Daily Kennebec journal., 1896-07-15
Mr.. MilIiken's Speech.

| We take from the Somerset Reporter
the following comprehensive resume OF
the able speech Of Hon. Seth l.. Miliiken
delivered in Coburn hall. at the time Of
the Somerset county Republican conven-
ton:
| | cannot too warmly thank You for the
opportunity of once more addressing the
stalwart Republicans of Somerset county
ana for your very generous reception.
| Name can boast OF no coal in her hills,
gold IN her valleys nor diamonds In her
rivers, but she produces every year the
| grandest and most valuable crop in the
| world. X is Il crop OF sturdy, intelligent
self-reliant ,2nterprising men who love
/ their homes. their state and then
| country, ana hesitate not to counsel,
work or night FOR them. whenever their
| services are Required. Wherever they are
! they generally come to right conclusions
and proceed TO enforce them.
| we shall soon have upon us "A preslden-
| tial campaign. These four year periods
seem to occur very often. Maine Will
have. as heretofore, To strike the keynote
OF the contest. That viii come when She
shail elect her Republican candidate for
governor in September
Then be assured she will speak with no
hesitating voice She will render such "a
verdict as shall carry courage to the
hearts OF Republicans IN every corner of
the land, and brace them up for the ma
tlonal contest. To advise her to loyalty
to Republican principles would be d sar-
tdSHt VI on Nef history ana an insult TO
her people. Surely We should have been
glad and proud if her own great son could
have received a well earned nomination
for the high office of chief magistrate of
the nation But in more cases than one
has she presented for consideration in our
Repuhlic1n IN national convention as bril-
liant and gallant i leader as ever mar
shalled political clans to a contest. and
though defeated in her earnest desire
she has no; failed to march to the at
tack vi the common enemy. with an earn
estneSs and visor that could not have
been greater. had her wishes been graft
he'd in the nominating convention
lhls she VIII do now. and when the
ides of September shall have passed the
country Will be greeted with as emphatic
4 verdict tor Republican principles. the
brave soldier statesman who heads our
national ticket can wish
their tent and they will not hesitate
not TO predict that Maine. with an Old
fashioned Republican majority. Will. at
shall end in November in the triumphant
lection of Mckinley and Hobart.
And why should she not. Her leaders
both III the state and nation have been
ranks Tor many years. They were never
disloyal They never shrank from any
lutN. Their services have been an honor
TO their country as well as a credit to
themselves and the pride of their friends
and their party
Llewellyn Powers was born in Somerset
county. you KNOW Hlfl- his early StfuE-
sles. his industry. his energy and his sue
cess | know you have looked upon with
gratitude. They deserve, as they will re-
ceivc. Your earnest endorsement at the
polls.
| need not speak at length of William
Mckinley. You know him too. The ma
ton knows him as a brave soldier even
in hoyhood. serving during the entire war,
participating in many of its severeSt bat
ties. often promoted for bravery in ac-
tlon, rising from private TO major then
i<ei f,t I,,- !,
Congress ana as governor of his state.
Always faithful and true and equal TO
every emergency.
Best OF all. he represents and will en-
force. when elected Il policy which gave
10 our country unparalleled progress and
prosperity Tor thirty years. And that is
what the people will this year vote for.
They arc not again to be dcluded by any
untried theory of finance as they were by
the promised beauties of free trade in
1892.
They have had enough of Democratic
rule They want no more of it. They
have seen it. tasted it, felt it in their
empty pockets and at their bare tables.
Nobody has fattened on it. The Demo
cratic party came into power with 4
profuSion of promises: it is about to
leave its place of public trust with almost
the universal condemnation of great
generous. confding people whom it has
deceived and impoverished.
What is the situation today? 1t seems
superfiuous to discuss it. The actual
facts which are before your eyes and in
YOUR memories are a more convincing ar
sument for the return of the Republican
oarty to power. than can be formulated
words.
For thirty years the nation lived under
Republican policy. In that time the rate
Of wages increased 50 per cent. The pop
ulation doubled. The wealth per capita
doubled. The entire wealth of the nation
Increased from 16 to 6i thousand millions
Of dollars Our domestic interstate and
foreign commerce doubled. We built the
most of l1o,ooo miles Of railroad. crossing
mountains, piercing forests. tunnelling
hills. bridging rivers and dotting our
prairies, valleys and western coast with
towns, villages and cities, where more
than 40 millions of people We're in 1892
living in greater prosperity. with greater
opportunities of acquiring intelligence and
making more, rapid progress than any
people since the dawn of history. Facto-
ries We're running on full time: mines
were worked to their full capacity: fires
were burning in allqthe blast furnaces:
farmers were getting good price for
heir products the wool grower and cattle
raiser were hourishng. and employment
was seeking labor everywhere and Offer
ing ii IA fair remuneration.
The republican party had successfully
closed great war for the salvation of
the country and found that the nation
owed an immense debt. BY it's economic
md financial policy it reduced that debt
S19o3, 00o.000 being a reduction of $6S. 900 900
per year 1t reduced the annual interest
)li tHe puDIic utDt Ia. uuU.UU IN round num-
bers. 1t had raised the public credit from
paying II per cent to the payment of only
three per cent on it's securities.
We have had nearly four years of Dem
ocratic rule and mark the change. With |
in that period our debt has been increa sed
f262. .000. 900. being an average increase Of
Us, ,oOo.Voo per year, our annual interest
upon the public debt has been increased
nearly l2,000000. Worse than this, Dem
oeratic policy has starved the treasury
by impoverishing the people When it
raised its hand of free trade to strike
down American Industries in the interest
of foreigners, it struck fatal blow at