The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-07-16

E x A Sewell, shlpbuilders and COM
mission agents. The Bath Sewells
havy been closely identified with
Baths chief industry, shipbuilding.
since 1898, when William ID. Sewell
opened a small shipyard on the banks
OF the Kennebec. He was succeeded
in business by Clark & Sewell. These
two earlier firms built twenty nine
wooden vessels between 1872, and
1854. The f. & A. Sewell firm dis
solved in 1879 by the death of Edward
Sewell In 1879 Arthur Sewel, his
son, VIM. ID. Sewell, and his nephew,
Samuel S. Sewell, formed the firm of
Arthur Sewall & Co., which is still IN
existence. To meet the conditions
OF the present time, the firm began
some years ago to equip their shipyard
with plant for making steel vessels.
They built the first steel, \ mericars
clipper, Dirigo. a simN0acl ha '.T:Hl
manv vc.-e 6f ." Mr.. Sewell was for
n, I'd a,HiOp99sGrs prominent as railroad
Ian. He became director OF the
Maine Central Railroad Company in
1875, and in 1884 was elected its
president, serving in in that capacity
until the election of Mr.. Wilson sew
eral years ago. During this time Mr..
Sewall was also president Of the Port
land, Mount Desert and Machias
Steamboat company. Mr.. Sewell
has been a director of some of the
branch lines of the Atchson, Topeka
& Santa Fe railroad, and director of
the Mexican Central railway in 1884,
1885 and 1886. He is also president
of the Bath National bank.
Mr.. Sewall came out for free coin
age Of silver in June, 1895. He was
the democratic candidate for United
States Senator at the session of the
Maine Legislature in 1898. Mr..
Sewell has always made his home at
Bath.
The Sewells are of an old and illus
trious family on both sides Of the
water. The frs, American Sewell
came here in 1884, and was born in
Coventry, England, in 1914, so that
he was young man to come into the
wilderness. His sons were Samuel,
John, Stephen and Nicholas. Samuel
was the judge of witchcraft fame.
John was the direct ancestor of the
Sewells in Maine. Dummer Sewell,
the grandfather of the first shipbuilder,
came to Bath from York, which was
also IN the district of Maine, in 1902,
and purchased the tract of land on
which to this day stands the Sewell
yard and the houses of the Sewell
family.
THE PLATFORM.
We, the Democrats of the United States.
in national convention assembled, do re.
affirm our allegiance to those great essential
principles of justice and liberty upon which
our institutions are founded and which the
Democratic party has advocated from Jeffer-
sons time to our own-freedom Of speech,
freedom Of the press, freedom of conscience,
the preservation of personal rights, the
equality of all citizens before the law and the
faithful observance of constitutional limita-
lions.
During all these years the Democratic
party has resisted the tendency of selfish
interests to the Capitalization of government
al power, and steadfastly maintained the
integrity of the dual scheme of government
established by the founders of this republic
of republics. Under its guidance and teach
ings the great principle Of local self govern
ment has found its best expression in the
maintenance Of the rights of the states and
in its assertion of the necessity of confning
the general government to the exercise Of the
powers granted by the constitution of the
United States.
Recognizing that the money system is
paramount to all Others at this time, we
invite attention to the fact that the federal
constitution names silver and gold together
as the money metals of the United States,
and that the first coinage law passed by
congress under the constitution made the
silver dollar the monetary unit, and admit
ed gold to free coinage at a ratio based upon
the silver unit.
of surrendering TO the holders of the obliga-
tions of the United States the option reserv-
ed by law to the government Of redeeming
such obligations in either silver coin or gold
coin.
We are opposed to the issuing of interest
bearing bonds Of the United States in times
OF peace, and condemn the traficing with
bond syndicates which, in exchange for
bonds at an enormous profit to themselves,
supply the federal treasury with gold to
maintain the policy of gold monometallism.
Congress alone has the power to coin and
issue money, and President Jackson dcclar-
ed that this power could not be delegated to
corporations or individuals. We, therefore,
demand that the power to issue notes be
taken from the banks and that all paper
money shall be issued directly by the treas
ury department, be redeemable in coin and
receivable for all debts, public and private.
We hold that tariff duties should be levied
solely for purposes of revenue, such duties to
be so adjusted as to operate equally through
out the country, and not discriminate be-
tween class or section, and that taxation
should be limited by the needs Of the govern
ment, honestly and economically administer.
ed. We denounce as disturbing business the
Republican threat to restore the Mckinley