The Portland daily press., 1891-09-08
AT The LAKE.
Speeches by tho Governor and Others
-other Exercisef.

SreSSttOS " AttO &Ot0fuOI 0tto .
-other Exercised.
The weather at Sebago Lake was no par
ticular improvement over that in the city
but the crowd was large and the speakers at
the pavilion were enthusiastically received.
On the outskirts OF the crowd there was con-
siderable noise which interfered with the
speakers and which a few efficient police
officers would easily have prevented.
Gov. Burleigh was introduced as the first
speaker. He said:
Gov. Burleigh's Address.
M. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
am gladthat it is my privilege to be
here today and to participate in this christ
eniDg Of Labor Day in Maine. No official
act of mine during the last session of the
legislature gave me greater pleasure than
the signing of the bill that made this day a
legal holiday in our state. 1t seems to me a
| just recognition of the position of labor in
our social system. 1t was public and per
maneDt acknowledgement of the indebted
ness OF the state to its laboring men and
women. All wealth is primarily the pro-
duct OF Industry, and every step In our ma
terial prosperity bias been accomplished
through the combined and persistent efforts
OF laboring men and women. Most of the
cltlzens OF our state are actively employed
Maine such vast accumulations of wealth as
are necessary to maintain an extended
moneyed aristocracy, whose members, freed
from all necessity for personal work and
falsely prlding themselves upon that fact,
are able and willing to live upon the product
OF other peoples industry. There is prob
ably no state In the Union more free from
that cheap sn0Dbery that shuts itself from a
cordial, every day touch with the great
world, from sympathetic fellowship with
humanity, than is the State of Maine, and
that is one great reason. In my opinion, why
It's sons and daughters have always borne Il
such loyal devotion.
=, Maine Is emphatically a state If workers.
the inventive skill to forward its own enter.
prlses, but 1t has sent out all over this broad
land hundreds, yes, thousands of workers.
who have contributed to the material pros.
peIlty OF our country in almost every de.
ps a,d Oh its Industry. In view of these
the Union where Labor Day belongs more
generally to the people than 1t does In Maine,
believe that from this start It is destined 10
,aRe us place among the most popular of our
There are Eo more important questions To-
day than those which touch the welfare of
workingmen. AS the material welfare Of q
community Is dependent upon its productiy We
inuuotAJ, oO 10 tuo Stability oil Its institutions
ana the moral tone of its citize nship denend-
ent upon the. character of its workers
Whenever the labor of place is inteIlieent
contented and well paid, then law and eTde.
are respected. good schools are maintained
and churches flourish. There too. product
i've skill invariably reaches its highest eff.
cheney. Therefore, say, there are no oues-
ti0ns Of greater and more far-reachine i'm
portance to the state than those which mar
tain to the welfare Of Its workingnien. That
this fact is being generally recognized is
clearly shown by the trend of legislation IN
the country at large and in our own state.
Within few years past we have established
q Department OF Labor ably presided over
from the first by my friend, Mr.. Matthews,
whose whole work is directed to ascertain
ing such facts and statistics regarding labor
in this state as shall serve In the future as a
basis for intelligent legislation In its behalf.
The hours Of labor have also been shortened.
The employment of women and children has
been placed under wise restrictions, the
Australian system of voting has been adopt
ca and last but not least the legal holiday,
Labor Day. has been established. In all
tnese ways the interests Of the workingman
nave been looked after and evidence has
peen given OF growing appreciation Of his