Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-08-26

laws would undoubtedly be to curtail the
credit system and assure the labonng men
the prompt and regular payment Of their
wages. By this process the most beneficent
results will follow among the best Of which
is that the expenses Of living to the laboring
man and his family will be reduced from FIVE
to eight per cent, thus enabling him to add
that amount to his savings for ga rainy
day."
Still another evil in our labor system
should be corrected. Children are now per.
m,ied TO work in the factory at too tender
an age. This evil is caused rather by the
desire of certain class of parents to have
, tneir children earning wages than BY the de-
sire OF those managing the factories. The
law should prohibit children engaging in
factory work at an age so tender as to un-
dermine health and strength and at the
same time deprive them of the opportunity
to attend school. If the age for factory la
! Dor were fixed at fifteen years both evils.
/ physical and mental, would be avoided.
have for long period in private, and
few months since in public. advocated these
reforms. My experience has suggested their
value and think in addition TO the points
presented it would prove advantageous to
arrange system Of weekly payments of
wages. Every change in our labor system
that gives TO the laborer prompt control Of
his earnings in cash wil prove helpful and
profitable to him and a regulation directing
the weekly payments would. l am sure,
prove beneficial.
II will, however, be found IN the end that
the principal influence upon the wages Of the
iaboring man comes from the tariff system
OF the National Government. A protective
tariff means good wages, while free trade or
mere revenue tariff means poor wages 10 the
labor Of the United States. /, has been the
steady aim Of the Republican party to main
tain protection and i, has been the steady
aim of the Democratic party TO enforce free
trade. On this direct issue lies the whole
| question TO The laboring man. If he fails 10
( consider IT and to act upon II be fails a, the
! point which vitality affects his own personal
| interests.
/ No citizen Of Maine should fail 10 see
that the Morrison tariff bill supported at the
I present session of Congress by the mass Of
! the Democratic Representatives struck dead
! ly blows al every material interes, OF Maine.
( II gave 10 the farmers and lumbermen Of
! Canada the free market OF the United States
/ Tor all their products thus placing the
alien, who pays no tax to support our State
! or NstIona. Governments, on the same basis
as our own citizens, who pay al! those taxes.
lo the fishermen of CanaGa the bill pro-
( posed 10 concede such manifest advantages
over the fishermen of New England that one
might suppose the Democratic Representa-
/ tiyes were !egislating for the Canadian ln-
ierest and cherished Il SPECIAL maliguuy
towards the New England interest. Every
manufacturing interest IN which Maine cop
| i,siIsis have embarked their money and IN
which Maine iaboreEs secure good wages
Was imperlied and lis prosperity menaeed by
this tariff bill. which but for the stubborn
opposition OF the Republican Representa-
tlses IN Congress would to-day be The law
OF the land.
agree mos, heartily with tie resolution
OF the State convention which declares IL to
be "uniaIr 10 withhold a pension from dis
abled soldier on the ground that has dIsabli-
ity cannot be proved 10 have been directly
incurred IN the line Of duty" The only Two
questions 10 be asked, as the republican
convention we'll expressed II. are these
Was he loyal solder Does he need the
aid of the Government he helped 10 save p
Since the adoption OF ihis resolution the
country has been paiurd II not shocked TO
sfs hHe 4 ies4NtAl VI tuLAcG using
his veto power IN man, 10 deprive
worthy soldiers who are IN want oi bread of
the small bounty conferred upon them by
Congress. While eonceding 10 the PTesi-
dent sincere and proper motives for his
I action, think the general feeling oi the
people Is that IL is better for an irregular
case 10 escape the scrutiny ot our law max
ers than that the risk be incurred Uf throw
nnnDYabla .pldt.r.
charity OF the world.
We hear from the Democratic part, too
much complaint Of pensions granted to de-
serving soldiers. But tor the efforts and sac
rltces Of the solciers of the Union there
would be no national treasury III existence,
and hold that their claim should be regard
ed first mortgage on the resources 0, the
nation. President Lincoln gave to the Union
army the generous assurance that 'lhe
country would care for he soldier and his
widow and his orphans" rejoice ,hs, in
SO far the Republican party could &C, thi,
pledge has been honorably redeemed in the
past and that the future will see no ab,,r-
ment of justice and lberaiiy.
/ congratulate the members of th. cop-
yention upon the unmistskable terms in
which they endorsed the Prohlbitorv Iiouo,
'ao. AHS VI Maine
may at this time be proiitably reeoun,ed
The original law in 1851 was enacted by the
votes of both Democrats aud Who's and
was approved BY a Democratic governor.
The next year BY coalition Of all il. onno-
nents the Democratic party lost control Of
the State and when 1t regained il in 1885
one OF the first acts was TO repeal the pro.
hibitory law and enact license law in.
stead.
The Republican party, composed Of the
Free Soiiers and of the anti-slavery sections
OF the Democratic and Wing parties, gained
control of the State in 1856 under the lead
OF Hannibal HamIiD, and the Democratic
party has never since exercised legislative
power IN Maine. Among the early and
promlnen, measures of the Republican party
completed in 1878 was the re-enactment
OF the prohitory law, which was approved by
the direc, vote Of the people. Since then
the Republican party of Maine for a long
series of years has re-atfirmed the doctrine
OF prohibition in its platforms as one ele-
ment in its political creed. and Republican
legislatures have in thirty different instances
enacted additional provisions 10 the law as
experience suggested the best mode of per-
iee'ing it. Finally, in 1888, the Republi-
eo"s, having more than two-thlrds IN each
| branch of the Legislature, submitted con-
sii,utional amendment providing that:
"The manufacture of intoxicating liquors,
not including cider, and the sale and keep
ing for sale of intoxicating liquors are and
shall be forever prohibited-except, how.
ever, that the sale and keeping for sale of
such liquors for medicinal and mechanical
| purposes and the arts, and the sale and keep
ing for sale Of cider may be permitted un-
der such regulations as the legislature may
provide. The legislature shall enact laws
with suitable penalties for the suppression
of the manufacture, sale and keeping for
sale Of intoxicating liquors, with the excep-
tions herein specified"
| This amendment was adopted by the pop
ular vote. The prohibition Of the liquor
traffic in all its forms is therefore incor-
porated in the organic law Of Maine. These
various enactments have been secured bv
the Republican party-its members sustain
ing them in the legislature by substantially
unanimous vote, while on all occasions they
we're resisted by substantially unanimous
vote of the Democratic party in the legisla-
ture and at the polls. The result of the
prohibitory law and its enforcement under
Republican rule for nearly thirty years have
| undoubtedly been in a high degree beneficial