The Portland daily press., 1896-08-26
OVER 5000.
A Great Republican Mass
Meeting.
MIR. REED SPEAKS AT OLD
ORCHARD.
A Speech That Made a Deep Inn
preston.
HON. JOHN DALZELL ALSO SPEAKS
ABLY.

Hon. Charles F. Libby Presides-Hon. Lee
Fairchud Concludes the Speaking-The
| Great Grove Temple Overlooked With
| the Audience.
| The Republican mass meeting at Old
Orchard yesterday seemed to surpass
even the other great political meetings
that have been held there in years past.
Fully 5000 people were present and the
reception they gave Mr.. Reed and his
associates was one long to be remem-
| bered.
While it was more distinoively York
county gathering there was large at
tendance from Portland. The Lincoln
club marched out in body with Capt.
Printable in command. The American
Cadet band of this city furnished the
music. Escort duty was performed by
two very tastefully uniformed campaign
companies from Biddeford composed OF
French and Irish-Amerloans.
The great grove was completely filed,
every seat being occupied and many
being forced to stand far back seemingly
out of the sound of the voices of the
| speakers. The stand for the, speakers was
elaborately decorated with bunting and
two large ampaign flags were tastefully
draped on either side of the speakers. A
large number of representative York
county citizens had seats upon the plat
form. The meeting was admira bly,
managed for the convenience Of all.
The appearance of the speakers was
| the signal for great ovation which was
continued for several minutes.
Hon. Charles +. Libby had been selected
as presiding officer of the meeting and
was very cordially received when intro
duced by State Com mitteeman Moses.
Mr.. LIBBY'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Libby spoke in substance as fol-
lows;
The presence of this large audience Is
proof If any is needed of the great imppr-
tance Of this campaign upon which hing
es the maintenance of national honor
and national prosperity. On the ques-
| tion of the currency we are facing the
question whether the Atgelds and Tillman
are to be our leaders or whether we are
to follow the teachings of dhe founders
| of the party and the statesmen W no have
succeeded them.
In financial matters as In other matters
of life, honesty is the best policy. There
| is no honesty in 53-oent dollar. 1t is
bound to cheat someone. (Applause)
The great interest over the ourrerc cy
has almost obscnred that other great
question of the tariff. But it is well to
| De remem bered that the Republican par
| ty when restored 10 power can be depend
ed upon 60 carry out the will of the
American people.
He took great pleasure in introducing
to the audience their distinguished rep
resen tatiye whom they had honored for
20 years and who had honored them in
return by his career in the national
house.
Long continued applause and cheers
greeted Mr.. Reed. His speech was listened
| to with the most profound attention and
| liveliest interest. In the opinion Of
many who heard it-and some of them
had listened to him for 20 years-it was
| the finest speech he ever delivered in the
| district. 1t certainly was a noble effort
| deserving to rank as a masterpiece of
| American political oratory.
At many places the speech was punctu-
ated with loud applause. One noticeable
feature was the hearty reception given
to MIR. Reeds reference to President
| Cleveland.
| Mr.. Reed said:
| In this great temple of nature which
has so often echoed with the words
which teach of nobler and broader life
hereafter, which is to be purchased by
a manly struggle with evil here below,
it is very fitting that we should COM
mence this campaign for the opportu-
nifty to labor, which is the opportunity to
live, for sound currency, whereby we
gather to ourselves the just and undi-
minished results of our labor, and for
National honor, which is the cuImina-
ton of individual honor and the founda-
ton of National prosperity.
What seemed the great rimeval
curse that in the sweat of his face should
man eat bread has been found, in the
wider view of the great cycles of the
Almighty, to be the foundation of all
sound hope, all sure progress and all per-
manent power. Man no longer shuns
labor as his deadliest foe but welcomes
it as his dearest friend. Nations no
longer dream of riches as the spoils of
war but as the fruits of human energy
directed by wise laws and encouraged
by peace and goodwill. Battlements
and forts and castles, armies and nayies
are day by day, less and less the enginry
of slaughter, and more and more. the
guarantee of peace with honor. What the
world longs for now is not the pageantry
and devastation OF war for the aggrandize-