The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1884-08-14

(Laughter.)
Now they see some chance of restoration to
| the power wrested from them "a years ago.
| One of their orators, the other day, likens the
| Democratic party to the wanderings of the
| children of Israel, and that now the promised
| land is in sight; but they forget that the chill
d@n OF Israel wandered forty, years, and then
| only two of the first generation got into the
| Promised Land at all. (Laughter). Now the
| Democratic party has only been wandering "a
years, and they are not due for sixteen years.
| Uaughter). If they have any sort of business
| to call "time" on US, they can't do it until
| 1900.
Now the Independents belittle this campaign
| by declaring that there is no issue whatever,
no real issue involved in it, and they insult
the rank and fi,e of both parties by such dec
| laration that there are no differences between
| the Democr tic and Republican party. Ia
| other words that millions o. men of both par
| ties are engaged in most dscraditable and
| disFeputable, and altogether shameless and in.
| famous scramble merely after the spoils. Now
| don't think that badly Of the Democratic
| party. do believe thai today there are wide
| and radical differences between the two par
ties; they have subssted for twenty. five yt airs,
| aad | do not oelihve that out of 80 millions of
| people 1888 goo of them are divided into two
| great parties and engaged in a scramble mere
| ly for spoils, and that there are only % 900
| calling themselves independents who are lift
| ed way above this vulgar herd and crowd Of
| 4900000O, and are the only fraction of the
| country that is inspired and animated by the
| pursuit OF genuine principles.
George William Curtis, who is the unplumed
| knight (aughter) of this movement, is report
| ed as haying assigned as one of hts reasons for
supporting the Democratic ticket, that the
nominee for President is a better Republican
than Blaine. l have not any reason to COM
| plain OF that, but it Isn't very encouraging to
the old-fashioned Democrat who has gone
through the storm and tsrapest OF fifty years to
| be told that al last he is voting for man who
| is great deal better Republican than the
| nominee of the Republican party. But the
| statement is false utterly and unequigocally
false and Cleveland took the earliest occasion
| to step on that proposition of Mr. Curtis's, and
! to assure his Democratic followers exactly
! where he stood which was greatly TO his credit
| He says, II have been chosen to represent the
plans purposes aud policy of" what 40 you
| suppose? OF the Republican party? Not
| bit Of it. Grover Cleveland was too frank to
| say that. He says, 81 have been chosen to
| represent the plans, purposes and policy of the
Democratic party" Nov, then, anybody who
| Is 10 fayor of the plans, purposes and policy of
| the Democratic party onght ceit ainly to vote
for the man that represents them. Further on
| Mr.. Cleveland finds convenient place to To-
cate Mr.. Curtis, and there sits down on him in
| this effective manner. He says 81 am
| Democrat, and have kept the faith" | have
| kept the faith OF 1860, the faith of the periods
| during the war; the faith of the convention
| of 1861 which declared the war failure; the
| faith OF 1868, which undertook the repadiation
| OF the public debt; The faith of 1872.
Now all genuine Democrats sincerely believe
that there have been and are wide differences
| between the Earties. | appeal to what | sup
| pose is a fair, able and acknowledged repre-
| sentative and exponent of Democratic doc
| trine, the Portland Argus, that has stood by
| the faith many years. You cannot get the
| Argus to say there are no differences between
| the two parties 1t has too much self-raspect
| to declare that there is no difference between
! the Republican and Democratic party. You
| can't get anybody bat Independents to say it;
| you cant get Republican to say il; you can'G
| get Democrat 10 say it; you can't get
| Englishman to say i. (Appause) He knows
| the difference, (Laughter.)
| What is the Independents position? 1t is
| based on two grounds. First, personal objsc.
| lions to Blaine. I am not going to discuss on
| this occasion, nor any other public occasion,
| the private records of the candidates for Presi
| dent. l have no taste for that sort Of debate,
| and leave it to other people who enjoy it. 1t
| is with the public record of these men that I
| have to do, their character so far as it may
| affect their public conduct. Mr.. Curtis, whom
1 take as the top of the Independent party,
has declared again and again that Mr.. Blaine's
justification as to the Mulligan letters was COM
| plete and perfect,-declared it as solemnly and
| as earnestly as man could declare it. He has
| spoken of him in terms of the warmest praise
| and the highest admiration. How long ago is
| it that the Harpers wrote of Mr.. Blaine in the
| most fattering terms, soliciting the publication
| of his book, saying that when such a citizen
| visited their house the proprietors didn't wait
for him % come up stairs, but met him on the
| sidewalk, hat in hand? How was it with the
| whole Independent party four years ago?
