The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-11
REEDS CLOSING SPEECH.
The Maine Statesman Talks to His
Constituents at Portland.

PORTLAND, Me-, Sept 10.-To-night in
the City Hall Speaker Thomas B. Reed
addressed his constituents for the last time
before election. The rain fell in torrents
but the large auditorium crowded
President George Libby of the Lincoln
Club presided. and introduced Mr.. Reed
who was greeted with tremendous ap-
plause Mr. Reed said in part
AS ] stand before this great audience,
largely composed of men by whose side L
have fought these many years. my mind is
naturally to the battle we are now fighting
and to the many battles we have sue
cessfully fought in the past Humble as
we may be as individuals we have never
theless participated in all the great acts
of craftsmanship which make up the thir-
ty wonderful years of Republican rule prior
to 1892 Possibly have made mistakes
but they have been few and small. Yet all
the events which we have passed through.
and part of which we now see, but
on the road to the event which we are
to decide by the coming election. We have
now in much milder form the same kind
of attack that was made on this govern
ment in 1860 But for great nation we
have governed ourselves wisely. and we'll
and although gentlemen who have vivid
imaginations and with certain lack of
fixity of principles have invited us many
times into the fowery paths of dishonor
we have never yet followed them
Mr.. Reed then entered into review of
the past anu referred to his nfSt appear
anee before Portland audience as a can
didate for Congress and the struggles that
the country has passed through since then.
We had every temptation then" said Mr..
Reed, Ito listen to the men who said to
us: Issue more greenbacks: let us have
a large currency and we will go forward
The temptation was great to many of us
but we said When the United States saws
this is dollar, just that moment it ought
to be dollar, and shall be-. and our re-
ward was fourteen years of the most mag
nifiecent prosperity the sun has ever shone
upon. From 1879 TO 1892 the United States
grew in wealth. dignity and honor and if a
nation ought to see from experience that
II should be honest, 1T should be the United
threatened with disease in a greater form
Z he experience of the world has shown be-
You'd peradventure that the attempt to issue
government money every time a Specula-
tive period has set in and burst means de-
struction and ruin out of which there is
no wav except through bankrnntcv Nov
have got to learn that il is not wise to
lower the currency one-half in order to exc
The Democrats hold out two inducements
TO The first is that If we can lower our
less rate, and the second is that the gov
eminent can pay its debts at a less rate
What nation owes, If its resources are
ample and sufficient. history shows. makes
no very grave difference. England has
risen from EST 900 900 TO e900. 900, 900 in debt
and people wanted her bonds because never
IN her history has she refused to pay what
she promised she would pay. and she can
borrow money at a lower rate than any
other country because of her honesty
Nothing stands nation In stead like the
honorable fuldllment of every obligation
entered into. No method has ever been
discovered of keeping a material that is
one-half cheaper than another material
equivalent TO the better material, except by
exchanging il whenever the man who has
the weaker material desires it. Great as
our Nation Is, we cannot make something
out of nothing. except by the use OF natural
means and we cannot by any possibility
do more than TO set tie laws of nature at
work. Let us recognize our limitations"
Mr.. Reed then told Of the terrible effect
OF free silver on the country and his ar