The Portland daily press., 1896-08-26


through tremendous war, Millions
ductive industry to try to kin each
other All the rest were busy provid-
inc for the wants of those in the field,
and running in debt three thousand mil
lion dollars to pay the bills. When the
army came marching home the men all
went to work. The soldier weaned from
his home ties and broadened by his
travels and battles, scattered himself all
over the land, and the land teemed with
enterprises and with vigorous men. Mil
lions had been flung out with such pro-
fusion that dollars seemed but dross.
It was the old story over again. We
had not contracted as England did in
1925 to lend the world five times as
much money as there was in it. We had
done worse. We had piled up importa-
tons and spent money as if wealth was
but wish and a rub of Alladin's lamp.
You willltind in book of Prof Cairnes' a
prophecy of what would happen to us
in 1873 made just before it did happen.
Then came five years of struggle back to
sound currency, the restoration of con-
fidence and then confidence restored I;
fourteen years of prosperity, the results
OF which have never yet been effaced
and never will be until the sun ceases to
pour it's energies upon productive earth.
We had hard tines then, but thank
heaven, the American people stood stead
fast and listened to no false prophets
and no false economics, but moved stead
lastly towards sound currency and the
long pent up energies of the great Amer
lean people rushed forward in the
straight line of progress.
We have just passed through another
of those taIri h1o crises and ara on orr
way to other years of wealth with this
additional benefit, that the distribution
of wealth, when we reach it, will be
more even as well as more abundant
than ever before. In 1898 we had a
great crash as we had in 1873; all the
world went with US but for special
cause, we had sgone.further, and it is for
US alonger way back. In 1892 we thought
hard times had been banished forever;
we were sure that work and high pay
were never more to be separated. But
we were mistaken. Pride goeth before
destruction, and naughty spirit before
a fall. The election of 1892 was a great
misfortune. 1t may be we would have
had a collapse then, in any event no one
can be quite sure. But if we had: in
skillfu hands we should never have
gone SO far or suffered so much.
| make no harsh criticisms on the
Democratic party or their president I
plant myself on Abraham Lincolns text
of scripture, "a house divided against
itself cannot stand" / do not believe
that three Democrats out of ten in the
business parts of this country ever
meant such change in the tariff as was
made. Many of them were more aston
lshed than we were. make no criticism
of the President. There are many things
nh h L Il 10 f51 both, ct,
and brave. Nevertheless, there are
something's which ought to be squarely
stated, not to provoke partizan feeling,
but simply as descriptions. of errors
which we must avoid, not as Republi-
cans, but as citizens of Republic, the
prosperity OF which is under the charge
Of us all
Among the arguments which the
friends of silver urge to-day is one which
was to be anticipated long ago. and
which / knew was sure to come. When
the Sherman law was struggling to
be repealed the Democratic press, and
even some Republicans, told i, US, that
repeal alone would be the final Ere NEEDY,
and business would again revive. Inever
shared that belief; on the contrary, just
three years ago today, lacking single day
while was consorting with good Demo-
Gratis, as | hope to consort with the like
in this campaign, took occasion in the
presence of three thousand men, women
, md children to declare that the repeal
of the Sherman law was only one step in
the upward march; since then many bad
things have happened, plunging us deep
Br into the mire. In that very discourse
told the Democrats that 81 did not ex-
pect the Democratic party to be utterly
bad" have been always very much
interested in the Democratic party. +
have always been it's true friend, tender
atfectionate, but always truthful, point
ing out its faults in a spirit of
meekness, remembering ourselves, fell
low Repub. leans, lest we also should be
tempted. But when I said in 1898 that
| did not expect the party to be utterly
bad L had not the slightest idea what the
convention of Chicago would do and say
IN 1896. Since that speech in 1898 we
have had most severe season. When
the tariff act proposed by Mr.. Bryan and
House it was certainly great
shock to the business of the
country. The change was so radical and
men like Mr.. Bryan were so carried
away by their own eloquence that there
seemed no limit to the possibilities of
evil. Now am not here just now to
soy NHSLHoI Ildt Ulll was FOUNDED on
just principles or not. l have my own
opinion which propose to express at
the proper time. Nor do 1 propose to
charge Democrats with that BILL The
one they finally passed was vastly diff
ferent one. But the mischief had been
done. The shock had stopped business
Men did not know which way to turn.
Money in hand is better than money in a
bush, especially when you cannot tell
what kind OF bush it will be. Then
came the income tax, unconstitutional
and destructive, declared SO by the Su-
preme Court, and then the attendant de-
fcieney. That deficiency has been a
eorroding cancer ever since. That defici-
ency and the way it has been managed
has scared and frightened our people be
You'd all reason. What are four hundred
million dollars increase of debt
to nation SO rich that one of
its big railroads on half its
lines in six months can lose twice as
much as paid the whole revenue of good
Queen Bess in the days of her highest
glory. and never paSS a cOuDOn or refuSa