The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-08-25
The FIRST GUN.
An Immense Republican
Meeting at sebago.
MIR. BIaire's Opening Speech
of the Campaign.
A Mastery Exposition of the
Benefits of Protection.
Dangers Which Threaten
the Laborins Man.
a scathing Review of Mr..
Bayard's Diplomacy.
Purpose and Effect of the
Third Party Nominations.
a Scathing Review of Mr..
Bayard's Diplomacy.
Purpose and Effect of the
Third Party Nominations.


| listen to the speeches at the opening meeting
of the Republican campaign in this county.
| The county committee had anticipated big
crowd and special trains were provided by
the Portland and Ogdensburg to bring the
thousands to tie lake. Besides the regular
noon train from this city, a special
train consisting of ten heavily loaded
cars left the depot at 1.20 and arrived
at the Lake station about forty-five minutes
later, having taken ON board accessions to
the crowd at every stopping place. Chan
dler's Band was on the train and played at
the stations along the route. When the
| Portland train arrived the crowd in the
grove around the speakers stand gave album
dant assurance of great attendance. Large
| numbers had come from up the line of the
Ogdensburg, and others from Bridgton and
the surrounding towns. The Bridgton and
! Spiller's Bands were aleady ON the ground
and during the afternoon the three bands
present played number of selections.
As the hour of O'Clock approached the
crowd pressed forward to obtain the most
desirable positions near the stand and the
immense size of the audience became fully
apparent. The grove was filled on all sides
the people standing close together, while
| the crowd extended nearly to the railroad
track.
Upon the platform, besides the speakers,
were seated the officers of the mseting and
a few others. Mr.. Blaine, accompanied by
|. w. Dyer, Esq, chairman of the Republi-
can county committee entered the grove and
| proceeded directly to the stand at about a
| quarter to g. He was greeted with applause
| by those near the stand, and the handicap
| ping was renewed when those farther back
| saw Mr. Blaine as he stepped upon the plat
| form.
The meeting was called to order by Mr..
| Dyer, who said that the county committee
under whose auspices the meeting was held
would announce the following list of officers
| President-John E. Warren, Cumberan Mills.
Vice PresidentS-Samuel o. Paine, Standish !;
woodbury. Dana, Westbrook Chas; J; Walker,
| Cyrus Cole, Cape Elizabeth; William Cook, Casco;
| W. H. Motley. Deering Z. B. Mallett Freeport
nal; John w. True, New Gloucester; E. j. Stubbs,
Yarmouth; WIN. II. Smith, Raymond; Philander
Tolman, Harrisoni M; Gleason, Bridgton; and
| Chas E. Rogers, Windham.
| The list was received with applause. Mr..
\ Warren said that he appreciated the honor
| conferred upon him but that it was not nee
essary for him to make any remarks in view
| of the programme which had been arranged.
| He then introduced Hon. James G. Blaine.
| Mr.. Blaine was greeted with prolonged APP
| plause and spoke for nearly an hour, holding
| the closest attention of his hearers to the
| close of his remarks. He spoke distinctly
and was understood by those in all parts of
the grove. The speaker was frequently in
| terrupted by applause. Mr.. Blaine's speech
follows:
MIR. BLAINE's SPEECH.
Felloav Citizens:
A new administration of the national gov
eminent is usually unvexed in its first year
except by the opportunities and the disap-
polntmentS of its own supporters. The peo-
pie at large give small heed for the time to
public affairs, and the discussion of political
issues is left as somewhat perfunctory task
to opposing partiSanS in Congress. This
season Of apparent indifference is caused in
part by the natural ebb of the tide which
flowed so high in the preceding national cleo
ton and in part also by the American in
stinct of fair play which demands that the
party freshly installed may have free oppor-
tunity and full time to lay out its ground
and mature its measures. This period of
popular inacton is thus not only advantage
GUS for rest, but it prepares those who are
the ultimate arbiters in all matters of public
concern to give patient hearing to fair argyll
| ment when the time arrives for popular dis
| cuSSlon.
The approaching election of Governor, of
| four Representatives to new Congress, and
a legislature that shall choose a Senator of
the United States, revives the interest in po-
litical topics in Maine and subjects to inquiry
the various issues which separate our people
into distinct political parties Have the old
differences between the Republican and
Democratic organizations been adjusted, or
have they grown more palpable and more
pronounced? Are the questions over which
The Republicans and Democrats l, have waged
long contest to be now abandoned? Is
litigation in the court of public opinion to be
discontinued and settlement effected by
entering neither party on the Peoples
docket? Or, on the other hand, do the Ameri-
can people just now begin to see with clearer
vision the aims and intentions, the methods
and the measures of each party, and are they
waking to new and more earnest struggle
over policies that are irreconcilable, over
measures that are inherently and inevitably
in conflict? Let us inquire of these things
in a spirit of candor
THE TARIFF POLICY.
1t is in the first place especially worthy of
observation that in the history of industrial
| questions no party in time of peace has ever
| been more united in support of a policy than
| is the Republican in support of protective
| tariff to-day. st the late session of Con-
| gress measure known as the Morrison Tar
| iff Bill, designed to first weaken and ulti-
| mately destroy the protective policy, was re-
| sisted by so compact an organization of the
Republican members that single vote from
New York and two or three votes from Min
nesota were all that broke the absolute una
nfeSify Of the party. And this was rendesscccS'
still more striking by the fact That the or
gans of Republican opinien in New York
and Minnesota declare that these exceptional
votes were adverse to the wishes of a large
majority of those who elected the dissenting
members.
On the other hand the vast majority of the
Democratic members supported the free
trade side of the gu estion; but small mi
nority, uniting with the Republicans, found
themselves able to defeat the measure.
Thereupon the Democratic papers quite gen
orally throughout the country denounced the
recusants as unfaithful to the creed of their
party, and the journal in New Cork which is
said to reflect the views of the national adj
ministration gave formal notice to all Demo-
Gratis, North and South, who lean towards
the policy of Protection, that they must re-
wise their opinions or leave the party, be-
cause with their views they can find no SYM
pathy in Democratic ranks and no standing
room on democratic platforms:
These leading facts indicate that the policy
of Protection versus Free Trade is an issue
shaped and determined no longer by section
al preference, but has become general and
national, affording a distinct, well marked
line of division between the Republican and
democratic parties. 90 not Iecal tnese
facts as preparatory to an analytic discussion
of the protective system, but with the view
of applying them to certain current move
mentS and current events.
The hostility of the Democratic party to
protection has entailed upon the country a
vast loss, and has in many ways INSTRUCTED
the progress and development of certain sec
tions. Since the financial panic of 1873 and
the contemporaneeus soldification of the
Southern vote, the Democratic party has,
with the exception of a single Congress, held
control of the House of Representatives,
The power to originate revenue bills has
been exclusively in their hands, and they
have used it to the confusion, the detriment,
in many instances to the destruction of new
enterprises throughout the Union. Conf
dence once shaken is hard to restore and the
schemes of improvement which have been
abandoned within the past ten years on ac-
count of the uncertainty of our revenue laws
constantly menaced by the Democratic party
in Congress, would have caused prosperity
and happiness in many communities which
have felt the discourag ing influence of dull
times.
The Democratic party is constantly using
the comparative dizziness in business, which
their own course in Congress for twelve
wears has largely developed, as an argument
against the policy of protection But it is
worth while to compare the condition of the
country in this year of grace with its condi-