The Portland daily press., 1886-08-26


free, not on the ground that it should have
any immunity from taxation, but on the
| ground that we didn't need the tax, and that
for projections sake the tax had better be
| kept on foreign articles of consumption. II
the national government does not need the
| one hundred millions of tax, don't you think
| 1t had better be kept on the whisky, even il
the States had to take the money? Would
| you give it license to roam everywhere and
| leave it without tax or restraint, or don't
| you think it might very wisely be turned
into some good purpose by holding it under
| taxation, and if necessary increas-
ing its taxation until you could tax
possible. Cries of good, and applause). And
| should, as citizen of the United States.
voted, l believe, for every tax that was
placed on it, and if the day comes when the
national government no longer needs the
tax, | would rather keep it on and distribute
it among the States than to increase the tax
on the poor mans house and on every farm
and ON every article. of property in this
country. | say we could use that to good adj
vantage, and believe it is according to the
most orthodox religion to make the Devil
serve the cause OF good. Great applauSe)
Therefore, instead of apologizing for that
act. | say L would do it again. (Cries of
good, and applause). And if the issue ever
comes where the United States does not need
the tax, then let the United States still raise
It and give it per capita to the States, and
they will find some good use for it. Well,
but, they say, that is recognizing the perma-
prohfbitory lew is fighting it. The move
ment for temperance in the country was
never so strong as it is today and yet the
whisky tax goes on. Putting the tax on
whisky does not say that you shall not pro-
hibit its sale. 1t only says that that which
is sold shall pay the tax Where is the con-
sfstenr fGtte tt tfe hfepfa t4e t4 a to Rs the post Qc9a
gagged in the temperance cause to argue in
favor of taking the tax off whiskey.
Naughter) Whed Napoleon was admins
tering the French empire and was in his
greatest stress for money he. got large sum
from tobacco and from spirits. The two
articles paid him 300OO0,000 francs per an
mum, and he said that he would be glad to
find two virtues that paid so well. Laughter.)
Let us hold it as subject for taxation and
as long as it is in use among men let it pay
large share of the taxes to ameliOrate the
hardship, at least those which its use cre-
ates in society. (Cries of Good, and ap-
plause)
Mr.. Elaine spoke of the tariff and its bene-
fits to the American people. In regard to its
aid in increasing sobriety among the people
he said: am going now to say something
radical and specially want gentlemen who
think of going in to the third party to listen
to mel say that if you destroy the protective
tariff in this country and reduce the wages
of the laborers in America to the standard
number of Incorporate men in the United
States more rapidly than the prohlbitory law
can reform them. (Applause.) Now, why?
Why are the British w0rkingmen
fforSPdra'e forWaPd to Sfass fstuTe Of despSr E
They say: 1--WE work and dig and delve with
all our strength and can just keep soul and
body together. We have got nothing in the
future" And the man who is in that condi-
tion very rapidly argues that he might just
oc Tat ac Hp THINKS ha has
nothing to gain by keeping sober: man is
never so much a candidate for strong drink
as when he is in trouble bordering on dispair
You double that mans wages, let him know
that he can ge an independence, that he can
acquire competency, that he can own his
home, that he can be master of piece OF
land and you make him sober by "a stimulus
the strongest that can inspire human nature.
Great applause.) Therefore, | say to the
Third Party Prohibitionists that if they drag
down the protective tariff in this country
they have done more, repeat, to Increase
intemperance in the land, a thousand fold
more than they will ever cure by their indie
pendent movement for prohibition. (Crles
of true" and applause
The speaker said that while prohibition
had largely aided in accumulating the depos-
its in the savings banks of the State, it could
not make the opportunity to earn the money
which was given to the people by the opera
tions of the tariff. In conclusion, speaking
of the third party, Mr.. Blaine said: Sup
pose you could get fifteen thousand votes;
don't think there is very much danger that
you. will. Naughter). But suppose you
sand votes from the Republican par
ty on this independent movement,
and they went into the Democratic party?
They will have the whole State. Do you
think you will have gained much for prohi-
bition? | will tell you what you will have
got You will have free rum and free trade,
Qaughter) and for one | am going to vote so
as to preserve prohibition in Maine and pro-
lection in the United States. Cries of
good and great applause.) And l believe
this large assemblage is going to vote the
same way. The practical thing to do is to
elect Joseph r. Bodwell Governor, and send
Thomas B. Reed back to his position as
leader of House of Representatives. Great
applause as Mr.. Blaine resumed his seat.)
General Gibson of Ohio was introduced
as the last speaker and kept the audience in
merriment during the course of his remarks
in which he made many witty sallies at the
action of the Democracy, reviewing the
history of that party and its record during
the war. He referred to President Cleve-
lands vetoes of pension bills instancing one
case of hardship entailed by the veto of one
of the bills, upon a woman seventy-six
years old, who had lost two sons in the war.
THIS case had come. under the personal
knowledge of the speaker.
The meeting broke up at the close OF Gen.
Gibson's remarks with three rousing cheers
for the speakers.