The Portland daily press., 1897-05-01
POPULISTS DINE TOGETHER.
Banquet of Peoples Party Members
in Boston.

PAL Address of the EveningCAn
American System of Finance Is What
Is Needed Says He
Boston. April 3O.-The third annual
banquet OF the Peoples party of Massa-
chusetts at Arcade Hall tonight brought
an attendance of nearly leo ladies and
gent iemen ana great enthusiasm was
created by the stirring addresses.
George W. Washburn, chairman of the
Populists state commi ttee, presided and
among the prominent gentlemen present
were United States Senator Marion But
Ter of North Carolina; E. Gerry Brown
of Brockton, late candidate for Congress 8
in the 18th district and candidate for
Governor year ago; Major Henry VIM,
of Maiden; Rev. Herbert N. Casson, of
Lynn; George II. Carey, and others.
Senator Butler made the principal a d.
dress.
After reviewing the political stu :
alton, and showing how the great
fundamental principles of the peoples
party are gaining ground with all classes
and conditions Of producers and co sum
ers, he said:
81 live Oh cotton plantation in the
south. We raise one of the greatest agri-
cultural staples in the world. We pro-
duce raw material. We are the purch as
ers and consumers of manufactured pro.
ducts. Those who live on the broad
wheat fields Of the west occupy similar
position.
81 bring from the people of those two
great sections, comprising three fourths
of the union, a message to the manufao- :
manufacturing in the east The inter-
ests of your people anu the interests Of
our people are common.
"For quarter of a century it has been
to tbs interest OF politicians to keep us
divided into hostile camps. Great
| national campaigns have been fought
| basec upon the IDEA that the interests of
the farmer and che manufacturer were
divergent and antagonistic.
II como tosNew England to say to the
man ufactureTs that the economic policy
that will make the wheat and cotton
farmer prosperous will make the manu-
| facturer prosperous When we can pur-
chase and consume your goods, then your
| mills will run at full time, your labor
will be employed at good wages and the
| producers and consumerB,of both sections
will prosper.
1.-the mills today that are closed down,
the manufacturing labor that today is
| idle, is not due to tie fact that the con-
sumers of the country are buying foreign
| goods. The truth is they are not buying
any. Consumption has been falling off,
| though our populationshas increased and
our desires and necessities have increased.
"The manufacturers of this section are
| expecting great prosperity to follow the
enactment Of the pending tariff law.
Will 1T come? If the preselt tariff law
will increase the capacity Uf the people to
purchase and consume manufactured
goods even up to their absolute necees ST.
ties tLen this measure will revive bust
ness.
''lf the present tariff law does not in
crease the capacity of the cotton and
wheat farmers to purchase and consume
| then your mills will,oloss down again,
your labor win he thrown out of employ
| ment and unsold goods will pile up in
your warehouses.
"Look av this illustration. Today the
shoe drummer, the hat drummer, tho
clothing drummer and, in fact, the
drummer in every line of business. is APP
preaching the country storekeeper to
place an order for goods. The storekeeper
tells the drummer that he either is not
| ready to place another crler, or that he
rnus5 place smaller order than former.
ly.
Gle explains that part of the goods
bought i'll his last order are unsuld, and
that his customers ara unable to pur-
chase; and thus the jobber ami wholelals
man are constantly receiving smaller
orders from their drumIners on the ruad.
This information reaches the factory,
the factory closes down; or, at lest, runs
on short time.
"Thls tells the whole story; here lies
the root Of the trouble.
"How can it be remedied? 1t can be
remedied when the manufacturer and
the farmer join hands in enacting legis-
lation that will protect the farmer and
the manufacturer alike.
1.-THE 5000, 000 lab0rers who are at
work on the cotton fields of the south
| and the wheat zelda of the west must be
protected against foreign paupeT labor,
just the same as the 1000, 600 laborers
who are employed in manufacturing.
This must be DONE or you will have no
customers for your goods.
1--WE need true American system for
all American labor and American indus
try. Neither the Democratic nor Repub-
lean parties have offered us this. They
both offer remedies that are contra
dictory. The gold standard and free
uIthuo Ro loSleAliy toSoUuef, MANI Ill uhuu.
$ say to you tonight that the Repub-
lican party must either give up the gold
standard or it must and will oome to the
policy of free trade If the masses of the
people Of this country have to live under
the gold standard, then the manufac-
turers will welcome frse trade, because
they will be forced to seek markets in
foreign countries for their man ufactured
products.
"We must increase the capacity Of our
people to consume, equal with your ca
pacity to produce.
Therefore, the farmers and manufac-
turers OF tbio country should join hands
on at lenst two great economic questions
They should stand solidly for an Ameri-
can system of finance, and for just and
equitable system that will protect all
American industry and American labor.
This is the position of the peeoplss party.
1t is the only logical and tho only true
American position.''
In discussing the question of trusts,
Senator Butler said:
'The politicians of both the great old
parties have agreed with the people that
trusts are great evil in our body poll
tic President Cleveland, in one Of his
last messages to COnyresq Draw e10ullent