Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-14
JAMES Russell LOWELL
Lectures the New Workers on The lnde.
pendentS In Politics"
He Virtually Admits the Failure OF the
Great Object of His Class
CHICAGO, April Is.

new Reform Club. Inc speaker was intro
duced by Hon. Anson Phelps Stokes, tn
president of the Club, as the man who
years ago in "Bigelow Papers" exposed tn
extravaganza and waste engendered by tarii
taxes AMI declared the best methods for rails
ing the revenue was by direct taxation.
Mr.. Lowell said that he should not allow
himself TO be circumscribed or scanted o
elbow room by mis- subject, as he preferre,
the general to the personal in politics. Th
statesman he said, is the man who strives I,
see and know things as they really are and a
they are related to each other
always must be. His vision is underiecte,
by the cross light of transitory circumstances
His Judgment is undisturbed by the clamol
of excited and changeful opinion. Never
did two men show more clearly the quality
of true statesmanhip or render more preciou,
service to their party and country than Sen
ators Fessenden and Trumbull when they
dared to act independently of party in the
impeachment case against President John
son. They saved US from the creeping
paralysis which Is now gradually henum6-
ing the political energies of France. II
| speaking OF the two great parties of the
| country Lowell sali tutt botu parties are
equally guilty in eyaling successfully a.
they could the living questions of the day
| But while he made no distinction between
| the two parties he said he must be allowed
to make one exception. Il mean the at
tempt by portion of the republicans to
utilize the passions which every true lover
| of his country should do his best to ally, bv
1 provoking into Nirulence again those happily
quescent animosities of our civil war. In
saying this don't forget that the democratic
party was quite as efficient in bringing the
war upon us as the seeding States them
selves. Nor that it was by the
same sacrifice that the general and
permanent interests were yielded TO the de-
mands of immediate partisan advantage
which is the besetting temptation of all polit-
ical parties; but let bygones be bygones
| The dangers and temptations of parties being
great, it is for our interest that the best men
of both parties for II neut al body, not a
party by themselves for there they would
lose their power, bat a body large enough to
moderate between both parties, So as to make
them more careful i'll their choice of candi-
dates and of connivance with evil parties
1t has been proved that parties cannot be
reformed from within SO the attempt must
be made from without by the independents
The first aim sho I'D be, as it has been, the
reform of the civil seevice, the fruitful
mother of all our ills. If we have not
got all we hoped for from the present
administration we have, perhaps
got more then we had reason to expect con-
sldering how widely spread are the roots of
evil and what an incvnvenent habit they
have of sending up suckers in the most un-
expected places. TO cut off these doesn't
extirpate them. 1t is the parent tree that
must go. We have caused discussion
OF tne question from one eha OF tne country
10 we o'her' ioi IL cahiio, pear uiscussioh'
anu - ioi one navy 81 inuch la''h III 'he
eoou sense oi 'he american people as 10 Ieei
SURF '',a' uiscussioh iheans victory lhat
.he inue eu'e"'' are 81 htai'iiy uehouhceu
" 'ioeS "no "ie s"PPoiteu u! ys'eih thal
mas mas Si"uua'iy peeh l'viiec'eo ior the last
MY se"'', 10 al, 'A'eiien' eynhp,oni' L"o
s''"' u'9'io''' ''I. '''" oPehe" ane" ny
''e iee.ue"'' which '.aiis resolve tnehl-
ny o"s ,.'''' ,' VI ''i, ""i '"iin say
VI WV wal ,'' "eN""'e ~ 10 mere eiec
'ioneei'ns "e,i.e " 'a'i quesuo', oi pro-
" ..e'''" Vi A'ee """e' puie anu sinlpie. All
| th'' 'easonaDie 'ien 'o"'en" io' no" IS re-
uuouo" VI .',e AIN ;" suon way as shaii
oe u'e is"s' hui 'iui 10 eAis'hg lh'eres.s' tiie
mus. 'piui W ,,ie eonsuiiei' anu aoo,e an
as s''aii piac'ieaip .est Tue question "hether
we are we oI''ei on "nen we get our raw
eiiai a' 'ne io"es' possioie prices.
'i''iA 'ne "'i' Vi Pi"'e''ioh nave oeeh
u""'s' "''. ".e " INNING " 'ee 'iia' uiey
"eie u"" ,se !" e'ni""s '"e siouhu oi ne
o"'e' i"et h"'e se' many people
" aSAms "he'hei 'ne roppths ol fe'er
W pa! a"' y nie'i'ou equa'iy econohicai
ioi oo'n paiu "n' "he,hei '''e oan Poicy
Vi II pe no. an ,''e ',ioie 'as'an' III 'he pro-
i''o'' "s ne az in""9 anu '"e aui
~ i:.t, ,s'> s' ""i VI '"ie'y 'e
nv '''N 'N'' '''.o an a'i'anoe' oneh-
ss'o u ue ,ens'e , against 'he ie'els' "he'ner
u We .,'. 'i. "''. hoi ,ie pay 'i'en' VI oou"ts
10 '''e Wv rei VI s'''ei ,'ine' we shoulo no'
w eq"a.iy ia 49, 70 'iiahe a present 10 'ne
o"nei VI Iiie "hed, hei's' 'ie co.toh menus
anu wy 'oo"'Io hcnis' Nhich are the mos'
plouuc,i'e eoid MINES OF Inc country But
iie 'e,'"en's VI eAcessNe pIo'ectoh' "hich
,'ioush'iui men ufeaa most Is that sumu-
ia'es an unheai'hy nome competition leadine
70 an over production ana disasters "hich
are Us .aln'eu Gnspring' una. II fosters over
P"puia''on' anu 'his Is oi the most helpless
CLASS "heh thro"h OUT OF employment.
Cohiess t'a' cannot take cneerfui view OF
'he iu'uie VI Ne" bhgiand' "hich io'e 81
"eii' "heh her ieadihg industries are Being
siaiuaiis uiaNn 10 the oohth' IL Is MOI
pheasant 10 near that called the Americat
system "h'ch sncceei'd III ah"l'tl1g Gu
iofeigh comm, CO 1t Is ever l. : pleasant
TO near IL adN Noc.'t.d as beng foi the interes
Oh the iaoofer' by men no imported cheaper
iaoof' uh'll IL was forbidden by law OF the
surplus III 'he treasury, VIII say r. has al
ready SHOWN itseif to be an incitement Il
every possible variety of wastefu
expenditure and therefore OF demorallzin!
JooDery and has again received that theor,
of grahdmotheriy government which is mos
hosuie TO the genus OF our institutions an'
whlch soonest saps the energy and corrode
the morals OF the people In conclusion
Mr' Loweli SAIL Our politicians are so bus,
staay,ng local edhies OF prejudice or inter
esls 'ha' they allow the main channel of oui
national energies to be obstructed by dam
tor grind'ng private grist. Our leaders nj
longer lead but are skillful as Indians il
following the faintest trail of public opinion