Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-08-15
THOMAS B. REED
Tsndered I Reception it Port
land Last EVonln6.
Hs Makes Z Rou;ins Sp.eeh On Topics
Of The Day.
Che Affair Very Hothusiastic and an
Urqualifisd aucosss.

PORTLAND, Aug. 14.-Hon- Thomas b.
Reed made . notable speech today at the
reception rendered him BY the Portland
Club. Mr.. Reed WAS introduced BY Hon.
Henry B. Clesves, president Of the club,
and Vas received With great enthusiasm.
He spoke - follows:
Mr.. President, gentlemen Of the Portland
Club and fellow citizens: Had l fully ap-
preciated the extent and cordiality Of your
welcome perhaps I should have felt it my
my pocket instead Of in my mind, for
there il is il it exists At all.
will not say to you, - it has become the
custom lately to say, that have come back
from abroad more Of an American than l
ever was before, and will not say 30 for
two reasons. In the first place, so many
Americans 20 abroad nowadays aud come
back in that condition that America is get
ting to be almost to patriotic q country to
live in Laughter and in the second place.
l think you sll will do me the justice to
believe that when went away was sufii
ciently American not to have any
margin upon which to increase in
that direction Laughter and applause
Your chairman has said that tbs 10 beau
.iful landscape; and il were disposed to
in any way praise the countries that have
seen / should hardly dare to speak Of their
beauties on q spot where the sky, the sea
and the shore blend themselves in pic
ture Of more wonderful beauty than the
human eve ever looked upon anywhere
else on the face Of the earth. (Applsuse). i.
While We surpass other nations in extent
of territory, in wondrous scenery and in
enterprise, we are not today so far ahead
of them 70 we used to be in devotion to
human liberty. Everywhere in the world
tho love of liberty has increased; every
where in the world the standard has been
lifted higher and higher, until in
the most Of Europe it reaches q
point almost equal to our own.
In ally the King has not the power Of an
American President. Ia France great
republic has taken root in that soil so
deeply that l believe the storms of time
will beat against il in vain. Permanent
republicanism is the rule Of France. In
England the Manifestations of the public
will are full, sufficient and conclusive. and
if there is anything that we now need to
bestir ourselves about, it is to give this
county once again the extremely advanced
position which it formerly occupied in favor
of human liberty and human rights. In
it's recognition Of manhood. as tuch, we
were the pioneer nation; we were the
people who first determined that there
was safety in the rule of the people.
And yet, we, ourselves, were very much
afraid of the results. 1t was q new expert
nncaatnYn "a
gan to intrust ali the people of the country
with the powers Of the whole country, and
there was great fear least disaster should
come to the nation on account OF 1t. Our
constitution is full of those fears: it is
made with checks and balances in order to
restrain the people Of this country. Those
restraints in the constitution were sufficient; /;
they were all that any nation needed, but,
in addition to this, during our history, while
we were yet under the control of the South,
and those who sympsthized With them,
there gradually grew up other checks and
o.hsr oppositions to the will Of the people
until today this country does not occupy the
advanced position which it formerly occu-
ped with reference 10 other nations in
regud to the rule of the people.
The Republican party has always been de-
sirous OF doing t~o things. First, to dis
tribute among all citz me, upon fair basis
so far as consistent with the organic alton
of society, those wooderful gifts of God
which constitute the wealth Of . nation.
In no nation uyon the face Of the earth has
there been such q distribution Of the ad-
vantsges Of nature ard Of the riches of the
country; in NO other nation upon the face
of the earth is the average OF
comfort and happiness go high as
it is in the United States. To
my notion that distribution Of wealth 10
made by the system which we call protec
tion to American industries Applause {; 3
system by which we have been victorious
in the battles for wealth and for the devel-
opment of this great country. Upon that
principle thus successful the Republican
party, even in misfortune and defeat, may
rest safely and securely. There 10 one
other cardinal principle upon which it has
rested in the past and upon which it must
rest in the future, and that is the cardinal
principle Of the rights Of man. Applause
Give to every one the comforts which they
need to make life agreeable, and thus dis
tribute the greatest amount Of happiness
and thus give to every man his fair equal
ity before the law, his right to make Of
himself all that he can, and, above all
things, the right never TO be governed with
out his own consent. Great applause.
Whatever may happen to &c the Republican
party, you may be sure tits insured by these
principles against any permanent disaster.
We may lose officers, we may lose elec-
tions, but these principles are sure, in the
long run, to lead US on to that victory
which alone is worth the pursuit Of a great
people, . victor which shows itself in the
continuous upward movement Of civiliz'
alton in the world. rGreat applause