Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-09-09


fortress of the Nation and its best
governing force. Prior to the war
there had sprung into life the Native Ameri-
can or Know Nothing party. 1t lived for a
day. At one time i, acted as an ally OF the
Wing pa ty of the South. and then as ten
der to the democratic party, aiding powerful
~ TO the election of James Buchanan TO the
Presidency in 1856, thus against its intention,
helping to place Jefferson Davis and his associ-
ate traitors in the control of the government
for four memorable years-years when was
being prepared gigantic rebellion BY the very
officials of the democratic administration and
the train was being laid to blow up and de-
stroy the best Government on earth. This
third party, the Native American or Fillmore
party. did this by running separate ticket
in Pennsylvania in 1885, so dividing the OPP
ponents of the democracy in that State as to
defeat John c. Fremont and elect Buchanan.
Thus by their laundering use Of edged tools
and loaded dice these third party men gave
success to the enemy when most OF them had
not intended it-a fearful mistake or terri
BILE crime. This third party proved failure,
calamity. and died an ignominious death.
Then came the greenbaek craze, which took
possession of and misled many good citizens.
You know its history. / need not repeat it.
Started as third party pledged to antagonize
both the democratic and the republican par.
ties, it became the ally of the former, and end
ed by electing Gsrcelon and Plaisted Govern
ors of Maine for two years. inflicting on the
good name of Maine the infamy
of the attempt of Estate Steal
and then merging itself with the democratic
party. II has disappeared from among men,
like the water-soaked log sinking to the bottom
of the pond.
Thus traversing more than fifty years Of
the political history of this State, we find that
six third parties have been organized, had
their day. and then died In every case they
have proved failures, or acted as tenders, Sc
cret or open allies, of one OF the other two
great parties. The lesson of these failures is
plain to all. Will you repeat the fdlly9
The seventh third party which has arisen
within our memory, is the st. John party,
calling itself the prohlbitory party.
What has this third party done already?
What is it likely to do in the future? If there
is one person present inclined to support this
party. ask his earnest attention. appeal
to his candor. to his love of truth and justice,
to his patriotism as an American citizen. You
will not deny that by its vote in New York,
in 1884, this third party defeated for the
Precedence the most gifted statesman of the
Nation-Maine's illustrous citizen. known on
both sides of the Atlantic. 1t thus placed in
power the party whose doctrines have
inflicted untold evils on the country,
and the larger portion of whose
members sought the destruction
of this Government by waging the most de-
structive war of modern times, drenching this
land with blood, causing an untold amount
of human woe, and piling up a vast national
debt
Thus this third party aided to place the
National Government of this great people in
the control of the solid South allied to
the whisky saloons of New York and Brook
lyn. The Consolidated power of these
saloons, controlling hundreds of millions of
capital. give the democratic ticket in those
cities sixty Thousand majority and outvote the
rest of the State, which gives as large ma
jority for republican principles and law and
order as New England itself.
Thus this third party aids to build up and
consolidate power which confronts the re-
publicans of Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island.
Iowa. and kansas--the five only States that
maintain Prohibition. Organized professedlv
in the interests of Prohibition, it operates As
its dangerous foe. If its supporters arr
they should know that they are
welding two edged sword. and they have
mold of the blade--vea, more, they are
carrying loaded bomb. whose explosion will
be most damaging TO them ard the cause
they profess to serve, if they continue in
their course,
Thus it is plain as noon-day sun how
completely this third party contributes to the
support of the democratic party. If that is
the real object and intent of this party, l can
understand it, 1t is well adapted to its pur-
pose. No astute democratic politician could
have conceived of piece of machinery
better fitted to his object. Why Mr., John B.
Finch, the chairman of the third party
national committee, should try to promote
the growth of it, | can well understand, for
he is an Uncovered democrat fir IN Nebraska,
who hates the republican party. | can well
comprehend the motives of Mr.. st. John, for
he is renegade republic in. whom
the temperance citizens and republicans
of Kansas found wanting and would no longer
support for Office. These and Others like
them were in the conspiracy which aided so
effectively to the election of Cleveland I
will frankly concede that manv of the third
party voters are sincere. To them wish to
present these plain considerations: You must
see the absolute necessity of the union of all
the friends of temperance in order to win sue
cess. Division among the friends of proh-
oltion only tends to serve its opponents. In
all great christian efforts union accomplishes
much. That is one great secret of the ire
mendous power of the Roman Catholic church
through thousand years, while the Protes-
tants have often been greatly weakened by
the clashing of sects and by divided counsels
at important epochs. In the military arena
you know how often great and momentous
consequences depend on unity of action.
The supreme value of unity was taught
seventy-one years ago on the field of Water
loo, which decided the fate of Europe. If
Napoleon could concentrate his forces in
time and hurl them on the divided armies of
the allies he would win. If Butcher could
unite with Wellington before Grouchy could
arrive with his French reinforcements, the
Allies would be victorious. You know what
happened-Blucher and his Prussian army
arrived on the bloody A ED in time and struck
down Napoleon forever before his French
achievements could come to his aid. Thus
the fate of Europe was decided BY unity on
one side and division on the other in the
memorable struggle between the two great
parties into which that continent was divided.
fou, American citizens, decide great cues
tons and the policies of a vast empire reach
ing from the Atlantic TO the Pacific, by the
ballot, the peaceful weapon of freemen In
politics unitv is equally important as in war.
In 1860 the friends of Freedom and the Union
were victorious because they were united,
while their opponents were divided support
ing Douglass and Breckenridge. So in 1884
the republicans, who had carried the country
through the greatest trials and the most mo.
mentous events of modern times were defeat.