Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-26

Wages-a thing intolerable for our peo-
ple-has started production In Mexico.
What was Mexico once and what IS
she now? Once she was the land OF
revolutionists, of fratricidal strife, torn
asunder on the ambition of any petty
chief Now under Portirio Diaz, rep
resenting the growing civilization of
his country, she is the land OF peace.
Not silver and dwindling wages have
revived Mexico, but Portirio Diaz and
the civilization he represents. Let me
venture to say just here that neither
Mexico nor any other country will ever
have true prosperity until she has in
creasing instead of diminishing. wages.
We passed Mexico's prosperity long
years ago, and no man in his senses
will ever want to go back to that. How
we shall meet the competition of the
cheap labor of Oriental countries is a
problem for the future, but this much
we do know, that cutting the dollar
in two is no solution whatever, and
| that the permanent lowering of wages
here by any device Will never be toll
Grated by the people of America.
Remember that this contest. today.
is not between bimetallism and mono
HlStdlllSIIl. hat SupJVNl NoNiN oN'.-
discussion. This contest is between
silver mono metallism. which we have
not. and gold mono metallism, which
we have That subject Will not bear
candid discussion. This contest also is
| not between the East and the West.
There can be no such contest. Our in
terests are identical. With their
growth comes our growth. we cannot
go on alone. We have sent our chill
dren there. Our money is there. NO
| misfortune can happen to them that
does not happen to us. We here nave
full esteem for the pioneers of the
West. and rejoice in their prosperity
They are all a brave and vigorous peo-
pie. AS Burke said of the younger
Pitt. they are mot chips of the old
block, but the old block itself" Every
wise man agrees that beyond the
Mississippi lies the great wealth OF the
days to come In the development of
this wealth we are all interested. and
we in the East are not the unwise men
to believe that we are not concerned
in the progress and future of the West.
Unfounded sectional differences are
without excuse. and it will be woe to
those who try to foment them. The
West is too vigorous not to find out
the truth, and is too valiant not to
follow it when found. What the West
| needs is loanable capital which will
develop its resources. No part of this
Union is so concerned in restoring con-
tldence as the undeveloped territory.
The South, too, has a similar interest.
But they are busy down there just now
asserting their rights and keeping
down the negro. If they could be per
suaded to look after their interests
what a happy country this might be.
John Sherman, whose name Will be
| a great name in history, made speech
the other day and showed that all the
decentralization of silver there ever was
was made by the help of Stewart and
Jones of Nevada. and that free coinage
of silver by the United States alone
will not and cannot cause any surcease
of our calamities, but on the contrary
would be the cause and summit of fur
| Their sorrow. 1t is curious to see what
effect that had on the silver men, One
| of them in Massachusetts lifted up his
voice and said, Mr.. John Sherman has
| told us of no remedy for our hard
| times, therefore, the silver remedy
which Sherman proves to be no remedy
| is the only remedy. OF course he did
not use this language. but that was the
| idea if there was any. Just think of
the logic. A remedy proved to be ne
remedy becomes a cure-all because
John Sherman will not invent cure.
1t is true that when this world is
badly off we have all got to be in the
slough of despond until some great
man invents remedy? Are we all to
plunge into foolishness unless some
great man hits upon something sure?
If the world has got to wait for that
panacea let me tell you that the rest of
death is a flash of lightning compared
with the rest we are going to take. Is
there nothing in our idea that the best
sense is common sense?
No, no, these things are governed by
natural laws and take their course like
the rolling of the round earth or the
glitter of the stars. Suppose a man
were created full grown and set upon
solitary earth facing the dawn. As
the panorama of sunrise. the march of
the fountain of light across the sky,
the red sunset and the black darkness.
came over him, what could he make
of this termination of the gorgeous pa
darkness desolation and death and a
wild calling on unknown gods to help
| him. But the man who has from earli-
| est boyhood seen the sun disappear
| into the red West to light up another
day may be ignorant of Kepler's laws
and of Galleo's fate, but he knows no
greater certainty on earth than that
the day follows the night. A man who
has only seen 1893 might well wonder
and call on some great man for res.
cue, but we who have seen 1878 and
have read of 1925 and 1851 in England
and 1897 in America, know that we
shall as surely rise to business and
prosperity as that tomorrow's sun will
rise.
Be not deceived by false prophets
In the West they tell the people that
Maine is faltering. You and l know
she was never so steadfast Here in
the East they tell us the West is baz-
| ing with silver crosses and crowned
with silver thorns; but when the tug
of battle comes, the gallant West, peo-
pied by our children, will show to the
world that brothers true and tried,
who have fought so many fights Shout
der To shoulder in the great conflict of