The Portland daily press., 1888-09-06
A GRAND RALLY.
An Enthusiastic Meeting of Republic
cans at City Hall.
Cen. LucIus FairchiId Delivers a
ForcIbIe Address,
And Hon. J. p. DoIIiver, Of Iowa,
Makes Telling Speech.


no exception to the series OF largely attend
ed and successful demonstrations that have
recently been held in the various parts of
Cumberland county by the Republicans. The
meeting was an enthusiastic one. ii. G..
Briggs, Esq, chairman of the city committee,
called the meeting to order and introduced
Major Holman S. Melcher, who presided.
Music was furnished by the First Regiment
Band, and the orators of the evening were
Gen. Lucius Fairchild, of Wisconsin, and
Hon. j. p. Dolliver, of Iowa. Major Melcher,
upon being introduced, spoke as follows
MAJOR MELcHER's SPEECH.
Ladies and Gentlemen: 1t is a pleasure,
and an inspiration, to preside at meeting of
my fellow citizens who are so much in earn
est and so enthusiastic in the great struggle
now going on for the maintenance of Amerl-
can principles and American industries. j,
The issues of this campaign are vital, and
you show by your zeal and determination
that they are correctly understood and fully
appreciated, and so do our friends up IN
Vermont Never since the campaign of
1860-with Abraham Lincoln as our stand
ard bearer-haye the loyal people OF this
country been so stirred and SO determined
that the glorious principles which the Repub-
lican party represent, shall be upheld
and maintained In war, the man9uvres
preceding great battle generally have much
to do in deciding the contest. lin this po-
litical campaign, the important issues along
which the Republicans are pushing forward
their lines, are giving us a vantage ground
that assures glorious victory In the final
contest. hut If that is not enough, we have as
great reserve force to fall back on If nee
essary--a record-and the record of the Re-
and one which we delight in recalling and
reviewing when occasion requires. Then,
too, we have as our leaders candidates whom
we not only have full confidence in, buG are
proud of.
Next Monday, we who hold this advanced
outpost down here in Maine are to advance
and carry the skirmish line of the enemy,
and under the leadership of Burleigh we are
to sweep away all opposition with tremen-
dous majority, and in this district it will be
known more fully than now, even, that we
are leaning on a strong Reed. When the
great battle is fought out, little further on,
under the same banner OF protection to
American industries and American labor,
with that true and noble man and brave sol
dier and brilliant statesman, and that able
business man Harrison and Morton as our
LEADERSHIP victory will be complete.
Back in the dark days of 81, among the
first to leave his home and bare his breast to
the terrible storm of war, that the imperilled
the Second Regiment Wisconsin Volunteers
Under his brave and brilliant leadership that
regiment did valiant service in defence of the
old flag, and at Gettysburg it held back with
uneQualled courage and valor, though with
terrible loss, the oncoming hosts OF the rebel
lion, until their comrades of the other army
corps could come to their support, and with
them save that glorious field victorious for
the Union. He gave one arm there but he
has another strong one remaining, warm
heart clear brain and brilliant intellect,
which he has constantly exercised for the
good of his State, the country and his fellow
men, and he has now come here to help us do
battle against the fierce attack on the indus
tries of our State by the emissaries of Brit
ish free traders. have the honor and plea
sure Of introducing to you the soldier, philan-
thropist and statesman, General Lucius Fair
child, Ex-Governor of Wisconsin.
Gen. Fairchild was greeted with great APP
plause and spoke as follows:
GEN. FAIRCHILD's SPEECH.
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen:
thank you very kindly fol the greeting
that you have given me this evening as q
representative of the Republicans of Wiscon-
sin, and we will send back to you in Novem-
Der in return for this enthusiasm in Maine,
and in return for the great majority which
you will give for Burleigh and for Harrison
and Morton plurality of twenty thousand
for Harrison and Morton. [Applausel l
came to this State with great reluctance and
with great diffidence, for know that you have
been favored with the best speakers in the
Union, and raise my voice with diffidence
to undertake to tell you what / may think
upon the political questions of the day. ! am
certain that l can give you no sort of instruc-
ton as to your political duties; / can proba-
bly, tell you nothing new; but desire to
stand here and speak to you for short time,
if you will allow me, taking my text from a
speech that was made here in this hall week
ago. If there is any Democrat in this room
wish to say to him that desire to utter no
bitter word about the Democrats or the Dem
0cratic party. have little disposition to tell
the truth about the Democratic party. be-
cause when do tell the truth about that
party my Democratic friends go from the
hall and say that have abused their party.
Among the best friends that have on earth,
and among the men / love most on earth, are
rock-ribbed members of the old Democratic
party, and have no personal feeling in the
matter. But, my Democratic friend. you
have record, and your record is open for
public inspection and you cannot hide it, and
you should not ask us to shun it. certainly
should not have undertaken to talk about the
past Of the Democratic party, as l now in
tend for few moments, had not read in
one of your papers here what l suppose to
be a good report of the address Of a distin-
guished gentleman from Massachusetts, Hon.
John K. Russell.
The speaker then read an extract from the
speech Of Mr.. Russell of last week eulogiZing
the Democratic party and saying that its di-
plomacy would be sound and that its record
for the future would be in accordance with
the traditions of the party in the past, and
continued, my young Democratic friend,
say tonight, look back into the history of the
Democratic party before you conclude to 60
to the polls and cast Democratic vote next
Monday or in November next. If there is
one Democratin this room tonight who is
disposed to look back into its history, and if
he will allow me, l want to tell him little
of what think he will find, and / think
am clearly entitled to do so upon this invita-
tion from this distinguished gentleman from
Massachusetts.
In the first place in regard to the financial
condition of the country in 1860, the Last year
of the Democratic reign in this land of ours,
President Buchanan, in message to Con-
gress, stated that notwithstanding an abun-
dance of material for wealth the country was
then in deplorable condition, the money Of
the country was exhausted, the public works
retarded, and thousands of laborers were
thrown out of employment and reduced to
want. That, my young Democratic friend,
was the condition in which the Democratic
party left us after they had given us TWEEN
ty years of low tariff system and nom
protective system for our country.
You will remember also that
they were compelled to sell the bonds of the
government at a rate that Melted the pur-
chaser IL per cent interest. You will find
that the Democratic President then sat
quietly in his Office and allowed all the pre-
parations to be made to gain possession Of