The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-04-01

refuse to be defrauded OF the satisfaction /
get from that just designation of the party
By the witticism of the opposition journals
which print 1t g. o. p. 1t is to me still the
grand old party; grand in its achievements;
grand in its righteousness, purpose and
principles; and grand In the power which il
exhibits of adjusting itself to the various
questions of public life as they arise year by
year.
In the mother country there is a venerable
statesman to whom the:sa me adjectives have
been applied-the grand! old man. To be
sure the Tory journals and Tory sympthiz.
ers, speak cOntemptuously and sneerineIy of
his methods and his mistakes, but he remains
the grand old man STILL with the SHOWS Of
more more IMAM Tour score years upon his head
Dut vigorous. eloquent, pure, patriotic and
progressive; grand not more in the fifty wears
OF nifty years OF splendid service that he has
zone Tor hls country, that he is in the atti-
tude which he takes today in his old age up
On % tne great questions that rise before the
Engiisn peopleIfor solution. And so we feel
mat IL Is tor our party-no grander in the
WONDERFUL achievements which it has
wrought In the past than it is today as it
races the great problem that confront US.
Ieel. TOO, gentlemen, that this is most
suspicious time for such gathering for con-
graduation and renewal of loyalty and fdel-
ity TO the party. To some, perhaps, who
look superhcially upon the present position
OF tue republican party, it may not seem so.
10 some who remember the reverses that
were met by the party last November, it NAV
seem as If it were an altogether unauspicious
time for such gathering for congratulations
out de not so understand it. 1t seems to
me tnat today the Republican party is in a
position not only to take prOuder view OF
Its past but more hopeful view of its fu-
ture. that for some time past.
We had an athletic exhibition of the col
lege boys in Brunswick the other evening, an
Interesting feature of which was the tug-of-
war. Many of you doubtless know What
that means, and some of you very likely
have participated in such a contest; but It
was the first one that have seen, and it left
an Impression upon my mind. My friend,
DIR. Small, allowed four of his young men to
come down from Colby to pull against an
equal number of our Bowdoin Students.
while thousand spectators looked on In
GREATNESS eagerness. The two teams were
evenly matched, both were on their mettle.
and each was worthy of its antagonist there
lore, It Is no matter which won. Laughter.
Professor Chapman then Interestingly de-
scribed the. careful preparations for the
struggle, aud the great strain put upon the
large cable when the pull begins. The spe-
cially critical moment is when one side feels
that 1t must relax little In order to obtain
hrmer hold. and fortunate indeed is it if
| considerable ground is not lost in so doing:
but the fresh hold and new brace often ena-
bic them to regain all that was lost and
more.
So the Democratic and Republican parties
nave been engaged for generation past in
Whot Itdliy Jug OI WdE-IOOt TO I00t.
hand to hand, and eye to eye. Over and over
again ON great political battlefields they have
tugged against each other over the questions
that have arisen out of the problems of slay-
cry, the war for the Union, reconstruction,
the payment of the public debt the resump.
tion of specie payment, and of the sanctity of
the ballot In every free mans hands. One
alter another these have come up, and the
Two great parties have stood confronted and
hostile one to the other need not repeat
yxYh n hn I'll rSN nI.s
Republican party have been through all this
generation, but the time did come in these
recent months when 1t was felt that it was
necessary for the Republican party to take
iresh hold. Ii 1t would win the victory that
1t deserves it must take a fresh hold, and 1t is
prepared to do it; and then while it was TAX
Ing this fresh hold the ever watchful and
alert antagonist, the Democratic party, made
Its savage lurch, and they did gain upon us;
put we secured the fresh hold; we have got
the new brace.
You know what it is as we'll as do, and
better than can tell you. A part of il is in
what has already been told you. A part con-
sists In the rulings of Thomas B. Reed, by
which filibustering is throttled, and the re-
sponsibility of government lis put where it
belongs-upon the shoulders of the majority,
A part of it is in the recognized tariff legis-
latl0n, by which the industries of the Ameri-
can people are protected, and the home mar
ket Is assured. A part of 1t is in the postal
subsidy bill, by which the government for
the first time really takes hold of this great
question of encouraging our merchant
marine and deals with it in an enlightened,
SELF sufficient and generous spirit. This is a
part OF it, and it is with this new hold that
the Republican party has taken upon prin-
ciples that will surely be approved by the
American people, it Is in this that we see the
nope OF the future; and therefore | say. gen.
tlemen, that it seems to me that this time is
an suspicious time for this club, or for any
gathering OF Republicans to take heart and
congratulate one another upon the condition
OF affairs with respect to the Republican
party; and, thanking you for the opportun-
lty you have given me to meet with you,
pay to you gentlemen-GOd speed: 90 for
ward In your good work. You have my best
wishes, and If 1t were possible for me to give
r. you would nave my best cooperation.
LLovd applause.
Hon. Henry b. Cleaves was introduced by
President Cook as the gentleman to whom
they hoped in the near future tobe allowed to
have the privilege of giving the compliment
of their votes in return for his many kind
nesses to the club, and in recognition of his
own true merit. Mr.. Cleaves said:
HON. HENRY B. CLEAvEs.
Mr.. Cleaves. after thanking the Club for
their kind invitation and cordial greeting,
and congratulating the Club upon the great
said that as President Of similar organiza
tion In the city he conveyed to them the
kind greetings, best wishes and congratula-
tions of the Portland Club.
Whether we belong to one organization or
another, whether we are members of the
Young Mems Republican the Lincoln Club,
the Metropolitan Club or the Portland Club
we are all Republicans together, interested
In the advancement of Republican princi-
pies and in sustaining that grand old Repub-
llcan organization that for so many years has
controlled the policy of the country, the
same organization that Is to control it In the
future. We shall witness in November 1892
one Of the grandest Republican victories in
this Union that the party has ever known, a
victory that will be won on the principles of
protection, sound and enduring currency
and free and honest ballot
We belong to the Republican party be-
cause we believe in Its principles, because it
that the rights of the people in every sec |
tioD OF this land, the business interests of
the country. will be safer under Repub- |
llcan administration than under Demo- |
craft cratic admin administration; We are Republ-
OF the ballot, in securing to every |
citizen, wherever he may reside, whether in |
the North, the South. the East or the West. |
the right to cast his ballot as he chooses,
long, as he is qualified under the constitution
and laws. This is one of the cardinal prin- |
cciples of the Republican party. The Repub- |
llcan party still declares that all wrongs /
against the purity of the ballot must be'right- |
ca. We are Republicans because we believe in |
tne principles of protection to American in |
dustrles and American labor. We have all
solute freedom of exchange within our own
law of the Union. WIG 10 sNo
- Reasonable taxation and restraint upon
tnose without Is the doctrine of the Republi-
can party. Ihis is protection to our own
industries. N '"i o"n
Mr. Cleaves, after further discussing the
principles laI, OF protection. said that we might
upon their good fortune in living nnder a
government GGH under the control of the Repub-
lican Marty and wa cnn nnn,.-.O - -. 4