The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-08-18

conditions might nave gone even more
wild-Hon. Thomas B. Reed, whom we
mean to elect by rousing majority.
The New York Herald has lately re-
ferred to him as a freed always in pickle
for the Democratic party;'' and, while
that description is faulty, as it. empha-
sizes only one of his minor functions, l
think YOU will agree with me, that he is
| a reed not shaken by the wind, even if
that wind be the buster of the whole
Democratic party. [ take great pleas
ure in presenting to you your distin-
guished representative in Congress.
Mr.. Libby S remarks were loudly APP
plauded, especially those portions re-
ferring to the necessity of giving Mr..
Cleaves a large vote, of electing the coun-
| ty ticket and of rolling up a good vote in
| the First District. When Mr.. Reed was
| mentioned there was tumultuous APP
plause, which grew into a splendid oya-
ton when Mr.. Reed was introduced.
For long time after Mr.. Reed arose the
applause and cheers continued and when
they were finally stilled he spoke as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Reeds Speech.
Mr.. Chairman, FELLOW Citizens, Ladies
| and Gentlemen.
| I appreciate the heartiness of your
| greeting and in return for it | beg to say
| to YOU that [ shall not detain you long;
| that have not come here to make an
Grafton or even to strike the keynote OF
| the campaign. have simply come thus
early in the contest to meet constituents
who have honored me for so many years
/ +1,, tho+ will hn
| found that still have their confidence.
I desire, if possible, to conciliate my
Democratic constituents also; [laughterl
| and I will therefore make one statement
which [ think ought to be made in JUS
| tice to them. The Democracy is never
| on the defensive; they have never done
ANYTHING in this generation to defend.
| Laughter. If you defend a fort it is
| because you have built it, OF at least cap
| tured it: if you defend an action it is be-
cause YOU have done it, or at least APP
prove of it. If you defend principle it
is because you believe in it. Now it so
happens that no Democratic leader ever
wearies his audience by a catalogue OF
the achievements of his party in this
| generation. Laughter and applause. ]
He never undertakes totire them by say
ing what they have done. 1t is true that,
sometimes think that they elected Abra-
ham Lincoln, laughter fought the war
and emancipated the slaves; but they
never undertook to say that they APP
prove of anything that Lincoln did, or of
the way in which the war was conduct
ed or the fashion in which we gave the
negro his freedom. They sometimes in
dulge also in statements of what they
are going to do; but, if you have noticed
they never do them, Now, for one, do
not find any fault with this. | think the
very best thing there is about the Demo-
cratic party is that it never does what it
says. Laughter and applause.]
In the last campaign the Democratic
party was discussing the question of the
Free Coinage of Silver.
The craze in favor of it went all over
the South and as far East believe as the
Eastern Argus; tremendous laughter
and cheers but when the time for actor
came, although the Democrats in the
Senate, with the assistance of such Re
publicans from the silver states as were
affected by local attraction, passed the
bill, nevertheless, in the House with l4C
Democratic majority, we. Republicans
succeeded in getting enough OF them to
beat the bill twice in pitched battle:
remember just before the election IL
1884 the Democrats were making grea'
complaint that we boarded seven mil
lions of dollars in the treasury OF the
| United States instead of giving it to the
people for purposes of circulation, ano
when Mr.. Cleveland was elected his ad
ministration not only kept that sever
millions but boarded seven and seventy
and then let the national banks-that nj
Democrat for ten years beforehand nae
ever spoken of without an execratlon-
| have the whole of it without interest.
Their attitude in this campaign is one
of criticism. They are finding fault still
with what we did the last time we wer,
in power; but luckily, they have knowl
edge as they always do, to prove our cas'
, for us by their own actions.
There are two points which the Demo
cratic party in all its discourses most es
pecially claim The first is economy il
the public expenditures, and the next il
reform. especially in the tariff. Plat
forms would hardly hold them veal
ago as they paced UP and down and ole
clared to the world how infamous hat
been the extravaganza of the Republican
party just gone out of power. They salt
the expenditures surpassed any in thu
history OF IHlS SOVeIAiiol1. uI0S "oi,
: lavish, wicked and wrong. Now watcl
/ us! And the very first thin
, they did in the House
with 140 Democratic majority, was tt
pass resolution declaring that they were
) going to be good. One would have sup
posed, from all the oratory that passe'
; over this country, that l40 Democrat
+ majority of itself imported absolute good
ness.-that they would not have to dray
up regulations to direct them in the pat
Of virtue; but they did it. Laughter.
t And how did they come out? Why,
have in my pocket the Congressiona
Record and speech there is in it by MI
Holman of Indiana, the
$ Prophet of Economy and Reform.
!. and the way in which he avoids givin
/ any figures that have any bearing upol
a the real situation is something perfectl
e wonderful.
e At the first session OF the DIST Congress
: we appropriated S463, 900, 000-we Repuh
! licans. Now how much do you suppose
= under the guidance of Mr.. Holman, til
:. Democratic House has consented to al
!, propriate? This was the House that wa
8 going to be economical; that was &c
y | u H. avaynn1p thav ha