The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-10-09


occurred today on the fair grounds here.
The meeting was presided over by two chair
men, J. V. Vanfeet OF the Hardin County
Democratic Central Committee on behalf of.
the democrats. and James @. Howe Of the
Republican County Central Committee on
behalf OF the Republicans. At I'45 the
meeting was called to order by Rev. Mr.
Campbell, Presbyterian minister. Seven
thousand people were on the grounds. The
clerical gentleman introduced the two. pre-
siding officers and announced that Governor
Campbell would be the first speaker. Chair
man Vanfieet made brief speech, alludIpg
inadvertently to Major Mckinley as gov
ernor, The Mckinley Republicans cheered
while the chairman blushed In confusion.
In the course Of his speech, Gov. Campbell
said: u protest against the crimes commit
ted In the name OF protection. protection
which increases the living necessities OF the
poor and produces reduction Of wages of
the working men and women. Our once
proud commerce has been swept from the
seas and yearly farming Is growing more un-
profitable. The splendid palaces OF the pre-
tected manufacturers crown our hills, while
down In the valleys the italian and Bohemi-
an are usurping the rights and privileges Of
American w0rkingmen, whose families crouch
In the corners of their novels. crying for
bread. The wife OF the miner staryes that
protection may be promoted. while the coal
bar0ns are rolling In wealth. There are
women In our great cities trying to main tain
life on 13 cents a day, that our infant indus
tries may be protected" The governor quot
ed from the American Economist to show
that the number Of people in the United
States who owned their own homes had fall
en- from five-eighths to One-eighth in 25
years. The governor said that In 1850 the
capitalists OF this country owned 371 per
cent Of our wealth. Today they own more
than half, and they live closer. "We are
rapidly reaching the condition predicted by
Abraham Lincoln. when he sald The mon
ey power will endeav0r TO pr0l0ng its reign
until all the wealth Is aggregated In the
hands of the few. and the Republic Is lost q"
lApplausel. The governor stated the total
number OF mercantile failures in the United
States In nine months OF 1891 was 1896. COM
pared with 1856 for like period in 1890. a
gain OF II per cent. This" he said sis
under the Mckinley bill Lapplausel
yet. when In 1880 Mckinley accepted the
nomination for Congress, he said
this country would witness a boom more
marvellous than any known. [Laughter.J
Where Is that boom? democratic applause.l
Were 1t not for the present abundant crops,
the best In ten years, these failures would
be great deal worse than they are" Gov.
lag better off than in 1902" [Cries Of "Yes.
Yes" Where l. hep" Here, here" from
various points Of the house, "But he has
more mortgages and has seen more sheriff
sales" shouted a Democratic agriculturalist.
Others chimed In "Yes. Right" Governor
not one farmer in thousand in Ohio Is as
well of today as In 1880" fright, right,
that's fact" shouted various voices. Gov.
Campbell sss.ked any laboring man whose
wages had increasss..s since the Mckinley bill
was passed TO stand up. NosSre arose and
Colonel Howe introduced Major Mex lev
as the ideal. typical American, one known
not only at home but abroad" lApplausel.
The Major said: THE issues between the
parties for which we stand are fixed by the
platform OF our respective parties. One or
two Of them l propose to present. One Is
the question OF silver; the other Of taxation.
Upon the question of silver, the Democratic
platform declared for the free and unlimited
coinage of the silver OF the world. The Re-
publican party stands opposed to that, in
sisting that IL cannot be safely done until the
great commercial nations shall have fixed
the ratio between gold and silver. The Re-
publican party stands. therefore, for dollar
worth 100 cents, whether 1t be gold, silver or
paper.
II approves the legislation Of the last Con-
gress which requires the government to buy
81. 100000 OF silver every month at its market
value. The treasury note issued In return
has behind 1t q dollars worth of silver pur-
chased In the markets Of the world. The
difference between what the government
pays for the silver and what goes into its
coinage goes to the credit Of the government
and for the benefit of the people of the
United States. Free and unlimited coinage
would give tue profit to the silver producers.
When a farmer sells wheat he gives full
measure. When he gets his pay he Is entitled
to the full dollar In value. IL there Is any
thing you have right to demand Of govern
ments, 1t is that the dollar 1t issues shall be
fixed In value to represent dollar In every
market and in every place in the wide world.
Major Mckinley said Governor CampbelPs
platform commits him to a tariff for revenue
only, unmindful Of all other considerations,
and not caring for the occupations or indus
tries Of the people. A revenue tariff. rails
es revenue for the government; a protect
i've tariff would do that. A revenue tariff
would only raise revenue; a protective tariff
stimulates industries and encourages the
skill and genius Of American citizens. 1t
secures to US, as it has done In the last 20
years. the first rank. in the indus:
all nations Of the earth. Tell me why
foreign producer should be allowed to en-
joy the markets Of American producers? He
pays not dollar toward your county, your
state, your municipal improvements. The
only way to touch him Is to tax him. The
governor says they don't pay the tax; 1t
Is the people. Then what are the English
making so much fuss about? Why are the
Germans making such noise about our tar
III laws? Major Mckinley quoted a
number of articles cheaper today than
under the old order Of things and
export had been In every tariff law since the
days Of Washington. The speaker said the
people talked about our foreign commerce
having left the seas when the fact was we
had the greatest International commerce
known to the world greater than England
and half a dozen European powers. There
was deafening applause as Major Mckinley
resumed his seat.