Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-01-15

City than in all of Scotland His remarks
were frequently applauded.
Hon. S. W. Matthews made ringing
speech.
Ia Lis introduction, lie said tina. few
months ago the country was psosperoust
Labor was generally employed a. good
wages. Capital was receiving fair rewards
on its Investments. The gaunt and hungry
wolf of hunger stood at few doors. anG
soup houses were unknown. How is i. to-
day: In ll9 cities of our land, as reported
by Bsadstreet's commercial agency, nom
partisan concern, more thin sol 600 wage
earners are in enforced idleness. while
| nearly two millions of DEFENDANTS upon
these idle employees are without bread, e1-
| cept that of charity. Business failures are
almost numberless, and clouds and dark
ness fill all the land. He then put the
question, "Wha. has caused this condition
of things?" There is no famine in the
land. Peace, not wasting war, exists.
Crops have been abundant. The cause is
| distrust in the administration, and the
course it proposes to follow.
| He then referred to the condition in
Maine, which thus far had not been so bad
as in many other sections. We had been
in the penumbra of the eclipse. He did.
however, demonstrate by statistics, the bad
effects of the depression along some lines.
The speaker then dwell for little upon the
magnitude of Names industries. We
have, he SAID, about $50 900 families in the
| State, of whom little over G2,000 live
upon farms. We are upon the borders of
foreign country, whose products are sinh
/ lar to our ewn, and which can be brought
into full competition with our own. In
this way our markets are TO be surrendered
to the foreigner. Mr.. Matthews then de-
! fined protection and free trade and referred
to the Democratic platform adopted at Chi
cago, end which denounces protection as a
robbery and declares i. unconstitutional.
| This was not, sail the speaker, the view
entertained by our forefathers, who adopted
the first tariff under Washingtcn's admins
tration. The preamble to that tariff act
was, "Whereas, it is necessary to support
the government, pay the debt of the United
States and to encourage and protect manu-
features, to impose duties upon imported
goods, wares and merchandise This act
with this preamble was accepted by men
who had been active in promoting the
adoption of the new constitution and they
could be presumed to be as fami lar with
the spirit and intent of that instrument as
the new Democratic doctors of the party in
convention at Chicago.
Mr.. Matthews then gave brief resume
of the different tariff acts adopted at differ
ent times IN our history, showing that low
tariffs had been followed by financial disas-
ter, while high tariffs had brought about
prosperity. He proceeded to analyze tic
features of the Wilson bill, demonstra,icQ
that instead of being tariff for
revenue it was q tarIs Tor
starvation; that the deficiencies in the
revenue which must occur from its adoption
it is proposed to make up by an income tax,
SO vehe-nently denounced by the Demo
cratic party in time of war and now adv1ca-
ted by them in time of peace, for the sole
purpose of enabling the Democratic party
to NANTES. its antipathy to protection. 1t
furnishes protection to Southern industries
while removing it from Northern. 1t il a
measure discriminating in its character.
The rich man will gets his champagne and
other luxuries at a reduced rate the farmer
of the North is given free wool and re-
duced tariff on al! tie products which he
raises.
Mr.. Matthews was frequently interrupted
with applause and his argument was sus-
tanned throughout by statistical facts not
admitting of dispute.