The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-06
MIR. REED AT THE CAPE.
The People Turned Out in Force to
Hear the h-Speaker.
AND WERE FAVORED WITH ONE OF
HIS INEVITABLE EFFORTS.

Mr.. e. C. Reynolds Called the Meeting to
Order and Mr.. j. S. Pickett Presided
Democratic Testimony to the Benefit
of the Mckinley Law Presented by Mr..
j Reed.
tA The gathering at Cape Elizabeth Town
hall last evening was one OF those large
and enthusiastic meetings OF his consult
uents, which have greeted Mr.. Reed
whenever he has appeared on the plat
form during this campaign.
The people began to assemble at an
early hour. By half past seven the hall
was comfortably filed, and by eight it
was packed, Topass the time while the
large audience was waiting, the Knight
vile band discoursed stirring music, evil
IDENTIFY to the pleasure of the sprinkllng
of fair ladies present as well as to the
qualification of the gathering OF sturdy
Cape Republicans, who though naturally
more deeply interested in the chin-music
they expected to hear from their distin-
guished representative, lent an attentive
ear.
At eight o'clock Mr.. E. G.. Reynolds
mounted the platform, accompanied by
Mr.. Reed, who was greeted by the clap
ping of hands and the stamping of feet
as be made his.way to the rear OF the
hall On behalf sof the town committee,
Me-. Reynolds called the meeting to order
and introduced Joseph IS. Pickett, Esq,
as chairman.
On assuming the chair, Mr.. Pickett
spoke very briefly, exhorting the Repub-
licans of Cape Elizabeth to rally to the
polls in full strength Monday, and then
Presenting Mr. Reed to the Audience.
That gentleman stepped from the plat
form to the floor and began to address
the people. He at once took up the tar
if question, prefacing his discussion
with the statement that the country in
1888 entrusted the Republican party, the
only party in this country which has done
anything within the speakers recollec-
ton with tariff revision. He went on to
count the difficulties under which the
task was undertaken, and at the very
beginning the difficulty the House had
in getting control of its own business.
So persistently obstructive and unreas-
enable were the tactics of the opposition
that practically but month was devoted
to the tariff bill. However, it was final
ly passed in 1890.
ThefMcKinley law has been in opera
ton more than year now, said the
speaker, and its workings have justified
the hopes of its supporters and are salts :
flying the country as to its benefice nee.
Even it's enemies have been forced to
confess that it has bene-
fitted business and aided the
laborer in employment and wages. AS
illustration of this, Mr.. Reed quoted
from the report of Labor Commissioner
Peck of New York, one of Grover Cleve-
lands appointees, who undertook the
collection and collation. of statistics, with
a view
To Discrediting the Mckinley Law,
and found to his establishment that the
law has been great benefit instead Of a
detriment to the business and laboring
interests of the country. Mr.. Peck dis
covered that the number Of laborers has
increased 81, 900, the amount of wages.
1923 annually to each individual, and the
amount Of products over $4,000, 900.
This is the reluctant testimony of an
enemy. The question which now con-
fronts the people is whether this benefi-
cent tariff shall be upheld or destroyed.
Mr.. Reed then proceeded in his inimita-
BILE manner to discuss the attitude of the
Democracy and their free trade allies
of New York, their own official, particu-
larly, paying his regards, as he passed,
to the Boston Herald, which of course
isn't Democratic paper, though it acts
like one, only great deal worse, and
which regards the Peck report as ''inop-
perfume"
In his characteristic strain of solid and
convincing argument, seasoned with
satire and set off with epigram, Mr..
Reed held the close and eager attention
of his audience for more than an hour,
and they departed well pleased; those
that had been wavering convinced, and
those already firm in the faith supplied
with new weapons
To Fight the Good Fight
One of his telling points was when he
compared the condition of the country
today with that thirty years ago, and
asked his hearers if people were not
better clothed and better fed and both at
less cost now than then. If our wonder
full increase in wealth and comfort be
not due to the protective policy to what
is it due? Wages have increased, en-
Payments have multiplied, while the
cost of production has gone down. The
only thing that has gone up is the wages
of labor, All this great change we owe
to protective tariff.
The common sense of the world, said
Mr.. Reed in conclusion, is in favor of pro-
lection, Great Britain and the Democrat
ic party excepted. Protection has made
us a mighty and wealthy nation. viii
You vote to continue this policy or to
plunge us into a state of doubt and I'M
certainty.
While following the same line of argu
ment as in hissother speeches delivered
during the campaign, Mr.. Reed adorned
it with new illustrations and fresh and
pointed epigrams. He was listened to