The Portland daily press., 1884-08-20

peSioos OnAHoler'5 DanO. derDeIJ BTlggSJ
Esq, who was introduced as the chairman of
the meeting, made few preliminary remarks,
after which a beautiful national flag was
thrown out, bearing the names-tBlaine and
| Logan, Robbie and Reed" AS the folds of the
fsg were broken the band played Rally
| Round the Flag" aad the demonstration was
| tumultu us.
| Ion. Thomas B. Reed was then introduced
as the principal speaker of the evening, and as
he rose to speak he was warmly applauded. He
| spoke as follows
| MR.. REEDS SPEECH.
| Felton, Citizens Ladies and Gentlemen:
have hitherto refused all demands upon me to
speak in the evening in the city of Portland out of
doors. but felt that could rot deny the request
of the citizens of Ward T. a ward in which | lived
for forty years. and at the hands of the voters of
which have received the most cordial hearty and
| unqualified support. confess too that we have
reason to be aattered tonight both for ourselves
and for the cause we represent by this vast
blage of people, vast beyond the compass of my
| voice, vast beyond my power to make consecutive
| argument audible. But feel that you have assem-
bled here tonight in order to listen to candid
reason hich should govern your action at the COM
ing election and purpose, therefore, in talking 10
you tonight TO appeal not to your passions, but to
| hope that 1 may have your attention. because [
| think you know me well enough to know that what
have to say will be put in as compact shape as
| can present it, and if L have your attention
am very cure / interest you, not by my own eff
forts merely, but because the subjects have to dis
/ cuss before you are of such tremendous import
/ ance. This is country which is governed by the
whole people, and in talking about questions of gov
eminent all arguments must be addressed to the
| good sense OF the intelligent aud high minded
| people accustomed to judge of and to hear argu-
ments. To your good sense shall appeal my argu-
ment.
| have come here tonight with no eloquent peri
co stir your feelings nor with any jest stories
to raise laugh, but have come here to present to
1 sensible sensible reasons to Influenza fham
matters OF grave Importance, of grave import
the threshold OF campaign which is to determine
the future of the United States for the next four
| years and perhaps for many more. When you come
forward then to make your choice you feel the i'm
portance of the issues.
In this country governed by parties and ev-
cry four years We make our choice between the par
| ties. OF course everything depends upon
| the character of sets ofmen we call parties.
do not propose in talking of the characters
of the two great political parties to say ANYTHING
| that will offend gentlemen OF the opposite party
have not come here tonight for that purpose Meth
er do intend to refer to the past history of the Re-
publican party however glorious it may have BEEN
nor to the history Of the Democratic party such it
has been. propose to contine myself mostly to
modern times. lcannot make an argument to you
tonight that will stir the old pulsatons of the war
cannot talk to you tonight upon the great sub
1ects which have been met and settled during the
last twenty years. can only say you that they
have been settled and they have been settled in such
manner in spite of the determined opposition OF
| the democratic party. l think there is no Demo-
here tonight that dares stand up in his place
and say that he is not glad that everyone of them
were settled as they have been settled by the Repub
shall address myself tonight to questions al
though rot as stirring as questions in times ST.
are nevertheless questions traught with the happi
ness OF misery OF 050CO,O0 OF people. L address
myself TO the great economic questions of the day.
call your attention to the splendid prosperity Of
this country extended over four and twenty years
of Republican rules and desire to call your atten-
tOn 20 single set OF figures and to enforce tn EN-
upon your mind Mr.. Blaine (applause) in that ad-
4 (oYar falls
| you that in the year 1860, when We came into
power, all the goods, all the lands, all the houses
all the CATTLE every species of properly in the
try, was worth $I4.0O0,00o 0UO. In the year 1880
after twenty years of Republican rule ali the prop
erty in this vast land was worth $4,000, oOo006.
