The Portland daily press., 1884-02-19
Mr.. Reed in Philadelphia.
His FercibIe Speech ON the Tariff Ques-
tiOn

In Philadelphia last Thursday evening there
was a great meeting called by the business
men OF the city to consider the relations oi
their municipal election, to occur today, to the
general questions at isuue between parties in
this country. Mr.. Randall had lately visited
Philadelphia and made a speech, exhorting
Democrats to support the Democratic candi-
dates for city officers, urging that il the Dem
ocrats carried the city election it would put
Pennsylvania in the list of doubtful States in
the national campaign. The business men
who dstrust, with good reason, the attitude OF
the Democratic party on questions affecting
national prosperity, ,thereupon called meeting
and invited Congressman Reed to be among
the speakers. His remarks have more than
local interest, and we reproduce his interesting
and cogent speech in full from the report in the
Philadelphia Press.
series Of ringing cheers, long-continued,
and mingled with hand-clapping, greeted the
rotund face and tall figure of Congressman
Reed OF Maine, as he rose to define the rela-
tions of this municipal fight to the presidential
battle. Mr.. Reed was constantly interrupted
by applause, but very significant feature Of
the speech was the rousing result Of an Incl
dental mention he made OF the name of Mr.
Blaine. At that name the audience fairly
rose, and let all its enthusiasm and admi-
ration loose. There was no mistaking the
nrasidantiol- nrAferenee nf 49, h--i-----i~-
as of Philadelphia. Mr.. Reed spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen (cheers), 1
confess that feel deeply honored by the hand
-. =
and regret that it will not be iu my power to
respond to it fittingly. The difficulty under
which find myself is this: was invited here
to express in few words, in few minutes the
interest which we on the outside feel in this
election, and am embarrassed by being her.
aided as about to make long speech to you.
should be delighted to have an opportunity TO
do is If that opportunity had been accompanied
BY suitable notice; but shall not feel myself
at liberty, under the circumstances, to ge TO
any great extent into matters OF general i'm
portance. But I do feel interest enough in
this contest TO come here and tell you that /
feel an interest and to explain to you the rea-
sons why.
II this were mere election to the msyoralty
of Philadelphia, could find myself doing bet
ter business by being absent. Until tonight
never met your Mayor. Until tonight never
felt any personal interest in his success as an
individual. / did not come here for the pur-
poe of discussing or in any way alluding to
your local politics. 1t is more than can do to
keep trace Of the local politics Of my own little
city, let alone vast metropolis like this. Zap
plause.) III had come here on the invitation
of politicians alone you might well suppose
That was here for the purpose of aiding some
faction or other in its success. But such is not
my design; such is not my purpose or iDten-
ton. 1 came here because / was invited by
business men. cloud applause.) And con-
fess that always rejoice whensI see evidence
that the business men OF this country are TAX
ing their legitimate interest in politics. Zap
plause) believe that they can make them
selves felt for the good of the country, and
only regret that it is so seldom that they are
aroused to proper sense OF their duty. Who
carried the last election that last splendid tri-
umph Of the Republican party?
A Voice-Garfeld.
Mp. Reed-Not Garfield, venerated as he is.
Not Mr.. Conkling, not Mr.. Blaine (tremen.
dous applause and cheers), and you cannot
cheer him any more royalty than like to have
that that contest, magnificent as it was, was
dead until the business men OF this country
took it in hand (applause), aud by business
men I mean the word in its broadcast signifcs-
tion; men who have got stake in the indus.
tries of the country.
THE TARIFF QUESTION.
| l suppose you think that when that last con-
test was over the principle of protective tariff
| was settled in this country. You never made
| this world becomes settled, except by eternal
| vigilance and by eternal holding on. know
| we should all be glad IL we could step aside
and say, ''Now let us have peaceful day ol
| rest, politics are over and the millennium is
| begun" But we live in world of sin and
| sorrow, otherwise there would not be any Dem.
| ocratic party. (Lsughter) l take it that
| speak to an audience who believe in protec
tion to American industry. (Applause.) No
| those who belive in fostering a few petty in.
dustries to the exclusion of the others, but wht
believe in that broad principle aud system
| which gives to American labor the entire mar
kets of America. (Applause.) II you do be
| lieve in that, then want to talk to you Of the
| dangers that menace that system. No sooner
does a man get his house built than it begins tt
decay. No sooner is a monument erected thar
| the gnawing tooth OF time sets itself upon it
| The forces of evil are as continuous and deter
mined as the forces of right, and am sorry Il
| say that right is only right by very small ma
iority, that has got to be kept up every day.
What indications, as you look upon those re-
| ceptacles OF public sentiment, the newspapers
do You see? Why, tie METROPOLITAN journals in
the importing ports are every day spreading
abroad language calculated to undermine the
system of protection to American industry.
| What is their last effort? Why, they say, that
this country would become greater than it II
now if we could only throw open the markets
of the would. How fine that sounds. How
| broad and expensive it isl People who do no
reflect are catching up that idea. They arr
saying to themselves, "are not the markets o
| the world bigger than the markets Of the Uni
| ted States?" My friends. the best market OF
the face of the earth Is the market of this
country. lApplauseI That is the latest form
of Democratic humbug, that remark abou
foreign market. We are to-day the richest
people upon the face of the earth. We buy
what We want and more than that, we pay for
it.. lApplause.] Now, to give mp this splen
| did market to the pauper labor of Europe, IN
order that we may have opportunity tC
| scramble for the poor markets of the rest o
| the world, Is comparable to nothing but the
| animal in the fable who gave up good succu-
lent meat for souse in cold water. Have not
the people in this country sense enough to cling
| TO good thing when they have got il? Why,
/ it is within the recollection of every man in
| front of me when this country with an army
| when this country with navy, when this
country with foreign commerce, whose FLAG
/ swept every sea, was a sneer and by-Word &c
| the world. To-day, with no navy, with an army
only capable OF keeping down the Indians on the
| froutier and with small mercantile marine
| it is mentioned all over the world with respect
not unmingled with wholesome fear.
THE MERCANTILE MARINE.
Mark another thing. You find all thes
newspapers and all the Democratic public mel
in a terrible state of mind because they say W,
| have got no mercantile marine They sa,
that every little and big steamship floats thu
British flag Why does that concern them
| They are willing that every yard OF clotl
should be manufactured in factory under the
| British flag, and why should they make fusl
| because that same calico is transported in
| British ship? Is 1t because they can get it car
risd cheaper than in any other way? No
| They care nothing about the American mer
| camille marine. They are utterly unwilling Il
| do the only thing that can ever foster it. The
reason why we have no mercantile marine !
| simple. 1t Is because the business of the coun
| try is so prosperous that we can make NOR
| money on the laud than we can make on tn,
sea. Now, / believe in a mercantile marine
believe, in it, because think it is one Of tn
proper appendages Of a nation, and for my par
1 am willing to work for it. Every one Q
these gentlemen know that we have got Il
offer encouragement, that we have got to pro
vide bounties in order to accomplish IL. VIII.
don't they do it? Simply because they do nc
mean anything in their talk, except the down
fall of Protsction. They say if you woul
only let British goods flow to us-if you woul,
only let us transport crude materials, If yol
would let us all be nation of farmers, VIII,
then we would have a mercantile marine.
do not know how, do not know why; but no
body is under any obligation to see any connec
ton in Democratic logic Laughter) Tha
is not one of the essentials. Growl, growl, ant
something will come OF it. But their ultimat
object is that.
AMERICAN MARKETS.
Now, my friends, was there ever tim
when the system Of dominion of the markets 0
America should be equal to its products wa