The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1886-10-08
.Plumley at Opera Eall.

1t is not very often that the people
of Owosso are invited to so rich an
intellectual treat, as was given them
on Monday evening, by Hon. Frank
Plumley, of Mortified Vermont. Mr..
P. opened his speech by reference
to the Hon. Roswell g. Horr, in
whose election as son of Vermont,
every Vermonter had a deep interest.
Indeed, the speaker said the Ameri-
can people had general interest in
the pending contest in this district,
as Mr.. Horr had become of so much
national Importance as the friend of
the soldier, and Of the American
wage-worker, that all parts of the
country were alike alive to the i'm.
portance OF his election, and nothing
would so please him, the speaker, as
to be able to report on his return
home that the eighth congressional
district Of Michigan was again to be
represented in the Congress of the
United States by this distinguished
son Of Vermont.
In reviewing the Blair pension bill
the speaker showed beyond cavil It's
justice, the fidelity with which the
Republicans in Congress had stood
by it, as by all other measures Of JUS
tice to the brave boys in blue, and
how in the Democratic house the bill
had been stripped OF all the clauses
for which the Grand Army had peti-
toned, and then for fear the stump of
the bill might pass and be of some
value to the old veterans 1t was load
ed down with unjust and unfair
amendments until its very life was
squeezed out, as is the life of every
bill in the interests cf the boys in
blue which passes into Democratic
hands.
In passing he referred to the out
rage upon our citizen soldiery by the
votes of one Yaple in favor of restor-
ing the traitor Fitz John Porter to
the army rolls, and in opposition to
placing on said rolls the name OF the
couatry's saviour, the most distin.
guished captain of modern times, and
the patriotic ex President, Gen. U. S.
Grant, and of the IoI vetoeS OF spec
ial pension bills, during the last ses-
sion Of Congress by one whose name
he said he would not give, but who
had by these acts proved himself the
enemy of justice, the foe of the men
who fought and bled that the Nation
might live.
For an hour the speaker in a logic
al, clear argument, showed from his
tory the effect on the national indus
tries, and on the laboring classes, of
free trade as contrasted with protec.
tion; and showed beyond dispute
that Great Britain and Holland have
been retrograding since IS4o as the
the effect of free trade policies, while
Germany had been, especially for the
past three years under the operation
of her almost prohibitory tariff, max.
ing rarid strides toward the very
front among the manufacturing coun.
tries Of Europe, and that in protected
Germany despite her very large de-
pendent classes, for the average days
work II cents more was paid than in
free trade England And that in the
United States our laborers received
one dollar and seventy-nine cents for
doing the same work which under
free trade was done in the United
Kingdom for one dollar.
The speech was listened TO with
marked attention by.a large number
OF our working men, and from every
one commands unstinted praise for
its consumate ability and scarcely
equalled fairness in political discus
sion, and should Mr.. Plumley ever,
again visit our city the number of his
hearers would only be measured by
the capacity of our largest hall. Such
speeches are indeed a credit 10 any
political party.
Why not attend the Union Fair at
Ovid? Ten big races; the most noted
flyers Of the turf will compete for the