now, want you to comprehend the tremendous
significance of these figures. want you to realize
what they mean when translated into acoustic med
shapes. Suppose that every dollar of that vast
property which we owned in 1860 had been put our
at interest at per cent, compounded annually fot
twenty years, how much would it amount to? Why
to the sum Of $40 500 900 900, only ST 500 oo6
900 more than actual valuation in 1880! Think
efit. Every dollar that had has been put out at
interest under Republican rule and has accumu-
lated at compound interest at per cent every year
since and we have never skipped dividend. Zap
plause)
Now say to you that in all the broad history of
the world since The first shone it there is no
such splendid achievement. Think of what we have
done besides. We have fought the most expensive
war that ever was fought the face of the earth
Did you ever consider how much that war cost us in
dollars and cents? When we got through the war
we owed in bonds two thousand, seven hundred and
thirtysix millions of dollars ($2,736, 900. 000)
and we owed $3uOO00,000 of floating debt In
other words we owed $5,036, ,000 We had
poured out rive of money. We had spent heaps
OF treasure beside; and see in front of me macy
men who know what war meant ia the South in
the way of destruction of property, of burned
dwellings, of desolate farms and ruined cities. And
| we know that on our side 100000 able men bit
the dust and as many upon the other side
| and that a half million more of worn and weary
men are today contributing less to the industrial
pursuits OF this country than when we began that
/ h1causn wounds nd
say to you that the whole cost of that war was
| notices. than five thousand millions of dollars. So
that in truth and in fact have net only accumu-
lated over fourteen thousand millions of dollars up
to forty-four thousand millions of dollars but We
have paid five fourteenths of every dollar we had
when we started in putting down the rebellion ZAP
plause All except that part of the debt which re-
| mains unpaid. And how do these figures stand?
| When we got through the war We owed three hum
bred thousand and thirtysx millions of dollars and
| today we only owe fourteen hundred and forty-kix
millions: In other words we have paid fifteen hun
dred ana ninety millions OF dollars. My friends, do
you realize what that means? We have been so ac-
customed to seeing in the newspapers that stem
mont Of tae Public d6t was paid the last
were paid the last quarter " that one hundred mil
lions of the public debt was paid the last year %
/ that we do not realize what that means.
Let US for moment underst and it; compare us
with the wealthiest nation, except ourselves that
there is the face of the earth. There is on the
other side of the water vast empire where thew
speak our language, where they have our habits of
thrift, and of our power of accommodating wealth.
L
| contains thirty five millions of inhabitants alone
and over the whole circle of the earth spreads the
British dominions: Il you want to realize what
capital and as far your eye reach there is no
sight OF Gods green earth, only vast warehouses,
shops, and the lofty dwellings of the rich; in a
| word. at noon of the day in the city of London,
there stands five millions of people, and yet the en-
plre OF which this is the capital, during twenty
years. has paid only one hundred and twenty. eight
millions OF dollars of its public debt, while we dur
ing nineteen years, have paid fifteen hundred and
ninety millions os our debt. (Applause).
need not speak to you of these figures. 1 appeal
| to every man present. whether Democrat or Re-
puphcan II ne does not know that we are today
better fed better clothed and have more of the ne
cessities and luxuries of life than we had twenty
| years ago.
| Now under whose rule has this country been dur
| ing all these years of prosperity? Thank Heaven
it mas been under the rule of the Republican party
| OF the United States of America. Applause) I'm
| system of protection of American labor (Ap-
| plause9 1t is under the system of giving to the
| say our Democratic friends 'let us have the mar
kets OF the world" How fine a phrase this is!
Where is the "best market of the world''? 1t is
| where the people have the most money to spend
and spend it. And where is that? 1t is in the
United States of America. (Applause) Under Re-
| publican rule Great applause.) And yet this
market they purpose we shall give up in order to
| contest with the market of Peru, Brazil, South
America and England Why don't you remember
the fable OF the nice dog who travelling
| the plank over the brook with piece of fragrant
| succuent mutton in his mouth and looking over
tne Slue ne saw the markets or the World and he
| Owed for them and then crawled out on the
| bank the wettest and sickest dog that ever was
| muttonless and hungry. applause and laughter0
| That is what the Democratic party invite us to.
But theylsay, are not free traders.A candidate
gets up and says, 81 am not free trader, am in
favor of the Morrison BILL do not want to hurt
| the manufacturer" He wants to put your paws in
the fire but he don't want to burn them. He wants
to put out all the lights but he don't want to
| leave you in darkness. How beautiful it is to
make that kind of talk. and yet how it all goes
down before all the practical sense of honest wis
| years.
am not going to discuss the questions of tariff
except as big and broad that question is. to put
| it in a nut shell.
Why is it that we cannot compete with England
| in the cheapness of products? What is it that
| makes up the cost of anything that is made? My
| friend who sits here and who owns mill little
j If az lan nil Inl l.