng
lands mercantile policy, and hundreds of
thousands will be forced into agricultural
labor as the only means of securing food to
eat
No state is more concerned than Maine TO
prevent such a result. we can Ill compete
with the South and the West in raising
crops for profitable sale when there are no
State fourlshes in the future it will be
through the multiplication of industrial op-
portunities, the appropriation and use of our
water power, the growth of our carrying
trade, and these will come if they come at
all only by the policy to which the Republi-
can party is committed, and which its past is
a pledge that it will not forsake The knowl-
edge of these conditions is spreading among
classes of citizens who have given little heed
to them hitherto, and is sure to result in a
substantial strengthening of the Republican
party by accessions of men who realize that
the party VIII CHI was the champion of slave
labor against wage labor and of free trade
against protective tariff is not the friend
of the working man.