The Portland daily press., 1886-10-04
THE NORFOLK CLUB
Discusses PoIitics-AbIe Speech by
Senator w. p. Frye.

BosToN. Oct. 2.-The Norfolk Club held
its weekly dinner at Youngs tonight, With
an attendance of nearly 200. Hon. Asa
French presided, and speeches were made
by Senator Frye, of Maine; Hon. John u.
Long, Hon. Oliver Ames and Hon. }. .. A.
Brackett. Republican nominees for governor
and lieutenant governor. The speeches were
chiefly in ratification of nominees OF the he
publican State convention: The speakers
rdiculed the nomin alton of Hon; John r.,
Andrews for governor by the Democrats,
charging it was only trap to catch Repub-
lican votes. The speaker had the highest
personal regard for Andrews, but af1rmed
his sympathies are not with the Democratic
party.
In concluding his remarks Mr.. Frye said ::
ssFrom 1861 till now did the Democratic par
ty ever have majority? Did 1t ever nave
the power to take the country from US? HOW
did it get it? We are responsible for that,
because when we had the power we did not
make provisions of law to keep the Demo-
cratic party from suppressing votes enough
to carry the South solid for the Democratic
party. There were Republican papers, and
some of them since independent papers, that
which there is nothing. There is not man,
either Republican or Democrat, swho does
not know that the Republicans outnumber
the Democrats two to one IN many OIL the
southern States, and not Republican repre-
sentative. What does it all mean? DO they
exercise their right of the ballot? The Re
publlcans are responsible for the admins
tration of the Democratic party. Nine out
of ten Republicans are friends OF temperance.
We have evidence of it when we sit at din-
ner of great club and find no wine. zap
plause.) Now great many left the ranks
for third party-the Prohibition party
not thinking that when they did this they
were aiding the Democrats into power.
There is not clause in the statutes in any
way limitingi the liquor traffic that hasn't
been put there by the Republican party; The
Democrats. don't know reform. never knew
of their having anything to do with reform,
unless at some period of their lives they, had
been in a reform school. daughter and ap,
reform to the moon as to try to attach 1t to
the Democratic party. Naughter.) don't
question what Neal Dow has done for prohi
bition. He may be fanatic, but fanatics
are necessary in this life. But they need a
straight All the reform you have ever had
came from the Republican party. Reform
in the civil servicel They wanted to turn
our rascals out But we see that the Pres
ilent can't turn them out before send d
the Senate Only two out of 5000
Republican oficeholders have been turned
out How is it with the Democrats? | can
recall about 80 names who had been indicted
in crime. Some in jails, some drunkards,
some gamblers and unfit for office Reform
in the Democratic party is an impossihility.
After all it makes but little difference how
they got it. They got it. Their independent
papers boast what has been done and
what hasn't been done. Pm not going to
tell where the Democratic party has done
bad or good. [ regard it important that this
grand old commonwealth should maintain
her position. | regard it important that she
shall show by her zeal and by the votes cast
that she is still faithful to those grand fund
amental principles. The grand common
wealth should not utter feeble, babyish,
infantile cry in the election. If you are the
mother of Maine-and | am proud to own
daughter up east as Gladstone said, go by
you at a canter. Immense applause.)