The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-13
Hon. Henry w. crady's Ideas Of the
South and the Negro.
Mr.. Putnam Speaks OF the Merchant
Marine and the Fisheries.

| athan A. Lane, president OF the association !;
Hon. P. A. Collins, Hon. John Lowell, Hon.
William K. Russell. Hon. Leopold Morse,
Governor Ames, General Clinton B. Fiske of
New Jersey; Hon. Homer Rogers, president
Ins saston B9aa 80 a Sf qs FaSss
tonstall, Hon. Frank Jones, b. Haskell,
Hon. Josiah Quincy. ex-doy. Castor, Post
nnastsen master corse; Hon Hon Alden. Alden Spssare.
president of the Boston Executive Business
ASSOCIATION; Richard Briggs. president Of
the Merchants Club; G. f. Choate, president
Of the Old Colony Railroad; speaker w f.
Barrett. Hon. George G. Croeker. Hon.
Thomas L. jerks, Chas. S. Smith, president
Of the New York Chamber of Commerce;
Joseph Burnett, Edward Atkinson, Hon. s.
N. Aldrich, assistant United States Treas
urer; ex-Congressman A. A. Ranney, ex-
Governor Rufus B. Bullock, DIR. j. w. Ran
kin, Clarence Knowles, S. NJ Inman, DIR. r.
ID. Spaulding. Col Evan p. Howell, Thomas
y. Meader, j. r. Halliday, w. A. Hemphili,
George Hillyer. all Of Georgia; John Il. In
man, Of New York; President Morton of the
Xerdery. Hon. Patrick Calhoun, and G. c.
Nichols of the Atlanta Constitution.
After the banquet Governor Ames well
coined the guests Of the occasion, and Homer
Rogers welcomed the guests on behalf of
Mayor Hart, who was absent from the city.
Mr. CleYeland was then introduced. He
was received with long continued applause,
shouts and cheers, the entire assembly rising
and waving their handkerchiefs. He re-
ferred to the merchants of Boston, past and
present, and then spoke OF ballot reform
as follows:
Mr.. CIeveland's Speech.
"Let us look with degree of pity and
charity upon Those who yield to fear and in
timidation 10 the exercise Of their right Of
suffrage. Though they ought not thus to
yield, we cannot forget that as against their
free ballot. th9y see in the scale, their con-
tinued employment, the comforts CT their
homes ard the maintenance OF their famil-
ies We need not stifie our scorn and con-
tempt Tor the wretch who basely sells his
vote, and who for bribe betrays his trust
oil citizenship. And yet the thought will in
, tr1de itself, that he but follows 10 low and
vulgar fashion, the example of those who
proceed upon the theory that political action
may be turned to private gain.
But whether we pity or whether we hate,
our betrayal is none the less complete; nor
right But we know that when political
selfshneSs is destroyed our dangers will dis
appear; and though the way to its strong
hold may be long and weary. we will follow
lt-hghting as we go. There will be no sur
render, nor will there be desertions from
our ranks. Selfshness and corruption have
not yet achieved lasting triumph and their
oold defiance will but hasten theday OF their
destruction.
AS we struggle on and confidently invite
direct conflict with these entrenched foes
OF cur political safety, we have not failed TO
8 10 another hope which has manifested
l.tself to all the honest people of the land.
1t teaches them that though they may not
, immediately destroy at their source the evils
which affiict them, they may check their
malign influence and guard themselves
against their baneful results. 1t assures
them that IL political virtue and rectitude
nnt af no thOrOunh lu m ho
republic, the activity of baser elements may
be discouraged. 1t inspires them with vigil
lant watchfulness and a determination to
prevent as far as possible their treecherous
legations of citizenship. This hope. risen
like the Star in the East. has fixed the gaze
of our patriotic ellUw-countrymen; and
/ everywhere-in our busy marts of trade and
on our farms-in our cities and In our vii
lages-in the dwellings of therfch and in the
homes of the peor-in our universities and
in our workshOps-in our banking houses
and in the ranks of inexorable toil-they
greet with enthusiastic acclaim the advent
of ballot reform. There are no leaders in
this cause, Those who seem to lead the
movement are but swept TO the front by the
surging force of patriotic sentiment. 1t
rises far above partisanship and only the
needless, the sordid and the deprayed refuse
to join in the crusade.
II remember the Inauguration of another
reform and have seen 1t grow and extend,
until it has become firmly established in our
laws and practice. 1t is today our greatest
safeguard against the complete and dis
graceful degradation Of our public service.
1t had its enemies and all Of them are not
silenced. Those openly and secretly un-
friendly, said in the beginning that the
scheme was impracticable and unnecessary;
that 1t created an Office holding class; that it
established burdensome and delusive tests
for entry in the public service which should
be open to all; that it put in the place of real
merit and efficiency, scholastic requirements;
that it limited the discretion of those
charged with the selection of public en-
plOyes. and that it was unconstitutional.
But its victory came-wrought by the force
OF enlightened public .sentiment-and upon
its trial every objection which had been
urged against it was completely discredi ted.
As 1t has been with civil service reform, so
will it be with ballot reform, except that the
coming victory will be more speedily
achieved and will be more complete"
Mr.. crady's Speech.
Henry W. Grady of Georgia followed. He
said the South was so scantily peopled that
but 10 per cent of its lands were cultivated.
Since 1860, northern emigration to the south
has been decreasing, because Of the race
problem and the suspicious 1t breeds. The
southerners' very existence depends on the
right solution of the race problem. The
speaker said this year the South raised
7.500, 600 bales of Gotten, which could not
have come from the hands Of sullen or dis
contented laborers. The negroes of Georgia
now possess S20,0O0.O00 worth Of
property. For every Afro-Ameriean
agitator stirring up strife, he could show a
Thousand negroes happy in their cabin
Since 1865 the South has spent S122. .000. 900 In
education and this year Is pledged tn S37,000,-
600 more. The blacks paying 1.30 OF the
taxes, get nearly half the funds.
In the courts, the negroes have distinct
ly better showing on account Of their color.
The vote remains an ignorant and credulOus
faction. The prey Of the unscrupul0us of
both parties, 1t plays part In a campaign In
which every interest of society Is jeopardized,
every approach to the ballot box debauched.
Against such campaigns the Southern whites
are banded. Mr.. Grady said that in 1888, the
sixteen southern states cast 81 per cent o.
their vote and the six New England
States, but 63 per cent of theirs. The negro
has learned that the ballot box, which prom
| ised him the most, has yielded him the least
and, at last, has realized that his best friends
are his neighbors, with whose prosperity his
own is bound up. 1t would be well IL north
ern partisans understand that the negro vote
can never control in the South, III there be
any human power which cannot be with
Stood, II is the banded intelligence and re-
sponsibility Of free community. Upon
that power the South relies, and not upon
the cowardly menace of mask or shotgun.
The North may surrender its liberties to a
federal election law, but nnever again will a
single State, North or South, be delivered to
the control of an ignorant and inferior race.
The speaker believed the problem would be
solved by the people most bound in honor to
its solution.
Andrew Carnegie eulogized ex-President
Cleveland. He gave q brief exposition of
the wonderful progress made by this country
| In the past 80 years, and declared his pellet
In its future prosperity.
Mr.. Carnegie was followed by Hon w. l..
Putnam, late Democratic candidate for
| governor of Maine, who spoke briefly upon
the merchant marine and fisheries, emphasl-
zing his well known views upon those sub
jects.
Queer Pension Case.
A case assigned for the United States Dis