Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-09-05

ised they have made bad protective bill
a bill of preferences, bill of revenges,
a bill which they proposed TO change be-
| fore they got it out of the House. And now
you are asked 10 act upon that piece of leg
islation and upon what they promise for the
| future. And what are their promises if
they are left in power2
| The President, Mr.. Wilson, Mr.. Mills,
they all alike say that we must have more
| changes, more disturbances, that this is but
beginning. | know it will be said that
they do not mean what they write and say,
and recent events, l must admit, justify
that statement.
But we must take the best authority we
have and what is more in my judgment,
they do mean it; they mean to go on with
more changes. As long as changes begin,
as long as changes are going forward in
legislation, 1t affects every industry and
every business in the country and it is i'm
possible for the general business of the
country to prosper and succeed. In the
campaign of 90 | said to many audiences ::
Rememb that a change in the great indus
trial system, even if it is ultimately
to be change for the better,
is dangerous and grave step.
| thought and predicted then that we
should have dull times when they entered
on their tariff reform. My sentiments are
EXPIRE ssed by an old epitaph to this effect
81 expected this, but not so SOON" Laugh
ter. thought the condition was going to
be bad, but l never imagined such disaster
as they have actually brought. And now
they propose more changes. If they get
the House they will make more changes.
They will go on still furthermore uncer-
tainty more lack of confidence, and when
business trembles and stops they talk as if
it were only few manufacturing towns
| the mills here in New England and elsewhere
that are effected.
| When you lay your finger on the indus
trial system of the United States you touch
every railroad, every interest throughout
the length and breadth of the land. We
have all felt it. Now, there is one way
that you can stop further attacks upon the
business interests of the country. You
can give them a chance to try their own
legislation for year without more changes
| There is only one way to do it, and that
is to elect Republican house which will
elect Mr.. Reed speaker, and keep things as
they are until we can get at the national
ton that it is difficult to argue it, because it
can be stated in half a dozen words.
| If any man feels that he wants more
changes in the tariff, more attacks on
tariff legislasion, more business uncer-
tainty, it is idle for me or anyone else to
attempt to convert him by argument.
| But if any man wants to have better bus
mess, if he wants to give us chance to
mend, slowly it must be at best, but give
us a chance to mend at all then be he Repub-
| ican or be he Democrat, as an intelligent
| business man, as an intelligent workingman
and wage Garner, 1t is his duty to send a
! Republican House there and tie things up
so that we cannot have any more destruc-
tive legislation just yet awhile.
Give the country at least time to breathe.
They began to amend their own legislation
before it had gone to the enrolling commit
tees. Was there ever such a spectacle of
incompetency presented by great party
and a great country as that? The bill actu-
ally had not left the House after it had
been adopted there when they introduced
| four new measures to change ito change
great items, and in each of these four new
measures an entire tariff bill.
We may have made our mistake in the
long years we have held the government.
But in all those years we have managed to
govern the country and when We passed a
great act we did not begin to amend it be-
fore it was even on the Speakers desk for
signature. We were ready to stand on our
legislation and to carry out our principles
and not to carry out badly the principles of
the opposite party.
That is the whole situation, today. 1t is on
that situation that you vote next Monday.
You are going to elect four Republican
congressmen-the whole country knows
thst-but what we want from Maine is such
a decisive and increased majority as to give
courage to the Republicans in the great
fight that they are going to wsge all over
the length and breadth Of the land. ZAP
plsuse.)
Mr.. Stevens said that the next speaker
needed no introduction--Hon. Thomas B
Reed. Mr.. Reed was greeted with uproarous
applause, lasting some minutes before he
could speak. His remarks, though brief
were to the point and were punctuated with
laughter and applause. He sail:
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen
am not the least respon sible for being
here tonight and | shall not bold you re
sponsible at least TO the extent of making
you a discourse. Ii so happens, however
that point can be made in this five minute.
as well as in twenty. That is because you
have all the facts before you and some of
them have been burned into you. Laugh
| TContinued on 9Th page.