The Portland daily press., 1899-08-21
ur. Criggs Is Moved Twice to
Address Meeting.
Vigorous Comment on
the Law Makers.
Pointed Reference to a Granger
Who Is Not Farmer.

The Farmers and Taxpayers, League
OF Cumberland County was organized
Saturday afternoon at Underwood
Springs The meeting was held in a
pavilion overlooking the bay and sur
rounded by green trees. IL was cool
place in which to pass the day, but some
of the speeches which were made there
lost nothing in heat because they were
delivered in q cool place.
When Farmer Mclaughlin called the
meeting to order there were fully lE0
farmers. their wives and children, present.
Mr. Mclaughlin opened the proceedings
by explaining the object of the farmers
movement, which was inaugurated in
Portland some time ago. The watch
words seem TO be equalization OF taxa
tion and economy in expenditure.
The speaker urged the farmers to orga-
nize at once and as q result of his words
an organization was perfected before the
afternoon was over. AT the conclusion
of his remarks, Mr.. Mclaughlin called
tor the farmers to get up and talk.
MR.. H. K. GRIGGS
of Westbrook was the man to follow Mr..
Mclaughlin. Mr.. Griggs is an old man
IN appearance, but has gift of oratory
that many a younger man might envy.
He is q typical farmer in appearance,
but from his lips flows language more
eloquent and telling than comes from
many men of more pretension. Mr..
Griggs began by saying that talk is Cheap
Ia N l,arn var. TO n 4 fA,su ,x1
when it is expensive. We restrict this
movement to farmers and though we
may do the work in homely way, we
will 90 IL earnestly and believe the re-.
suits will be good. No oppressed people
ever cast offi their burdens without
so am sorry that more farmers are not
here today. We shall meet with ridicule
when We attempt to do anything politi-
cal. regret to have read In the Daily
Press q statement made by the master Of
the National Grange, discrediting this
movement. IL he had instruction or ad-
monition TO give to the farmers-he should
have used other means of conveying the
lesson than through the pen of a news
paper reporter. His admonition thus
made in public, was a good deal like
chastisipg boy when company Ia present.
Now no ] member of the grange has any
intention of dragging this matter into
the grange in any wrongful way. There
is some one who is not farmer, bus who
is a member OF the grange and has po-
litioal aspirations, who Is trying to run
the grange in Maine. Perhaps he wants
to be the SPEAKER Of the next House of
Representatives, and he fears that this
movement may disturb his scheme. /
hope 1t will. don't your (Applause.)
Is there any party or paper in Maine
which has not given us encouragement
in this movement? The political parties
want us 10 accomplish the things we aim
at within their own ranks. Now don't
believe in mixing up political parties in
this matter, but why should net the
grange sdiscuss these questions? Don't
they interest the farmer? There are 90
offices in this state where the salary
has been increased forty per cent In
the last few years, when the state has not
Increased seven per cent In population
in that time. Why is this? 1t is because
the more you ask for the mora sure you
ere Of getting about what you want in
the legislature. 1t works on the princi-
pie that you tickle me and will tickle