Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-08-26
GRAND OVATION
Given Hon. Thomas B. Reed
at Old Orchard.
First District Campaign Opened With
Grand Speech by Mr.. Reed.
lie Covers the Whole Ground In an Able and
Comprehensive Manner.

Old Orchard, Aug. 25.-'rhe features of
The great Republican mass melting here
this afternoon, was the address of Hon
Thomas h. Reed. who received one of the
greatest ovations in his career.
Mr. Reed was followed by Hon. Lee
Fairchid Of California. Mr. Fairchild re-
ferred TO the Democratic claim made four
years ago that Republican tariff legisla-
ton was wrong and the present argument
Of the same theorists that the demonetiza-
ton of silver in 1873 was wrong He said
the history of the country shows that
when the Democratic party is not laid up
for repairs the country is.
In conclusion Mr.. Fairchild said:
What w need is not more money until
something. one busy dollar is worth Il
thousand idle ones. We want less tinker
ing and more settling of things. We want
less experiment and more certainty. We
want the Republican party and we are
going to have it
Mr.. Reeds speech in full follows:
The hard times Of 1887 are part of
history. but at least half of this audi
ence can remember 1873. We had then
pulled through a tremendous war Mil
lions of men had been withdrawn from
productive industry to try to kill each
other. All the rest We're busy provid-
ing for the wants of those in the field
and running in debt 50 .000. 600. 900 to pay
the bills. When the army came march
ing nome the men all went to work.
The soldier. Weaned from his home ties
and broadencd by his travels and bat
Ties. scattered himself all over the
land. and the land teemed with enter
priseS and with vigorous men. Mil
lions had been flung out with such pro-
fusion that dollars seemed but dross.
1t was the old story over again. We
bad not contracted as England did in
1925 to lend the world five times as
much money as there was in it, We
had done worse. We had piled up i'm
portations and spent money as if
wealth was but wish and a rub of
Aladdin'S lamp. You will find in a
book of Prof. Cairnes's a prophecy of
what would happen to us in 1873 just
before it did happen. Then came five
years of struggle back to a sound cur
iency, the restoration of confidence
and then confidence restored: "A years
of prosperity, the results of which have
never yet been effaced and never will
be until the sun ceases to pour its en-
orgies upon productive earth. We
itth idId tliiitS lttl Dul, lllduh
heaven, the American people stood
steadfast and listened to no false pro
phets and no false economies, but
moved steadfastly toward sound
currency and the long pent up ener-
sies. of the great American people
rushed forward in the straight line OF
progress.
We have just passed through an
ether of those terrible crises and are
on our way to other years of wealth. |
With this additional benefit. that the |
distribution of wealth, when we reach |
it will be more even as well as more |
abundant than ever before In 1898 |
we had great crash as we had in |
1873: all the world went with us, but |
for special causes. we had gone fur |
Their, and it is for us a longer way
back. In 1892 we thought hard times |
had been banished forever; we We're |
sure that work and high pay were |
never more to be separated But we
were mistaken. Pride goeth before de-
struction, and naughty spirit before
a fall. The election of 1892 was great
1t may be we would have
had collapse then. no one can be
quite sure. But if we had. in skilful
hands we should never have gone so
far or suffered so much
! make no harsh criticisms on the
Democratic party or their President
| plant myself on Abraham Lincoln's
text of Scripture, "A house divided
against itself cannot stand" / do not
believe that three Democrats out of 10
in the business parts of this country
ever meant such change in the tariff
as was made. Many of them were
more astonished than we were. l
make no criticism of the President
There are many things about him that
| admire He is both strong and brave.
Nevertheless. there are some things
which ought to be squarely stated, not
to provoke partisan feeling. but sim
ply as descriptions of errors which we
must avoid, not as Republicans but