Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1886-09-02
Speech Of James G. Blaine.
At KEFy RLltAN MASS NETTING At sKBAGo
LANE, on TUESDAY. AUG. "A.

At RErvgLICA> MASS MEETING At sERAGo
LANE, ON TUESDAY, AUG. "A.
teiior Citizens
\ new administration Of the National
government j. usually unvexed in is first
year except b, the opportunities and the dis
appointments Of It's own supporters. The
people at large give small heed for the time
20 public affairs aud The discussion Of poliii-
Ga. issues Is left a somewhat perfunctory
task to opposing par,Isans 10 Congress. This
season Of apparen. indifference is caused in
part BY the natural ebb of the tide which
flowed 50 high IN the preceding national
election and IN part also by the American
instinct Of fair play which demands tha, the
party freshly installed MAY have free oppor-
tuui,y and full time TO lay out lis ground
and mature is measures. This period of
popular naciion is thus not only advantage
ous 70: rest, but ii prepares ,hos. who
the ultimate atbiters IN all matters O. public
concern 10 give patient hearing 10 fair argu-
ment when the time arrives for popular dis
cussion.
The approaching election Of governor,
Of four representatives to a new Congress
and legislature that shall choose a senator
Of the ulted States. reylyes the interest in
political topics in Maine and subjects to in
qllrI the various issues which separate our
people INTO distinct political parties. Have
the Old differences between the Republican
and democratic organizations been adjusted,
OF have they grown more pa pable and more
, pronounced Are the questions over which
the Republicans and the Democrats have
~aged a long contest 10 be now abandoned
i htgation IN the court of public opinion
10 be discontinued and settlement effected
BY entering neither party on the Peoples
docket Or on the other hand, do the
American people just now begin TO see with
clearer vision the aims and intentions, the
methods and he measures Of each party,
and are they waking 10 new and more
earnest struggle over policies that are ire
oonciiabie, over measures that are inherent
/, and lneyltab, in conflict Les US inquire
Of these things IN spirit of candor!
THE TARIFF POLICY.
1t is in the frs, 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 policy
than is the Republican in support Of Pro-
tec,ive Tariff to-day At the late session Of
Congress measure known ss the Morrison
timatey destroy the Protective policy, was
resisted BY compact an organization of
the Republican members that a single vote
from New York and two or three votes from
Minnesota were all that broke the absolute
unanimlty of the party. And this was rem
dered still more striking by the fact that the
organs Of Republican opinion in New York
and Minnesota declare that these exception
al Il r.
large majority of those who elected the dis
sentIng members.
On the other hand, the vast majority Of
the Democratic members supported the Free
Trade side of the question but small mi
norlty, uniting with the Republicans, found
themselves able TO defeat the measure.
Ihereupon 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 York
which is said 10 reflect the views of the Ma
tional Administration gave formal notice to
all Democrats, North and South, who lean
towards the policy of Protection, tnat they
must revise their opinions or leave the party,
because with their views they can find no
sympathy in Democratic ranks and no
standing room on Democratic platforms.
These leading facts indicate that the poll
cy of Protection versus Free trade, is an is
sue shaped and determined no longer by
sectional preference-but has become gem
eral and National -affordlng distinct, well
marked line of division between the Repub-
licsn and Democratic parties. do not re-
call these facts as preparatory to an analytic
! discussion of the Protective system, but
with the view of applying them to certain
current movements and current events.
/ The hostility Of the Democratic party to
I Protection has entailed upon the country
vast loss and has in many ways obstructed
the progress and development of certain
sections. Since the financial panic of 1873
and the contemporaneous solidifcation of
the Southern vote, the Democratic party
has, with the exception of single Congress,
held control of the House of Representa-
tives. The power to originate Revenue Bills
has been exclusively in their hands and they
have used it to the confusion. the detriment,
and IN many instances to the destruction
of new enterprises throughout the Union.
Confidence once shaken is hard to restore
and the schemes of improvement which have
been abandoned within the past ten years on
account Of the uncertainty of our Revenue
Laws constantly menaced by the Democrat
ic party in Congress would have caused
prosperity and happiness in many communi-
ties which have felt the discoursging in
fuence of dull times.
The Democratic party is constantly using
the comparative dullness in business, which
their own course in Congress for twelve
years has largely developed, as an srgum. .nt
against the Policy Of Protection. But it is
worth while to compare the condition Of
the country in this year of grace with it's
condition the year before the Republicans
succeeded in enacting their first Protective
Tariff. In the nine States which still do the
larger amount of manufacturing for the
country, and which did it nearly all . quar-
ter of a century ago, it is interesting and
instructive to compare their financial condi-
tions at the beginning of 1851 and at the
beginning of 1886. The States referred to