Telegram-herald., 1888-09-20
.SOLON CHASE SPEAKS
My re sUppoaFs eeN H.sR,soN
a stirrf1z Addrsss "a hxrsEaas's nsil L@sE
kssstEx ~ ths Nstsr-@ oEssE
baker FROM aaise-A
Large Crssa frssssG

AL4cS sPc-La Apgl nc lss4rs 4t TIE aafs
Wni.e the people we're gathering Hon.
George " Allrn entertained those present
slfh soms peFs1nsl rsminisceo scss Of the iog
cabin and hard eljeE campAiga Vi $50. Civ
ink short account Of tas origin Of The terms
snd brief sca0nnt Of tie battle Of IpDe-
canoe. Although Mr. Allen begun By
aDolo<izink Tor hls lack Of OTatOrlcal ability.
frequent applause testified that nls remarks
we're appreciated o. the audience.
foilo.lng nis remarks the male quaftette
gave = vocal selection. wnlch gave such
satisfaction hat an sneoFe sas called for.
After the music, Frank A. Rodgers intro
ducsd the speaker 10 : short speech, IN
which be urged the i'm Importance of thor
ough understanding OF the principles enter
ng into the campaign. Fortunately, he
SID, the Issue was Dlai nit vas free trade
or protection. question OF the greatest
| moment 10 tue ls0Orng men Of the coun-
trg. The people are 10 decide II. sod II In
this they elected N Ii. Ford 10 Congress.
aud got dose Of free uade resulting IN the
stoppage OF their factories right here az
home they mad only themselves 10 blame.
In 1873 be was resldent OF Maine. and
knew how au old farmer had driven them
Steers" up aud down the State and on 10
| victory When the GreenOsck party dis
banded the old farmer nad joined the Re-
publicans aud be was here TO address the
peopls on the issues OF the day. Mr.. Chase
was ed with . storm OF applause as he
ross and by ms quaint expressions kept
the assemolage IN an uproar most of the
| time.
In beginning his speech he said that this
was not his first visit to Grand Rapids. and
though be lived way up il Name he felt
| quite well acquainted with Michigan peO-
| pie He had come from his vacation in the
| hay held 10 talk politics. and this year
there VAS good deal in politics. Public
| opinion Was the great engine by which
| legislation was enacted. Congressman were
but the servants. or agents, of the people
in carrying out their wishes. and
as the people ssld, SO Congress
| would perform. This year the great
/ issues are free trrde and protection. The
| first vote be cast was for Clay and protec-
| ton. He was a convert of Horace Greeley,
| aud had never changed his convictions.
| he had been . Greenbscker, and was not
| SORRY. That party had done much good
and had set the country ahead ten years,
but when It could do no more. it had sense
enough TO die. Some parties hadn't sense
| enough 10 do that. and some were not d to
| die. But the Greenback party did, and
| when he was thus left without q party, sus-
pended as it were between heaven and
| earth, he closely scanned the Republican
party's attitude upon the tariff. Some Of
| the party papers claimed that the party was
| in favor OF free trade, and Ia 1883 IL tlnkered
the tariff, and made some changes IN that
| direction. But when James q. Blaine was
| nominated ia 1884, and the Augwum Ds
bolted. ostensibly on account of civil SER
vice reform, but really on account of the
| tariff, all doubts on that point were re-
| moved.
In 1884 the issue was not as clearly stated
as now Mr.. Blaine was more of an issue
than the platform. But one thing might
be said for Mr.. Cievelsnd-he had courage
of his convictions; something his party
| could not boast of. and oy his action the
issue is sausrely presented.
| Some of the Democrats say they are not
free traders but they are. When the Re-
publcnns formulated their first platform
they did not put in abolition, but they
meant it. The Democratic platform calls
| for reduction, but means free trade. Their
! argument is give our laboring men cheap
| goods" What they mean is. let all for
| eign productions come in free" All the
goods in the country derive their chief
value from the labor put upon them. He
knew of nothing that did not, except the
water running in the river. Wool gets its
value rom LABOR. 1t costs farmers labor TO
produce it; it took labor to manufacture it
into goods.
We got our national prosperity through
good wages for labor. Tue Democrats say
we will become rich by buying cheap.
| Every laborer knows that this country was
| most prosperous when wages were highest.
Low prices mean low wages.
He Was farmer, and raised hogs, and
lived close besides two ma nufacturing
towns. When those towns were paving
| good wages his farm was growing more
| ~
farm dep reciated. When the prices were
| low and he takes his boys to market, the
| merchant wants One-hsf . hog, D ut when
wages were high the M erohant wants whole
| hog. Free trade talk about buying cheap
reminded him of the Irishmsn who
oantered Yankee for a turkey, aid ex-
! pressed Indignation, because the Yankee
asked him dollar. saying that in Ireland
ne cOuld get them for sl1pence. The
Yankee asked him why he did not stsy
there. "Becauss." he said, II couldn't get
/ the siKpence."
The big surplus IL held up az a bugsbOo
| When farmers were IN debt. they did not
worry about any surplus they might have.
The government can use IL TO pay its debt.
! bT buying bonds. But rather than pay big
/ premiums ne could pay u out for necessary
| Improvements. thus giving employment TO
la0Or.
Another thing. the men who went TO
tn. front during the war were paid IN dspre-
! GATED currency. while the bondb0ldsr
I rice vsd gold. This vas an iniustioe. The
| spesxer said let rs paw every soldier pen
slon and pay IL before be dies. That will
/ put the surplus IN circu' stiOa.
II the dgty is taken Oft Of WOOL the price
/ vii bs reduced. The farmer will have TO
/ econornize, the home market viii be con
I frscted. sai soon a demand Vii hs msde
/ for cnaapsr clothes Wages will come
/ down. We don't want cheaper goods, hut
/ higher vsrss Tss free trader wauid break
/ Gown wsxs- 10 tbs counfrv 70 the lsvsl 81
ths psgper lsbor Of the cd country.
Let Is l0as a. tlis. suppose We cut
I down wages 10 hsfs oolisr dsr Then
/ The msn -ho hss dol'-- csn gsf tro isYs
| ~Ork. Dot ne nan 40 Sss Sc to earn ass
% -erk TO Gays for it. Enis d. not pros
/ peTity
Tacor saving mschinsr7 hss made Ersst
/ chsBEs in the methods II isb7r. Usklnz
ifs sssier. Ne ID not want 20 DO soy
I with machinery. Or sIl0v it % c1, d1vn
wsess Ws -sn1 machinery TO give gs
( fewsr bours ~ so1r sri better wsEes
- 10 not wsnt fr-s trsde. rs ~snt -
I sfTicnvs im-Erstsn laEs - keep cut
/ psupers snd heather.
/ Tie r-dacrian 81 ~sges means t1st ths
I Hsn -ho : in tsbf Vii hsTs hs teors
[ scuoled. Say ocks mortgage owners snd
/ eoadkolds-s ~iA b oorrssDonaingl7 sn-
( Ficae1
n eio.nx his spssrh =. urxsa Green
/ bzcxa-s - corae irfo a. Rsp1b ear rsnx
/ snd 10 ic~s thefr denntT 81 o0nse1tinz -
/ e suslcv.i ~ q. Dsnoc-scT
The Tfsfing q 18Tred sita tnrss c5se-s
fcr NJ Chase "a tar-- 115rs fo- Bsikasp.
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