Daily Kennebec journal., 1886-08-25
opening OF the Republican Cam
paign at Lake SebagO.
MIR. Blaine, Congressman Reed and
Hon. VIM. Gibson of Ohio
Address the Meeting.
thousands of People Present and
Three Bands Furnish Music.


pices OF the county committee. The regular
and special midday trains, as well as others,
were crowded. Hon. James G. Blaine, Con-
gresham Reed of Maine, and Hon. William
Gibson of Ohio, were the speakers of the oc-
caslon and arrived about l 80, accompanied
Mayor Chapman of Portland Col. F. N.
Dow, Col II. S. Osgood, Maj. H. H. Shorey
and Mr.. Isaac w. Dyer and were driven to
the hotel.
Mr.. Blaine had left Augusta about 10
o'clock. AT 245 these gentlemen reached
the place OF meeting. Great applause greet
ed Mr.. Blaine as he made his way to the
stand and three hearty cheers were given.
Mr.. Blaine's appearance on the platform
called forth tremendous applause. The as
sembly numbered over 5000 persons, nearly
all of them standing. Music was furnished
by three bands. An incident of waiting for
Mr. Blaine's appearance was the distribution
by Rev. John Collins of circulars headed,
"Will Mr.. Blaine define his position on the
liquor question:" These circulars called
forth numerous remarks of varied character.
The meeting was called to order by Mr.,
Dyer, who announced the the organization
and then introduced Mr.. John E. Warren, of
the Cumberland Mills, as presiding officer.
Mr.. Warren at once called upon Mr.. Blaine,
introducing him as 'One who needs no in
PRODUCTION to the citizens of Maine; one
whom you all delight to honor and one whom
you all will be glad to hear from. Mr. Blaine
will now address you"
MIR. Blaine was greatly applauded upon
stepping to the front of the platform. Sew
eral quiet remarks to the effect that he looked
grayer were made among the audience near the
platform. His speech was applauded at fre-
quaint intervals and was listened to through
out with marked attention tSee second
page for Mr.. Blaine's speech.
Congressman Reeds Speech.
Congressman T. B. Reed was introduced
as the next speaker and was warmly applaud
ed. He opened by saying that he was simply
present because it was fitting that he should
be present to help welcome Mr.. Blaine in his
opening speech with which he has honored
the First District of Maine Great applause
and share in the applause which was due to
so conservative, so eloquent and so able a
statement of public affairs. Applausel He
then continued | want to direct your minds
to the actual situation to its newDess. For
% years we have been in the habit of defend
ing ourselves and for 25 years we have done
| If wpll bppousa Wa had material For tha
last two years, or less than two years, the
democratic party have had opportunity to
fulfill the pledges which they have been
making for % years. Laughter 1t is
for you to consider how they have
done it, They have told you re-
peatedly if they could only manage the
public affairs you would see different state
of things from that which, according to their
views, had discredited this country for a
great many years, and you do see different
state of things. CA voice chats fact"
and great laughter).
They told you they would turn all the re-
publican officials out because they were ras-
calls. They have turned nobody out for that
reason, and not even fifty FER cent. for any
reason. They have told you that the foreign
affairs of this country would be better man
aged. How are you satisfied with the result?
| y
this with the pungency which he would state
it, perhaps, if he were otherwise situated.
He has been conservative in his statement of
the actual condition of our relations with
Canada on the fishery question. Not only
has the administration failed to do justice
to our fishermen but it has failed to doit by
deliberate disregard of their wishes and by
deliberate refusal in the beginning to con-
suit with them upon subject in which they
were the most interested. This the admin
straton has done, and the House has
offered to give to the Canadians for nothing
the very thing for which they are working all
this trouble 10 our fishermen.
Are you satisfied with that management of
our foreign affairs? For years the democratic
party has been proclaiming that we had no
navy, that our navy was gradually being de-
stroyed, and for my part when we began this
Congress l said to myself and l said to the
democrats, ''You have the finest opportunity
that any ADMINISTRATION or any party had in the
world. Here we are with wooden ships GO
ing out of use and with iron ships coming in.
You have for years refused to do anything in
the way of building ships for the navy be-
cause you allege that you had no confidence
in republican officials and the result is, you
have the sea swept of ships. You have
everything before you. You can do every
thing, and by long years of effort and of
oratory we republicans are pledged in the
same way. You'll get the credit and we
have got to help you do the work"
Did you ever see so perfect situation for
party that had power to seize it? Was
there ever such an opportunity given among
men to do work which the country needed to
have done? and what is the result? Why
they brought in bill to spend $4,000 900 on
a navy and before they got through the lead
ers told them they had got to cut it down to
three aud half millions. Three and a half
millions would be 4 great deal of money to
me and think it would to some gentlemen
that see before me, but for q nation with an
income of over three hundred millions, with
a treasury that has eighty millions of surplus
in it, what an expenditure for a great people
TO make. On the floor of the House we as
sured them, and we backed up our assur-
ances bv our votes, that every man ON the
republican side would vote for six and a half
millions for q navy. What did they do?
They cut the bill in two and gave US only
three and q half millions and that is all we