Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-08-28
REPUBLICAN RALLY.

REPUBLICAN RALLY.
stirring Addresses Last Friday Night
by James Fisk Hooker and Col. AL
bert Clarke,
One of the largest crowds of the season
attended the Republican rally at the audi
forum Friday night and listened to stirring
addresses by Col. Albert Clarke of Boston
and James f. Hooker of Brattleboro. W.
II. Bracket, president of the Young Mems
Republican club, presided and the Brattle-
boro protective glee club rendered several
effective campaign selections. Mr.. Brack-
EFT introduced as the first speaker James
f. Hooker.
Mr.. Hooker is an eloquent and impress
i've speaker and has done valuable campaign
work in this and New York state. He be-
gan his speech. by admonishing the Ameri-
can people to guard against the thunder
bolt of free trade and free silver that threat
ems the prosperity and honor Of our coun-
try. He paid glowing tribute to Lincoln
and Grant and the other Republican presi-
dents down to the present time and touched
upon the unity of sentiment, which has eX
listed since the nomination of Mckinley,
between those who previously had their
particular favortes.
When the election of 1892 was held,
said he, the Democratic party, for the first
time in over 80 years, obtained complete
| control of the executive anu legislative
branches of this government. For more
than 30 years previous to that time the pol
| icy of protection prevailed in this country.
For the past few years there has been de-
parture from that policy. 1t is for us TO
decide this fall whether we will once more
have protection or whether we will again
entrust ourselves to the guidance of fanati-
csms and free trade.
1t is said that protection benefits man
features, therefore let us examine that
branch of industry. Here Mr.. Hooker
gave a comparison of the values of manu-
featured products of the principal nations
of the world, showing England to be our
chief competitor in regard to manufactures.
In 1850 the value of English manufactures
was 50, 710, 900, 900, while those of America,
a comparatively new nation, were valued
at 100, 900, 600. During the next 2s
years England maintained free trade pol
icy while the United States pursued the
policy of protection. In 1888 protec-
ton had passed free trade, the value of
| American manufactures being 81 OPP ,000,-
600 against England's product of but 3d.
900, 100000. During that 80 years of pro-
lection the progress of the United States
exceeded that of any other nation in the
world. Mr.. Hooker next showed the eff
| feet upon agriculture of the so-called Will
| SON G. rman tariff bill and the depreciation
| in farm values since that bill was passed
| He also showed how unfavorable tariff leg
islation had destroyed the sheep industry,
how the flocks increased during the four
| years that the industry was adequately pro-
tected and how live stock, that in the hal
! cyOn days of the Mckinley protection was
worth S2,5O0,OO0 900, had deprecated in
value$7j1 100000 under a Democratic ad-
mnistration.
Mr. Hooker then took up the silver ques-
ton and branded it as an iniquitous and
hair Drained scheme. He said The evil
thing about this free coinage theory is that
it is proposed to have the American people
assume all the risks, losses and shame of
this perilous venture.
The silver question then appears to me
to reduce itself to this Do we or do we
not want to give twice its value in the mar
kets of the world for such silver as might
pour into our minis from every direction?
Mr.. Hooker closed his speech with an
eloquent plea for old Vermont to stand firm,
as in the days of Gettysburg, and throw
back the rebel horde, and, with measured
tread, press on with crowded ranks TO vic
tory.
After selection by the glee club Mr..
Bracket introduced Col. Clarke, who spoke
upon current issues, first explaining that
the money question had been forced upon
the people by the Democratic party in its
effort to divert attention from its miserable
tariff failure. Mr.. Clarke's was an able
and straightforward address which held the
attention of the audience throughout. He
said that his latest advices from the state
committees and others all over the North
and West indicated that Populism has
reached high water mark and is now begin
ming to wane. There is nothing so potent
as mystery, he said, and fear has pos
sessed people who lack definite information,
but actual canvasses now show that nobody