The Portland daily press., 1888-08-02

settle the question. He closed his remarks
by inviting the crowd to the hall meetIng mai AS
Beiore the meeting in the hall had heen
called 10 order Rev. Mr.. Shinn advanced and
mIsn the words I'VE want to know what
MA nalu o5 meeting this is here tonight drop
peu nag bearing the names of the party
i0dpSeIs pn.s over the front OF the speakers desk.
DSnt 0rchestra opened the exercises with
n music. There were, perhaps, a thousand
Mr.. Chas. T. Libby called the meeting to
order and Rev. MIR. Atkinson offered prayer.
ueneIai Neal Dow was then introduced as
presidlng ofncer of the meeting and said
In commencement: 1--WE have formed
new party with the express purpose of sup
pressing the liquor traffic We know that 1t
involves great deal of work and we do not
expect any great results at first but we are
glad TO see that it is growing, and that very
rapidly. 1t is very much larger than it was
four years ago, but there are hundreds of
thousands of prohibtionists who have not
Joined the party yet"
General Dow spoke at some length of his
own clinglng to the Republican party, iii
which connection he had said when asked to
deserty: "I cannot do that in Maine. 1t
would be ungrateful toward the Republican
party to do it, That party in Maine has al
ways had prohibition in its platform. as we
ourselves would like to have it. But it was
not long time before found it was sham
and great cheat all through. and | have
since been led to believe that the suppression
OF this evil can only be done through
special party for that special object"
He spoke, too, of the tariff issues in the
camdaign. He claimed the Republicans
We're trying to delude the people. There is
not the slightest danger of free trade in this
country, for If a free trade measure was able
to get through the House of Representatives
it could not pass the Senate. This cry Of
free trade by the Republican party is all
posh, 1t is all bugabo0, and the Republicans
who talk that way do not pay very good
compliment to the people they are talking
TO. The Democrats are as interested in the
prosperity OF the nation as the Republicans
are.
General Dow went on to declare that he
was protectionist himself but that he be-
ileved the prohibition question was far more
important.
Passing ON he said: sThe Republican
party IN this State and in every State and in
the United States is in league with the grog
shops, deliberate league with the grog shops
ana the bargain is give us your votes and
you may send the people to the Devil just as
soon as you like and want the Republican
papers to answer this if they can"
Inc speaker was warmly applauded. He
then introduced Hon. V0lney B. Gushing as
the next speaker. Mr.. Cushing said
will simply give best reasons why church
men and business men and patriotic men
should unite with the Prohibition party.
The mission of the church is to establish the
Kingdom of God in the world. The kingdom
OF righteousness, peace and love. and the
greatest barrier TO its incoming is the liquor
tfa1nc. Ours is the party whose purpose in
the world Is the obstruction of the liquor
trafflc and the promotion of this kingdom of
dod. Ours is the party which represents as
no other party does the mission of the
christian church, and church men should
ply Christian principles to political life
your place is in the Prohibition party. A
business man should support this party.
Inc tariff as financial question is not to be
compared with the temperance question.
Can we hope to settle the labor question be-
fore this Is settled. $500, 900 of our nation
al drink bill comes from the pockets of the
wage workers and this in silver dollars
would make a pile 7S9 miles high which
represents only third of the entire amount
consumed.
Nothing can affect labor and capital like
this. The patriotic men should lend us their
support. Patriotism starts in love of ones
country to defend it against enemies, and
the liquor traffic is the greatest enemy of
At the close of Mr.. Cushing's remarks
collection was taken up. and then the Rev.
J.. ". Bashford was introduced.
Mr. Bashford expressed pleasure at being
able to again address Portland audience,
and then turned his remarks to finding ont
what was the difference of the two parties
on the tariff question. "Let me state in the
nrst place., he said, 'that the tariff is not
question Of principle, but one of expediency.
and on this point base my words upon no
less an authority than the Hon. James G
Blaine. lApplause.l Mr.. Bashford then
quoted from Mr.. Blaine's Twenty Years Of
Congress-" substantiating this statement
and also saying that the tariff questions had
always been, mainly, one of selfishpess. Mr..
Bashford, continuing, said: "And now we
come to put before you. men and women, a
question which rests upon something higher
and better than mere expediency and selfish
ness"
Mr.. Bashford went on to argue the Presi-
dents last message was not free trade
message nor the Mills bill free trade meas
ure. II will tell you," he said, s'why /
think President Cleveland has laid SO much
upon the tariff question. 1t is because he
did-Q9t care to make another canvass upon
his personal character, and 1 don't blame
him, nor on civil service reform either, be-
cause he has not been able TO carry out that
In this he has been an exceedingly
politician, but poor statesman
Mr.. Bashf0rd then spoke of the enormitv
OF the liquor traffic and of its terrible evils.
he compared Portland with Buffalo in the
matter OF saloons, saying that allowing that
there were 30 saloons in Portland there
ought to be $50 in Buffalo, which is seven
times our size, while as a matter of fact
there were $500 there, and he thought that
prohibition law enforced there as It is in
Portland would reduce the rum influence
seven-eighths per cent.
Mr. Bashf0rd closed his remarks with
words concerning the candidates of the par
ty.