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

| test over an amendment of the rules so as TO
| permit the majority to legislate. You will
remember that under the influence OF the
| obstructive policy which naturally aecompa-
MES the "let alone" or 'do nothing" theory
| OF government, O code of rules and line OF
practice had been developed In the National
House which placed 1t In the power Of a
| small min0rity-enough 20 secure roll calls
| to prevent the majority from reaching vote
on any measure to which the minority Sc
| riously objected. In the 10th and 51st Demo
cratic Congresses l have seen forty members
successfully defy $50 members Of the House
and pre- yent the transaction Of business for
weeks, and at last compel the $50 to surren-
der to the 40; and do this under the rules Of
the House and In the name OF debate" and
the so.called rights Of the minority"
Obviously the rules and practice which ad
NIT this, are subversive Of the vital principle
Of popular government-the right Of the ma
jority to rule, for nothing is better establish
ed In the law of procedure In representative
bodies In free countries, than the right OF the
majority to bring measure TO a vote and
enact 1t into q law after reasonable consider
alton. A minority Is entitled to reasonable
opportunity to present their objections and
record their opposition; but TO nothing
more.
1t remained for the Democratic party TO car
~ Its "let alone" theory Of government to
the absurd length Of supporting a code Of
rules that would place It out Of the power Of
ity are opposed, and opposing with q bitter
ness never before heard Of such notifications
Of these rules as would enable the responsi-
Bile majority to do after reasonable debate,
what the people had elected them to do.
/ need not say that the spirit OF observa-
ton In whica the dormant element OF the
Democratic party In Congress have devel-
oped, Is not only at war with the progressive
| tendencies OF the age which are conspicu
| ously manifest In our young men. but is dis
tinctive OF free governments lit Is OF which Il
simply the government Of the majority.
| And / have no fear that In the end the
Judgment Of not only the young men, but
| all good citizens will be that In making 81
the recent Congress, your distinguished re-
personalities, Speaker Reed, and his Repub-
lican associates have done most conspicuous
service for free government. will not de-
tain you longer at this time. In conclusion
permit me to offer as sentiment: "The
Young Mems Republican Club Of Portland
May It's life be long spared. and Its branches
spread like the banyan tree until young
mems Republican clubs spring up In every
city and considerable town In Maine."
After the manner of most children when
we want something especially good, we ask
our mother for 1t, and after the manner of
| good mothers she gives US what we want
And take great pleasure In presenting to
you the motherly compliments of old Massa.
chusetts In introducing to you her eloquent
son, Frederick L. Grenhalge Of Lowell.
Very great applause.l
FREDERICK t. GREENHALGE.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:
am glad to meet the Young Mems Repub-
ltcan Club Of Maine. / might have expected
that this district would still the fire Of Re
publican spirit alive, because this district Is
represented by Thomas b. Reed Of Maine.
lApplause.l Speaking OF the recens disaster
| TO the Republican party In the country. your
| distinguished representative Just said to me
before came In here-l heard him distinct
| ly. for he is only in Parls-he said In expla
nation Of this mishap to the Republican
train-"It Is only the rear end Of the trair
Is Maine, got across the bridge all right. aut
the headlight Is cleaning with all its ancient
| efulgence.'. Laughter and applause. Yol
will recognize even the tone Of his voice, 81
that this message will not seem apocrypal
(Laughter.l And when / consider that you
good mother has strayed away, and even
Massachusetts,, God forgive her, is kneeling wit
She that should have clung forever near the gran
She that should have stood up fearless while tn
/ rocks around were hurled,
Holding up a banner peerless to the oppressed
| When consider that Massachusetts, wen
1
shire and New Jersey, l say In grandel
| words than could inveut.-"The state o.
Maine, her beauty hangs npon the cheek o
| night like rich jewel In an Ethiops ear.
| And congratulate the state Of Maine an
the city of Portland and the 1st district o
Maine upon the attitude OF leadership whic
you hold here tonight
You will remember, my friends, the dir
prophecyings Of trouble that were hurle
across the country about November last an
little before you Will remember the pros
nostications OF ruin that were coming
every citizen Of the republic, TO rich and I
poor, to the high and to the low. You wi
remember how In inverse ratio TO JAG
only pint, and the three-penny loaf
| worth only one and One-half pence. H0y
we could scarcely raise money enough &
pay for the clothes upon our backs-th
rents of our houses, the food, the yictual
and drink necessary to our maintenance
you will remember the tears shed over ths
dinner pail Of the workingman; you remem
Der all these lugubrious prophesies, anC
what do you see-what do you know In re
spect to the prophesies today? Why, every
hood. All, they say-but IL these price
have not risen by the infiexible laws OF DO
litical economy they ought to have risen
and so the endictment Is brought not agains
Of nature. the laws Of political economy
II you seem to understand SO little OF th
science you have preached, We have tn
right to say-''there are more thing
In heaven and earth than are dreamed of 4
Misrepresentation nailed, when we see To
echoes Of those old falsehoods ringing eyel
today, we have the right to say too-'de
mocracy, let all untruths stand by thy staine
mans aud they'll seem glorious" ZAP
plause.l
My friends, 1t would seem almost by far
cical irony that every one of their prediction
had been proved by its opposite. Why
while / 40 not say that the grea
tariff measure Of 1890 was the perfec
tion Of human wisdom, while / have NJ
able to point out here and there an imperfec
| tiOD, still declare 1t was framed upon thl
great lines Of principle which has come Il
be recognized as distinctively Americana
distinctively adapted to the peculiar econom
ic conditions Of this country and all the pee
pie who dwell therein, and l say further
more that whatever the imperfections of tina
measure may be, out of 95l articles entering
into cur daily use, only 80 have been change
iu price since September, 1890, and only 4
take up your newspapers you may read tn
proof of what say, namely, that almost eve
ry article offered for sale, from plush jack
ct to frying-pau, has decreased IN pric
since one year ago. The scythe, the ham
mer, every implement used In agricultur
has been reduced In price. Even your hos
iery can be bought so low, 10 cents a pal
for the imported article, that there Is no eS
cuse for the honorable Jeremiah Simpson
nakedness to that extent. Laughter hav
no doubt that the poorest member OF thi
club would be willing to contribute 10 cent
to supply that gentleman's want quo o.
sock.
And so the whole story Is unfodei before
you.-diminishing prices, wages and labo
steadier, almost every factory In New Eng
land at work today and some Of them, as II
Lowell, running overtime. Better days II
your woolen and worsted manufactures, anC
when tomorrow's sun shall rise 1t will shlnl
upon every breakfast table In America
lighting up gift so great to rich aHi poo
that the giver of 1t Is worthy In this materia
aad economic age OF ours to rank with th
men who gave freedom to the nation. Tn
man who gave free sugar to the people o
America Is benefact0r worthy to be n
membered forever. [Appluse.
The speaker continued to discuss the tariff
question In a most able and interesting man
ner, describing the British method of i'm
posing taxes as cOntrasted with our own ant
impressing the lesson which 1t conveyed
Referring to the foreign policy he said
They, after four or five centuries Of protec
tion with the finest workshops In the world
can throw open their ports to manufacture
articles because up to within few year no
another natien In the world could imp0r
manufactured goods into Great Britain. w
are now doing this to some extent, and ar
not merely working to establish permanen
cheapness, but to stimulate domestic indus