Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-28

its logical conclusion with the simple state
Hent That idea with the apprehension il
creates has got into the heads of the demo-
cratic leaders; it has reached the White
House and il has received the sovereign no.
tice Of the President and his constitutional
and political advisers. And now the Presi-
dent and the democratic party have said TO
themselves and to each other If we can't
stop this free trade discussion among the
people we shall rapidly drift to ruin; if We
| cant stop this popular arraignment of our
party for hostility to the protective tariff, we
shall be beaten disastrousIy in November
What shall we do in this crisis!" And then
| comes the happy thought, we must divert
the attention of the people, we must get them
to thinking of something else. We must
take their minds off this question of protec-
ton. We must get out of the unlucky hole
into which we have put our foot. Ap-
plause. And we must get up
great scrimmage with Canada over
the fishery question, says the President.
Fellow citizens, this attitude of the Presi,
dent is indeed very funny. Why just re-
member and reflect that in 1856 and 1887 the
President calmly allowed our fishermen
to suffer every indignity along the shores of
Congress passed law giving the President
the right to retaliate by refusing to Canadian
vessels the commercial p-ivilegesin our ports
which they denied to our vessels in their
ports But the President would not do a
thing; he would not move hair he would
not utter protest. Oh, no, he must negoti-
ate a treaty with England aboutit. As John
| Holmes used to say, he was afflicted with
the mania of pulling wires across the Atlant-
| ic 1t sounded large and grand. The Presi-
dent would not settle this question in an easy
natural Just and practicable way in 1855 and
! 1887 when we were suffering outrages, but
now at the close of the fishing season of
| 1883, when there has not been a single un-
! friendly act by Canada against our fisher
| men, when all our fishermen are coming
home, and three fourths of them are already
on the way, the President says, ~ want you
| TO pass a law that will allow me to stop all
transit trade with Canada. | want you to
give me a chance now, when there is nothing
at stake, to get atthese fellows. Loud and
protracted laughter was not willing to
retaliate when there was something to retail
ate for, but now. as | have lost a little credit
bv hanging back, and you republicans have
rejected my trea y, II dast you" as the boys
in play say to one another. dast you TO give
me the power to raise commercial trouble
with Canada. | want to show you how |
will punish Canada because the republican
Senate has rejected my treaty just see
what will do if you will empower me to
raise big row generally"
Fellow citizens, | always want to speak
with respect of the President of the United
States but if you will pardon me, must
say that his sudden and violent display of
courage after his long refusal to vindicate
the rights of our fishermen puts me in mind
of scenes not infreguently witnessed in a
new settlement ON the frontier, where perso-
nal courage is always greatly esteemed. 1t
is not unknown in those remote and hardy
regions that a man new to their ways fails to
show the requisite pluck, and, in consequence,
loses caste among his companions.
Suddenly he becomes aroused to the
necessity of regaining lost ground, and
then he goes to absurd extremes. Nothing
can hold INN him back He proclaims his
courage in all the extravagant lingo of the
Rocky Mountain region. Let me at him.
love fire." says he II eat snakes"
Laughter. can whip my weight in Wild
cats and throw in panther every few min
utes." Laughter. That's the kind of
man am" Such is the style in which the
mountaineer proclams his restoration to the
status of bravery, but the old heroes who
never quailed in pluck have no respect for
loud announcement of courage Excuse me
if the course of the admin
istration recalled these scenes Af-
ter failing to do anything for the fisher
men, leaving them to be abused and outrag-
ed through two summers and declining all
form of just and proper retaliation, the
him,
power to make and effective onslaught on
Canada to do something that will tell In effect
the President declares that he does not want
to settle this question right down at Portland
and Halifax. He wants to settle it out in
Manitoba. He wants to have disturbance
all along the line In the spirit the Presi-
dent is now in, he will be satisfied with moth
ing that does not put courage in his admin
istration. and Protective tariff out of the
minds of the people. Well, my friends, |
don't believe that Congress will crafty the
President | think now that the fishing
season is over. and no outrages have been
committed, the American peple will direct
that the hole question shall go over to next
wear By that time there will be republi-
can President Great Applause in the
White House. and a republican Congress in
the CItiiol, and then we shall settle this
question as it ought to be settled, settled as
the republican party has always dealt with
CT. b titan, in holding high the dignity of the
United States and informing Great Britain,
as General Grant did in the case of the
Al ibama claims, that the fishery dispute
must be settled on terms of full equity AMI
Justice to the American fisherman and in ac-
cordance with the honor of both nations.
Fellow citizens, If there are two men IN the
United States with whom personally SYM
pathize they are Senator Morgan of Alaba-
ma and William L. Putnam the democratic
candidate for Governor of Maine. Laugh
ter. Senator Morgan proved in an eloquent
speech of thir,y-seven hours-and Mr.. Nor
gan is the only man in the United States who
can be eloquent for thirty-seven hours
Laughter that if the Senate rejected that
treaty it meant war. We supposed Senator
Morgan n cant war with England against us
but England has no such notion and we hnd
now that Morgan must have meant that the
! President would make war. A novel direc-
ton for hostilities to take but Morgan knew
what he was talking about and now seconds
the President. Aud as to Mr.. Putnrm, a
most honorable and estimable gentleman
am sure he is. Ihave known him well and
have enjoyed his personal friendship for
/ more tuAh thirty NtAEs- Aie Is PaiHseah"s :
attorney, he is a conscientious lawyer. He
has been going through this State demon
strating how entirely right the President va:
in doing nothing to redress the Fishermen
wroi gs for the last two years and how pru
dent and proper was the treaty which sur
renders our rights in every one of its provis
ions. TIE peaceful policy of the Presiden
in making that treaty was the very one whicf
Mr.. Putnam eulogized and defended and be
lieved in, conscientiously. 1t was polio,
of negation and of peace and Mr. Putnam
approved it. And while Mr.. Putaam is con
( nuiug to address the people of Maine OF
that phase and to rest his candidacy upon
the President takes his whole ground from
u.der him and says: stop. Putnam, don
talk peace any more. We nave played tina
role out and it wont win. We must now 9
at Canada with vengeance, one and all
Laughter We must raise such dus