The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-06-06
would own ana that went forth to be-
come an Ishmael in the land.
In that speech
MR.. REED DWELT


with especial success upon the question
of wages and the home market. "This
question of wages, she said, Sis all-impor-
tant as bearing upon the question of con-
sumption. All production depends upon
consumption. Who are the consumers?
In the old days when the products of
manufacturers were luxuries, the lord
and his retainers. the lady and her maids
were the consumers, class apart by
themselves, but today the consumers are
the producers. Long ago the laborer
consumed only what would keep him
alive. Today he and his wife and their
children are so immeasurably the most
valuable customers that if the shop had
to give up the wealthy or those whom it
is the custom to call poor, there would
not be moments hesitation or mo-
ment's doubt
UNFORTUNATELY the gentlemen on the
other side have persistently retained the
old idea that the producers are one class
and the consumers are another, and
hence we hear on all hands such stupid
tiles of speech as those which sum up
the workers in each branch and compare
them with the whole people. One hun
bred and fifty thousand workers in wool
ens-you ask what are they compared
with 100000 of consumers; 200 900
workers in steel. what are they compared
with 100000 of consumers; 100000
workers in cotton, what are they COM
pared with 70. 100000 of consumers, and
80 on through the long list, forgetting
that all these people added together
make the whole 70, QUO, 900 themselves,
6Tt hannaJ,S thnt A 60 G1oI
with workers. There are idle people,
but they are fewer here than elsewhere
except now, when we are living under
the shadow of the Wilson bill. II those
workers are all getting good wages they
are themselves the market, and if the
wages are increasing the market is al.
increasing. The fact that in this coun-
try all the workers have been getting bet.
ter wages than elsewhere is the very
reason why our market is the best in tbn
world and why all the nations of the
world are trying TO break into it. W
do not appreciate the nature of our
market ourselves.
"We are nominally 100000 people,
mat is what we are in mere numbers
But as market for manufactures and
choice foods We are potentially 175, 0O0,-
O00 as compared with the next best ma
ton on the globe. Nor is this difficult
TO prove. Whenever an Englishman
earns one dollar an American earns a
dollar and sixty cents. I speak within
bounds. Both can get the food that
keeps body and soul together and the
shelter which the body must have for
go cents. Take 60 cents from a dollar
and you have 40 cents left Take that
same 80 cents from the dollar and sixty
and you have dollar left, just two and a
half times as much. That surplus can
be spent in choice foods, in house fur
nishings, in fine clothes and all the com
forts of life-in word, in the products
of our manufacturers. That makes our
population as consumers of products, as
compared with the English population,
IT'S, 0Oo, 0OO Their population is ST..
OO0,0 as consumers of products which
one century ago were pure luxuries,
while our population is equivalent to
ITS, 900, 0O0."
He closed that speech with still an
other prophecy, that is even now in full
filment: "We know, my friends. that
before this tribunal we all of us plead in
vain. Why we fail let those answer who
read the touching words of Abraham
Lincoln's first inaugural and remember
that he plead in vain with these same
men and their predecessors. Where he
failed we cannot hope to succeed. But
though we fail here today, like our great
leader of other days, in the larger field
before the rnightier tribunal which will
finally and forever decide this question,
we shall be more than conquerors; for
this great nation, shaking off as it has
once before tho influence of a lower
civilization, will go on to fulfill its high
destiny until over the South, as well as
ever the North, shall be spread the full
measure of that amazing prosperity
which is the wonder of the world"
Mr.. Reeds record on tho money ques-
ton haj been as steadfast as on the tariff.
In the very first Congress Of which he
was a member he ranged himself on the
sound money side, voting against the
Bland-Allison bill, and supporting Presi-
dent Hayes's veto. For the twenty years
since he has consistently maintained that
record.
When the 54th Congress assembled
with its great Rep ublican majority, Mr..
Reed was
UNANIMOUSLY NOMINATED
as the Republican candidate for Speaker
and elected. 1t was predicted that he
could not control the body of new men,
bers; but the 54th has so far shown itself
one of the steadiest of Houses of Repre-
sentatives. Mr.. Reed is there the un-
questioned leader. The older members
are his close frie nds; the younger look
upon him with a respect and confidence
unique in political history. The Demo-
Gratis have in times past advertised him
as their tyrant and oppressor; but even
in that character, which they sometimes
still attribute to him in accordance with
sort of political fiction, they regard
him with pride, and as infinitely superior
to the tyrants and oppressors Of any
other fellows.
A Question OF Diet.
A eli Il q meal mi rlat 81