The Republican journal., 1888-09-06

Opera House on Saturday, where Congressman
Mlliken of this city, and Hon. S. W. Matthew'S of
Caribou, Labor Commissioner of Maine, addressed
the citizens on the issues of the day. The IIarri
son and Nc rton club of this city intended to have
appeared III uniform and with torchlights, but the
uniforms dill not arrive from New York in season.
However. the weather would have prevented had
the uniforms been at the club room, as it raine,l
nearly all day. The Opera House was filed and
the speeches were well received. Hon. William
Il. Swan presided and first presented Hon. Seth l..
Milliken of Belfast.
Mr.. Millikcn began by saying he had prepared
speech, but would present such thoughts as came
to him. He said he had spoken many times before
Belfast audience and had received only kind
ness The Republican party is the party of free
dom, ard believed in free speech and fair treat
ment If there was a Democrat or Republican in
the audience who wanted to ask him question he
would answer him cour.eously and to the best of
his ability. He had been asked thousands of uucs
tions and had always given Il courteous reply
The speaker said Maine always gives the key
note in September, and the eyes of the country are
upon her. Not only were the other states looking
on but countries of Europe were waiting for
Names voice. With one exception Maine has
always given good account OF herself We arc
to say whether the policy which has prevailed for
twenty five years shall continue, whether our
working people shall be placed par with the
paurer labor of Europe. Whether our markets
shall be for our own people OF for those Of other
countries. Whether we shall receive American
wages or European wages. The Democratic speak.
crs talk only of the consumer and say nothing
about the producer. Mr.. Miliiken then criticised
the statement of the President au'l of the Demo
cratic leaders to the effect that the duty added 20
the price of articles. He said that this statement
Is false The protection policy keeps the foreign
product out of our markets, when the American
manufacturer and producer by competition re
duce the price, in almost every case below that of
the foreign product. Thv duty is to he added only
on such commodities as cannot lie produce,i in
THIS country, and Oil every American product the
consumer pays no duty. The statement to the
contrary is false cry to dclude the people As an
illustration Mr.. Millken said tina: the duty On
calico was sin cents per yard, hut he could step
into the dry goods stores of Belfast and buy
calico for five cents per yald,--onc cent less
than the duty. That is the way the protection
policy works. The Democratic larty of Maine
is hedging when it denies that the Mills bill
as the North is concerned There are lifty three
articles on tie free list, and every one, with few
EXCEPTIONS are products of the Northern States
The Democratic party is tending to free trade.
Mr.. Mills, the father of the hill, said they would
reduce the duties until there was ,utiabe al
ticlc left. The policy of the Republican party is to
admit into the country free everything that we can
not produce, and to place on articles we can pro
rrn ,,t1- ~,
well as the manufacturer. Mr. Milliken said the
Mills bill was inspired By the President. MIR. Mills
himself lives in Texas, where they raise only cotton,
and he knows nothing about the vast industries of
the country. As a sample of his ignuta nee he re-
lated the seamless stocking argument Of MIR. Mills,
which is familiar to all our readers. The majority
of the Ways and Means committee of the house
which produced the Mills bill, are men who repre-
sent a section Of the country which has bought and
sold labor for five generations. They are fit to
leSIslate for the working men OF the north. They
know nothing of the dignity of American In, y
The Democrats of the South loo!, 18th envy upon
the prosperity of the North and are striking a
blow at our industries Mr.. Aiilliken said that
nearly every industry of Maine had been placed on
the fire" list, and cited the Of iumber. Ono of
the worst blows was that inflicted upon the wool
Industry. This is the fifth largest industry in Tie
country. In 1853 the tariff wool reduced
ana IN short time the number Of sheep in the
country was reduced from 5o,000,o0o to 4400o,co
If slight reduction decreased the number of sheep
6,ooo0CO in short time, it did not take great i'll
telcct TO calculate what would become of the in
dustry if the duty was removed altogether. The
Democrats tell the farmer that free wool will ad-
vance the price of wool, while they tell the laborer
that free wool means cheaper clothes and cheaper
blankets. The speaker wanted to know how You
could raise the price of the fabric and make the
garment cheaper. No one but 4 free trade Demo
crat cou!0 figure that out. When wool is placed
on the free list you arc dealing great blow to Il
large industry. MI Milliken said Il Democratic
speaker, 4 friend of his, was talking to the pco-
pie and telling them that on the suit of clothes
he Wore there was Il duty of SIC The duty on
wool is from ten TO twelve cents per pound. Al
lowing that there We're ten pounds of wool in tie
Democratic speakers clothes, liberal estimate,
and the abs,r'lity of his statement is apparent.
All kinds of building stone were placed on the
free list, but the Democrats took marble of. MI.
Milliken asked the trainers of the bill why marble
was taken out of the free list and granite Jeff on
and was told it was because the freight on gran
Mr.. AIilikcn then compared the freight on marble,
said the true reason was because large amount
of marble is produced in Tennessee. Many arti-
cles included in the original Mills bill have been
put back the dutiable list. Wooden screws,
which are largely made in Connecticut, were taken
of because Connecticut is a doubtful state. Wood
pulp taken OF the free list, because wool p,p
i,l 10
doubtful state. Taking up the Democratic assertion
that the Mills bin only reduces the present protcc-
tive tariff five per cent Mr.. Miliken showed that it
averaged forty two per cent. How is that average
made? Why by placing nearly every product of
Maine on the free list and then giving the rice
planter of South Carolina and Georgia 100 per
cent on his product. SiNty-eight per cent protcc-
ton for the sugar planter of Louisiana, and north
ern wool on the free list. "Why," said Mr.. MILL
ken, "they might remove the duty from every
thing except rice and then say we have increased
the protective tariff to 100 per cent Mr.. Miiiken
inquired what had the people of Maine done that
they should be so punished. Had they been less
loyal to their country than the rice planter of South
Carolina and the sugar planter of Louisiana: In
the days of lS6l-G5 where We're the 1,001 brave
soldiers of Maine and where were the sugar and
rice planters Mr.. Mlliken briefly touched upon
the fishery and free ship questions. He said tie
Democratic party AMI Great Britain were conspir
ing for their destruction. Great Britain has al.
ways been the ally of the Democratic party. 1t
was i'll 1861 and it is to-day. The Republican
party is called upon TO fight the Old alliance,
and the speaker urged the voters To condemn it
by placing in the White House the champions of
the Republican party-lImrison and Morton.
Mr.. Milliken's remarks were frequently inter
rupted with applause.
Mr.. Swan then introduced Hon. ;. W. Matthews,
Labor Conn ssioner, who spoke briefly. Mr..
Matthews said that without labor nothing could
exist. Labor is the base of every system and
should be protected. The laborng man is entitled
to and should have high wages existing af
fairs will allow. He believed that the hours of
labor should be reduced, which can be done with
50 much labor saving machinery. lie did not de-
sire to see system that will reduce wages. Emil
grafton should be restricted, ard the pauper labor
of Europe should not he SO freely introduced. Mr.
Matthews criticised the free trade theories of the
Democratic party and said that that party was for
free trade. He gave the definition of free trade by
!, noted authority, which is 1.-THE opposite of pro
tection." He spoke of the benefit of home market
for our own production. Manufactures establish
ed in Belfast create market for local products
Mr.. Matthews referred to Aroostook county and
said it had prospcred under the protection policy
of the Republican party. Only an imaginary line
separates Aroostook from Queen Nctoria's do
mains. Yet upon side you nice farms,
good buildings and prosperity, while the other
side are poor farms and poor buildings. Why is
Inyrn hate fh,,,,