Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-11
Addresses Delivered by Hon. ],
G. Blaine and Hon. Will am
Gibson OF Ohio.
Large and Enthusiastic Meet.
ings at Damariscotta and
Camden.
DAMARIscorrA. Sept. 10.

anu drlZzllng rain continued to fall today
LincolR Hall WAS packed to its utmost, Fri
day afternoon, and standing room was at
premium. At least $500 people we're in and
about the hall. VIM. Hilton, president of
the day introduced MIR. Blaine who was greet
ed with deafening cheers and applause
Damariscotta is coast town where the
fisheries have been formerly of great value.
Mr Blaine dwelt at considerable length upon
the fishery question, following somewb bat the
same line he used in his opening speech
OF the campaign at Sebago Lake He dealt
with the question historically and repeated
what he had ssid before. that it was certainly
the first time in the history of diplomacy.
when one nation was called upon to pay five
millions and a half for an agreement with an
other nation that specially desired the ar
rangement and would have been willing to
pay large bonus to secure it. He described
the whole transaction as the most remarka-
BILE diplomatic juggle of the century. He then
dwelt at some length upon the tariff question
especially detailing the adverse effects of the
Morrison bill upon all the material interests
of Maine, if it should become a law, not
ons of which interests, said Mr.. Blaine,
would it benefit not one of which it would
fail to iDjure. Approaching the prohibition
question Mr.. Blaine said he had been struck
with the studied attempt at Misrepresentation
by the imported agents in the State as to the
history of prohibition in Maine. There
was great effort to make it appear that the
original prohibitory law was the work of the
democratic party. These Misrepresentation
had deceived many persons in other states,
and he had himself been applied to for in
formation, by telegraph and by letter, from
almost every state in the North as to the
truthful history of the matter.
81 will now give it," said Mr.. Blaine, "as
briefly as | can condense it. The original
prohibitory law was enacted in the month of
June, 1856 The State administration was
democratic. An honest and upright man,
John Hubbard, was governor. The law was
passed by a combination vote of the Wings,
of the Free Soilers, and a minority of the
democrats. Gov. Hubbard was pressed on
all sides by his democratic supporters to veto
the bill, but finally decided to give it his ap-
proval. The act led to his political destruc
ton. He was defeated the next year over
whelmingly by his own party. William G..
Crosby, the whig candidate. was chosen gov
ernor. Under his administration the prohib-
itory law was amended 80 as to correct some
points Of the original act, which were consid-
cred unconstitutional.
Governor Crosby was succeeded in the
election of 1854 by Anson p. Morrill,, under
whose administration a new prohibitory act
of a very stringent character was passed. The
democratic party organized against it and de-
feated Governor Morrill, when candidate for
reelection in 1856, electing Samuel Wells,
governor. This restored to power, after four
years of defeat, the democracy, wiped out the
whole prohibitory law and re-enacted the
license system, sweeping and radical
change, great step backward. ITremen-
dous applause and bouquets
A few democrats of the legislature refused
to vote for the license law, among whom was
Hon. Lot. M. Morrill,, and they all became
republican at the next election. Cheers. !
In 1856 Hannibal Hamlin beat Samuel Wells
by large majority. this establishing the re-
publican dominion in the state, since which
time the democrats have never exercised
legislative power in Maine. Mr.. Hamlin
was transferred to the Senate, and the next
year Lot M. Morrill, was made Governor
In the winter of 1857 and 1858, the prohibi-
tory law, now in the statute book, was en-
acted by the republican legislature, submit,
ted 10 direct vote of the people and sp-
proved. Since its enactment twenty-eight
years ago, thirty acts in amendment thereof
have been passed, and in every instance the
republican vote has been substantially unan-
imous in favor of the law. The democratic
vote was substantially unanimous in opposi-
ton to the law. Finally, in 1888. the repub-
licans voted to embody the prohibitory svs-
TEN in the constitution of the state and that
was considered the consummation and the con-
elusive step in the whole matter. That, in
brief, is the history of the prohibitory legis-
lation in Maine. and now we have temper
ance men in this state combining with the
democrats, who are disguised as temperance
men. clamoring for the destruction of the re-
publican party, demanding as the first step
for the temperance reformation that the re-
publican party be killed. Laughter. A
few days since l asked one of the disciples of
this school what was the philosophy upon
which they were proceeding, what he thought
the particular object aimed at was, and he
answered that if the republican party were
rendered powerless, it would dissolve and its
members join in the national prohibitory
party. l told him thought he was proceed
ing upon a strange misapprehension of hui
man motives. 1t would indeed be remarka.
ole if the republican party should be beaten
and destroyed, its great industrial and fnan-
smarting under sense of betrayal, should
rush to the embrace of those who had betray.
ed it and seek to be admitted to q party that
organized for its ruin.
Said Mr.. Blaine, these very men, imported
and paid agents, who are now paradipg Maine
asking that the republican party be de-
stroyed for the sake of tenn
perance, do not in the South
ask that the democratic party be DESTROYED
for the sake of temperance. They have
nothing but praise and graduation over the
efforts of the South outside OF
the party; but in the North they will not ac-
cept non-partisan temperance work, but de-
mand, as the initial step in the temperance
reform that the republican party be killed.
They have Kentucky democrats today iu
Maine, direct from the land of boubon whis-
key, TO teach temperance to our people, and
Senator Colquitt of Georgia. rank partisan
democrat, has been stumping in New York
to show how valuable it would be for the
cause of temperance if the republican party
could be destroyed [prolonged cheers, ap-
plause and floral bouquets1 and men Of
Maine hitherto republicans, and hitherto tenn
perance men are asked to give their counte-
nance to this treacherous betrayal of every
principle for which they have contended in
the last quarter of century. lCheers.l To
~. ct;v-.~ of tha sss