The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-28
Republican of whose record the party is


proud.
Gen. Curtis who speaks in very easy
| and persuasive manner and who held
the closest attention of the audience from
| the beginning to the end of his remarks,
prefaced his speech by referring to the
Importance of the campaign in the midst
Of which we a now are and its signifi-
canoe to the country. No more impor-
tant campaign has ever engaged the at
tentton OF the American voter than this
one and 1t is one in which the interests
Of the country are at staSe. Gen. Curtis
said tina t the party which we are Eow
fighting Is not that from which the Re-
publioans won SO many victories but is
composed of men who threaten the very
destru tion of the government and the
prosperity Of the people.
Gen. Curtis then entered into a dis
oussion of the financial policy of the
Democratic administration and it's effects
on the country. He stated that the pub
lio debt August 8. 1865 was 50, 381, $50, 294.
The Republican party had paid up to
March 1, 1898. $1,79e, 496, 034, leaving to
cratic administration, March 4, 1898,
1886. 03, 1860. The Republicans had so reg
ulated the tariff and income of the gov
ernment that the repceips exceeded the
expenditures to suoh an extent as to al
low the payment of the running expen-
ses of the government and the paying of
three-fourths ofthe national debt as well.
The polioysof the Democratic party has
been exactly the reverse Of this In 1894
the expenditures of the government had
| exceeded the receipts by..$69, 603, $50 5S, in
1895 the excess of expenditures over the re
ceipts was S42, s05, 223. IS and fer the last
six months of the calendar year a, it has
been s17, 613. 5000. This made the ex-
cess of expenditures over the receipts
during the last two and one half years,
$3.50, 22l. 02S. So. These figures Gen. Curtis
stated wero taken from the reports fur
nished by Secretary Carlisle.
Immediately with the incoming of the
last Democratic administration depress-
ion was felt in business orioles and 1t has
continued ever since. The above deticien-
cy was made good by the Demo GRATIS by
the issuing of bonds and this would have
been entirely unnecessary had the Dom
ocratic policy been wise and sound.
Another way In which the Democratic
administration has proved an expensive
luxury to the United States has been in
the falling off of the exports and the in
crease in the imports of articles raised
and manufactured by our own people.
Since the Wilson bill has been in effect
the Importation of articles raised and
produced by our own people and in direct
competition with our farmers has been
double what they were under the McKin-
ley law. Such articles rs breadstuffs,
eggs, hay flax, produce, fruit, hemp,
hides hops, rice, seeds, tobacco and SIM
liar articles were imported during last
year of the Mckinley tax TO the amount
of $5l, Ala, S44, while of ths same articles
there were imported during the first year
of the Wilson law $107, 342, 522, or as
have said more than double the impor-
tations during the Mckinley law. Then
too the expectation of American farm
products fell off during the first year of
she Democratic administration over. $50,
Ooo, O00 and this loss has been constantly
going on and is felt today by the farmers
OF the United States. So that count ing
the increase In importations and tho de-
crease OF expectations tho first year OF
Democratic rule lost this country in this
matter alone over $a26, 900, 600.
Gen. Curtis then went on to show how
Eur0pe by lack of confidence in Demo
cratic rule had depleted the UnitedEStates
treasury OF gold and compelled the gov
ernment to Issue bonds to make good the
deficiency. From July l, 1879 to July /,
1872 the Withdrawals of gold from the
United States treasury was S43, SIC, S96,
while from July j, 1892, to Da~sanor i,