New-York tribune., 1896-07-30
REEDS OPENING SPEECH.
A MAsTERLY DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUES
OF THE DAY.
THE SPEAKER INVITES ALL PATRIOTS TO ACT
TOGETHER FOR THE RESTORATION OF PROS
PERITY-DEMocRAcY's BLUNDERs-THE
SILVER CRAZE.
rsY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRrBrSE.I

Alfred. Me-. July 20-The old Town House Of
Alfred was crowded to Overfowing to-day oy
Republicans who came to attend the fork
County Republican Convention and to near
Speaker Reed 1t was the speech for wnich ths
whole country has been waiting. Reeds hrss
public utterance since the Republican Nationai
Convention. 1t was a magnificent EFFORT. fuii OK
Reed philosophy and Reed humor MI. neeo
was at his best and the crowd cheereo anu ap
plauded, and was delighted and inspired oy 'ns
sneakers eloquent sententiousness and happy
turns Of thought.
The County Convention was held In the fors:
noon, and the speech-making took place ai.er
dinner. the speakAs being Mr.. Reed and Gurus
Guild jr. Of Boston.
MR.. REEDS SPEECH
Mr. Reed spoke as follows:
II I were going 10 give good advice to the peop'e
n the whole United States I should take this ume
-, ao,, Ius. now there Is a great deal Of froth ana
foam, In the air and some time is really needfui 10
disclose clearly to every eye how much OF IL Is tns
result OF the temporary breeze which SUNS ~
nightfall and how little there Is or that hea'S
ground swell which shows that great ee"e"'a'y
forces are at work How very suddenly all th's
rush and stir has Itself into action Two inoh,s
ago no man OF any standing would have riskeu MS
reputation as prophet by limiting the sheh'est
doubt OF Republican success. -Four years Vi a.'.a'
trial OF the opposition under the guidance VI Us
best and twice trusted leader. had left no shado~
OF question as to public duty. However rar '"'
Republican party might have fallen snort Oh per-
fection. nevertheless all men felt that It was tho
host marty tust now 10 draw nigh TO for Whatever
is 70 be left TO us Of sound government comihe'-
cial success and business prosperity
On that we were all agreed some OF US VINO
were Democrats. regrotfulIy for we all hate to oe
classed with the unsuccessful whose condemnation
is at hand even II we gain by the change; others
OF US who were Republicans, cheerfuliy, out "''n'
out exultation. for we know how hard the .asH
must be TO rebuild OF the ruins OF the last rour
wears the stately mansions of National happiness
PROSPERITY and self-respect. wherein our people
lived until that unfortunate election OF lss2
Two months have slipped away-hardly time 10
rtpen a strawberry, much less a system OF nnahce-
and there are those who tell us that all th'hsS
have changed that those very men who were being
arrayed for decent burial had burst the cerements
OF the grave and transhgured by some new ar
rangements Of crowns OF thorns ana crosses VI
gold were to lead TO a new happiness. ana even
repair all the damage they themselves hso
wrought.
A SAFE CAPTAIN NEEDED.
Now this may be So but me II does not seem
probable Human experience In every walk OF
lie teaches us that those who have blundercd will
TO employ ship captain who has not yet emerged
from his last shipwreck. but the safe sailor. who
has never lost ship passenger or letter out
who has sailed safe through every sea. lie may
have lost masts and sails. and even been rudder-
less for hours, but If he has every tine come SAFE
10 shore better have him than all the landsmen
who are forever shouting what they can do. ana
never dare TO tell OF what they have done Boast
ers are worth nothing. Deeds are facts and are
forever and ever Talk dies on the empty air.
Better pound Of performance than shpload OF
language.
But Is X wise or Just to class all Democrats to-
gether and to declare them all wrong, then an
nounce they must be beaten because they are
Democrats? That would be very unwse. very un-
just and senseess altogether II would hout all
history, and especially our own. Parties are one
thing their individual members may be another.
Parties seldom follow their best men. They follow
their average sense.
In real action there never be but two parties.
the creating pa-sy and the retarding party. The
progressive party may be unwise In its progress
and the retarding party may be unwise In Its con-
servst tism. but both good purpose. and be-
tween them both the world slowly and safely
moves ahead Dreadfuly slowly sometimes. but
II does always move ahead.
Perhaps will say here we have a cre-
ative party which has sprung up in night like
mushroom and created new system OF finance.
My friends you will find that that mushroom is
not good eat. and that that progress will land
you in the ditch. Now all progress avoids bitches.
PATRIOTS ABOVE PARTIsANs
7 have said that il would be unwse. unjust and
scnseless to confound the Democratic organization
with individual Democrats. have said' also that
that would be fouting a part OF our owa
history and a glorious part OF our history.
too-why Il is within the memory OF third. ana.
perhaps. half OF this very audience which listens
tka
lion burst forth tens Of thousands OF Democrats
politicians strong party men, sprang TO their feet.
representing hundreds OF thousands. aye millions.
and thenceforth and always were part ana parcel
of the bone and sinew OF the victorious Republic.
What matter II the party had gone wrong? They
were right One man among them one man alone.
by a single sentence gave aid and succor TO this
Government which outweighed q whole army
corps of veterans musket on shoulder.
When stephen A. Douglas declared. after Sumter
was fred on that "thenceforth there could be but
two pa rites patriots and traitors he the
spect even OF foes and an imperishable place In
history. We shall certainly welcome all such men
today not that they TO be Republicans. for
they will not be. but because they patriots for
that they must be.
Two months ago. as have already said. every.
body conceded the election OF the Republican
ticket. What has happened since then? Have the
four years OF history been blotted out? Not one
scrap of them. Is condition any betterf
Rather worse Has the party changed any which
caused the most OF unhappiness? Yes. there
has been a change. but 1t has been for the worse
Its best leaving 1t. II this Nation has
thrice at the polls condemned this party when It
was better. are we now going to place II in power
when 1t has got worse? II they blundered on bust
ness with their best men present. they going
to be a success finance with their best men abb
sent?
But all IN a bad way. and something must
be done. Yes We are In bad way and some.
thing must he done. but don't make the mistake
OF thinking that any something will do. A sick man
In proper cases had better take medicine but he
had better be careful what medicine he takes.
There some political orators who think II they
can draw a rose-coored picture 1t ought to convert
a continent. What a rosy picture we had painted
for in 1892? What millions were to expect!
We were TO sell In the dearest and buy In the