Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-12
10000 PEOPLE
Attend the Grand Republican
Rally at Pittsfe|d.
"a Great Ovation Given Ex-Speaker
Reed, Lasting Several Minutes.
Stirring Addresses by Mr.. Reed and Hon. Ed.
mund Foss Of Chicago.

descended on this town, today II v,s
the occasion of the Republican rally
to be addressed by the Hon Thomas y
Reed and Congressman Edmund Foss
of Chicago. Four bands and 10 GOO pco
pie made up an event that will long
i've IN the memory of the residents of
this enterprising town. The meeting
| was held on the Institute grounds :,
large platform being erected at the left
| - the main entrance. Hon. T.. w
Hovey called the assembly to order and
introduced e. n. Merrill. Esq..of SHOW
hogan, as chairman for the afternoon
Hon. Thomas B Reed was greeted
With a wild outburst of applause. when
he appeared on the stand. The intelli-
gence, the bone and sinew of the sur
| rounding country was present. Chair
| man Merrill lost no time in getting 10
business but in IA few well chosen re-
| marks introduced as the first speaker
Congressman Edmund Foss of Chicago
| whose speech was an able and MASTER
~ effort from beginning to end He
| spoke in substance as follows: The
great issue at this time. in this cam
paign is the money issue. The ques-
ton is whether this nation is To coin
| silver at an unlimited ratio. or whether
II IS To coin gold and silver at limited
ratio ANA to join With the other ma
tons Of the world To coin these metals
At thu ratio that God Almighty alone
has established from the time that lit
| Tie Moses was in the bulrushes. 1t
was Alexander Hamilton ana Thomas
jefferson who determined for this ma
tion that the ratio should be Is to 1.
| they started in well but soon some one
locked around and It was found that
the commercial value Of the two metals
was constantly changing. II was in
1884 that the ratio of IS to / or more
properly perhaps Il and ISL 100 was es-
tahlished. We found that during all
that period only one metal remained
| -rmly IN the commercial markets Of
the world
! me speaker touched feelingly(?) up-
on the crime of 49, 1t was Thomas
! JcfThpon.the patron saint of the Demo-
nracy. VINO in 1896 stopped the coinage
| Il silver for Il period of 30 years. |
| nave failed to hear the faintest breath
pl suspicion on the part of our Demo-
cratic friends that Thomas jefferson
| was bought up by British gold The
reason tor the stoppage of the coinage
u the silver dollars was on account Of
he large amount of foreign silver dol
lars that We're coming here niclled
ana abraded. while our bright spangled
new silver dollars were being grabbed.
Congressman Foss embcllished his
speech hN several lt,r
showing the operation of the Gresham
law as he called it. He said the little
boy would take the cent that the train
Had run over TO buy candy, and if the |
store Keeper would not take it he would |
put mt" the contribution box on sun
Jay Tor the sole reason that he de- |
sired To get it into circulation.
Wins ne fHpeak9rs reference to the time
Mheh lion James G.. Blaine was secre-
larN OF state. William Mckinley was |
.h"lfihin 81 the committee on WAYS and !
means ana Thomas Il, Reed was Speaker
y inc House. received tremendous an
riiusc ana cheering as the name of each
famous man dropped from the sneakers
one cannot 20 into = silver ,.,.fn+ry ana
Ind soId n circulation, but Won can 20
illlo 4 Sold country and find silver In cir
Congressman Foss dwelt for "A few mo-
ihehtS on the question OF per capita dir
tiuaticn. How much money is needed in
cremation? The most Of the business of
drafts. and such was not the fact durin,s
lhosr years when the largest per capita
CIRCULATION was known in this country.
The speaker explained the faIliu,, of in |
The wheat ana corn markets. TIE con
sumption of those commodities fen off
ana though when the mills of the country
turned out into the streets to beg or to
SlarNc, the people had the same appt-
tltes but the farmer lost his market for
ms corn and his wheat. fApplausrl
What we need most in this country is
confidence and stimulation of our indus
tres, to make it possible for the Ameri-
can i1hn ardr m1 to employ the Ameri
american standard of living (rTremen-
dous applauSe1 The honorable gentle
man spoke of the great strike at Chicago
When the mayor of that city and the
Governor of the state were heart and
hand with the rioters and he paid Prcsi
dent Cleveland an honest tribute for
sending troops to the afflicted city to mt
down the instruction. THE Democratic
party assaiied the honor of the supreme
court ana no Democrat is a patriot or 1
Il party.
The country is looking to Maine. Yer
mont has spoken. Now let Maine speak
Instead Of Mr.. Bryan marching through
your state suppose you march through
MI, Bryan's? Woice-'Well. we just
ny Hpcdhtl cIoStu IN Il nflfllant burst |
OF eloquence that held his hearers spell
bound until the close. and then followed
q wildly enthusiastic burst of applause
and enthusiasm.
It required but moment for Chairman
Merrill to introduce the Hon. Thomas
brackett Reed. When the honora bic
gentleman arose sensation upon sensa-
non followed. Men cheered. yelled threw
their hats high in the air and women
waved their handkerchiefs. 1t was sew
'rai minutes before quiet was sufficiently
restored to permit Mr.. Reed to proceed
with his speech.
Mr. Reed set the crowd going at once
into hearty laugh by saving that he
had noticed that his friends on the other
side We're improving. He had sat for
over - years in Congress and had prob
lhly heard more than 5000 silver speeches
Is general thing he had paid but little
Intention. to them. He only was made
aware OF what was the subject under
discussion by hearing occasionally the
reclamation about the "Steathy dcmone-
i2ation of silver" Then he knew what
vas gong on Mr.. Reed thought that
he presence of that great audience.
,<;unoJ oo ,Doxo =