| Every single one of them shouted for joy at
the selection of James G.. Blaine for Secretary
| of State by President Garfield. applause
| With what decenCy can men who have thus
| placed Themselves upon record come forward
| at this time and declare that this great states
man, who has stood out in the glowing sun
shine OF % years, with the marvelously splen-
Il h.. h.
finally become unworthy of the snffrages of
these political aesthetics of Philadelphia, New
| York and Boston.
These Independents of New York are
| curious class of gentlemen. Their WAYS are
inscratable and past finding out. In 1878 they
bitterly opposed the election of Cornell for
Governor on the ground that he was a corrupt
machine man, and his methods didn't meet
the endorsement of these lofty characters, but
by reason of their opposition Cornell was
elected. Ia 1882 they 3olted Folger because
Cornell was not renominatad. Can such things
be and overcome as like the summer cloud
without exciting our special wonder? Upon
what meat do these our Caesars feed that they
have grown so great" (Lsughter.)
Mr. Storrs then alluded TO the characterize
ton OF the Western Blaine men as riff raft by
Mr.. Clarke, and said they had been too busy
building that great empire of the West TO pick
microscopic flaws in the characters of public
men. think, said Mr. Storrs, 1 understand
the intellects of the Independents. Their
political vision is microscopic and not tele-
scopic. They can magnify the insect on the
name of lion SO that it looks as big as steer
but they can't see the lion at all. (Laughter.l
Yesterday or day before yesterday morning
read In a Boston paper remarkable docu-
ment called "ringing address, which re-
minded me more OF the agitation or fermenta-
ton OF yeast. 1t was signed by ten or fifteen
PERSONS You doubtless know who they are,
don't. They say in this Indictment of the
Republican party that they cannot support
that party because of the corrupt conduct Of
certain men whom they name. Colfax,
Belknap, Robson, Williams, the Whiskey
Ring and Star Route frauds. Well, ell these
Independents we're Republicans when Colfax
was Vice President of the United States; they
were Republicans when the discoveries and
developments of the credit Mobilier were
made; they were Republicans when Colfax
committed a crime if he did commit one.
Why in Gods name didn't they leave then?
(Applause.) Why did they wait nearly Is
years and then say they have decided to
abandon the Republican party in 1884 because
Schuyler Colfax was a sinful man in 1872
There is logic for you. Naughter.)
And then this declaration proceeds with this
remarkable language: SIN fine the Republican
party has today no policy which it dares to
avow. Now bow will you characterize such
language as that? Dares to avow no policy
Are we all idiots2 Are the men of intelli
gence and honor bereft of their characters and
is it all in the little bosoms of these little indie
pendents Has our party no policy? The
Democrats say we have very distinct policy
; and they claim it is bad one. We have q
very avowed policy-the protection of the
! rights and privileges of every citizen under the
law everywhere. That is one. Applause. ]
The protection of the rights and assertion and
vindcaton of the prosperity and dignity of the
American laborer everywhere. (Applause.
The protection of the American commerce
everywhe and the maintenance of the honor
of the flag over all the globe. Great applause
Mr.. Storrs in that eloquent and inimitablt
manner of his, further proceeded to show the
inconsistent and illogical position in which the
Independents have placed themselves. Allud
ing to the speech by Governor Hoadly at Bid
deford he said: Gov. Hoadly gave us the record
of achievements of the Democratic party, anG
as il isn't long l will read it to you. 1t is ex
ceedingly curious, considering where the record
begins and where it ends. He said, "Gentle.
men the Democratic party under Jefferson add
ed the Gulf States to the Uniou." daughter.
Did Cleveland assist in that achieve
ment? Did Blaine oppose it? Who is
talking about old issues now? 1.-THE Demo-
cratic party, under Polk, sent the American
flag to the Pacific, and gave US land for twenty
States" That is all. loud laughter). How
does that strike you for brand new record?
Not blessed thing since Polk! Lauehter)
Begins with Jefferson and ends with Polk, and
since that time there has been silence in the
pit. (Laughter).
| After having a olowino fr ihuta IN the Ranuh