Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-10
10000 PEOPLE
At Morristown, N. j., Listen to
Speaker Reeds Address.
One OF Strongest Speeches Yet De-
Iivered by Names Great Son.
His Points All Tell, Being So Clear That All
Can Understand.

Morristown, N. j., Oct. 9.-The rally
Of the fourth district Republicans was
held here, today There was n large
attendance. Franklin Murphy. chair
man of the Republican state commit
tee, presided. Congressman Mahlon
Pitney made speech and introduced
Hon. Thomas y. Reed. whom he al
luded To as one of the foremost citizens
Of America. Mr.. Reed was greeted
with hearty applause He paid a high
tribute to Congressman Pitney. Con
tinuing, he in part said:
Seventy per cent. Of the people Of the
United States belong TO the salary and
wage-earning classes, and this 20 per
cent constitutes the great majority
which purchase everything made by
thc manufacturing interests OF this
country, and unfortunately in the last
few years by the manufacturing inter
ests Of Great Britain. And as the
wages increaae. it follows, as the day
follows the night. that this great fund
is increased and there is "A larger de-
mand for the products of the manu-
facturer and in turn a larger demand
for labor, so the demand for products
and the demand for labor, act and re-
act upon each other.
1t is as essential that we should have
i, constantly and reasonably increasing
wages as it is that we should have
manufactures. tApplause) because that
is the engine which sets all this great
| machinery into motion. How many
wage earners are here | do not know.
How. 10,
here. / do not know, unless | count Mr..
Ptney and myself in that list. Cap
plause.)
If you are lahoring man, or if you
are salary Garner, you are Interested
in this question. because if this fund
is $1,000. ono in gold. it is 81 600. 600. bat
If il is 81 eco 900 in silver. il is only $500.
GEO. and your wages go down. Now it
is sometimes thought that the work
insman is interested in having more
collars. That depends upon whether
he gets them or not. 1t does not mat
ter now many dollars there are in the
world, except to your disadvantage, if
you do not get them. There are two
ways in which your wages may be
made more valuable. The first is by
having more dollars. The second is By
having your dollars buy more. Well.
now. which is the best way? When
YOU fight up to more dollars it is a
tight. isn't it? Did you ever get any
thing without fighting on that subject ?
Are You ever likely to, while human
nature Is what ii is?
Now. If your dollar decreases in value.
Is not tfat the same as having less dol
itrsF II your dollar is discounted by rising
prices. are you not worse Off as YOU have.
Eot to night TO increase the worth of the
uoilar. CnmblnE prices will decrease the
value OF the dollar you have Why. yoli
say, the lahoring mans wages win he
INCREASED. VIII they? How do you know !?
w ny some gentleman comes around and
How do | know to the contrary? Be
cause nave not spent my time in study
ing the history of Mexico and China, but
nave devoted myself somewhat TO the
study OF the history of the United States.
tApplausel. And l know what has hap
pened in the United States of America be
lore my eyes and under your noses
In l>ol We had gold AT a premium That
was the case until 1865 when it was very
much depressed What was the effect il
II had on the lab9ring mans wages and
bought? Why every one of the commodi-
Ties went up 132 per cent. Labor went up
y per cent. and the consequence was
that the laboring man, during these
the available power and products of his
labor That is a fact. Ii is not something
say to you but something you can find
indisputably proved by the experience of
men in this vast multitude.
1t is not only history. but common
sense. Two years ago we were told the great
dcsideratum was lower prices. Well. they
got of them and now the same men in the
same tone are clamoring for higher prices
They told you that you were going to be
helped by lower prices. and YOU got them.
to h. ha1v I<;.
prices and l hope you won't get them eX-
cept TO a certain extent. l believe in low
prices, but with this limit. they are con-
sis;ent with a fair profit and a living
wage. If it is lower than that. / don't
want il, If it is higher than that don't
want it.
Wen, they tell us we had crime com
mitted in 1873 or rather they have fallen
strangely silent about the crime of 1877,
They used to be vocifeous until they dis
covered the men who We're occupied as
chief engineers in this new movement:
two senators from Nevada We're the very
fellows who engineered the crime of 1879.
Hut. they said. you have had a gold basis
TOR the last three years and as that is
the cause of your trouble. why have it
any longer Now. | want to say to YOU
that we have had some experience on that
subject. From 1861 to 1869 we did not con
sumo any silver at all. and silver was
only at very small discount Since
that time we have bought over 5000. 900 900
of silver. and silver has gone down to 80
cents on the dollar. If we buy the rest
Of it where will it go to? Uaughter). I'm
til you have answered that question my
populist friends don't you undertake any
talk on this subject When you have an
swered that. | will see you again.
The speech was one of the strongest de-
livered thus far during the campaign by
M. Reed. one in which the issues of the
campaign were presented in manner SO
plain as to be easily understood. The au-
dierce numbered at least 10000 The
speech was very generally regarded by
both Republicans and sound money
Democrats as a vote-maker. At the con-
clusion of his speech Mr.. Reed was over
Mhelmed with ngratulations and shook