The Portland daily press., 1892-11-03

Old Party Next Tuesday-frotection and
Labor.
sIts Lincoln Club weather. was the
remark of the members of the club as
they stamped the slush off their shoes
and stood their dripping umbrellas in
the corners of their pleasant club room
last evening. But there was large at
tendance in spite of the weather, and
when President Morrill, called the meet
ing to order, the club parlor contained
good audience.
Hon. Josiah Fl. Drummond was in
troduced by President Morrill,, and upon
being received with applause, began
discussion of some of the questions in
yolved in next weeks election. In dis
cussing these questions itwould be best
to refer to some fundamental principles.
We should remember that our govern
ment was formed upon the idea that
each citizen would take a share in the
government 1t follows from that that
| it is the duty of every citizen to do So
| We have departed somewhat from the
old methods of exercising this share in
the government; but we should not drift
away from the principle involved. In
the early days citizens used to be urged
to come early to the town meetings and
remain there all day, to see that the
election was fair and properly conducted.
From those methods we have departed,
not always to advantage.
Another principle which should not be
| forgotten is that questions should be set
/ tied by the people interested in that set
Element. The affairs of school district
should be regulated by the inhabitants
of the district; the affairs of the nation
| by the whole nation.
| The great diversity of interests in the
country makes it necessary that we
| should acquiesce in the wishes of the
majority. The majority is the country.
We sometimes hear talk about the rights
/ of minorities Now minorities have no
rights. A minority is cypher. In
dividuals in minorities have rights; but
1ninorities have no voice as yet. The
| maxim of government in this country is
the greatest good for the greatest num-
| Der.
Government by party is an incident of
| this rule of the majority, and MI. Drum
mond said he looked with jealous eye at
ANYTHING that tended to break up party
organization. Mr. Drummond con-
demned the Independents, especially
! those of Massachusetts,, as their course
| of action tends to break up party organ
ization.
Referring to another underlying prin-
ciple, Mr.. Drummond asked upon what
does prosperity depend. He answered
the question by saying that in this coun7
try it was not in the consumption of arti-
cIes, but in the condition, pay and en-
ployment of labor, that our prosperity
is secured Mr.. Drummond referred to
the past of the Republican party saying
that it was formed in the interests of Ia
bor The agitation against slavery was
phase of the labor situation which the
Republican party confronted. The
| moral and religious agitation against
! slavery did not make great Roadway I'M
| til the competition of slave labor with
free labor came home to the minds of
the free people of the North Then
there swept over the North great wave
of indignant sentiment against the fur
Their extension of slavery into the terri
tories.
Many ofus supposed that when slavery
was overthrown and the great questions
caused by the war had been settled, the
mission Of the Republican party was at
an end. But we now find before us
Another Great Labor Question
Shall the wages of our labor be low
cred to the standard of the poor laborers
of Europe? And this brings us to the
| consideration of the tariff question.
4 IN hn
emigration of the young men and wom-
en- Of Maine to Massachusetts and the
West. These young people went be-
cause there was no work for them at
home. There were no mills in the little
villages where they could find labor.
Mr.. Drummond referred to the city OF
Waterville, which had grown to its pres
ent prosperity through the erection and
operation of the Lockwood mills. Such
mills as these were the results of the
tariff policy which is SO loudly con-
demned by the Democrats.
Things which can be produced in this
country by labor should be produced
here. AS to free trade. Mr.. Drummond
said he would be in favor of it if the OBJ
iect was to legislate for all the world.
But he believed that we should look af-
ter our own people first. The teachers
of political economy who are SO corrupt
ing the political principles of some OF
our youth, are teaching on the SUPPOSE
ton that our legislation should be for
the benefit of the whole world. Today
the State of Maine is growing more pros
porous than ever before, because our tar
if policy which looks out for our own
people first, is causing the erection of
mills and factories in all parts of the
state.
Speaking of the friends and opponents of
the tarig system, Mr.. Drummond said
that the people whose living depended
upon the business of the country were
in favor of tariff; while those who live
on fixed incomes believe that free trade
might be for their better advantage.
The President of Harvard College has
little personal interest in the business OF
the country, as his position is assured
by conditions not intimately connected
with the business of the country. Mr..
Drummond said he would not say that
this was the reason for President Eliiots
position on the tariff; blu t the force OF
unconscious influence could not always
| be measured