Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-13
LINCOLN DAY.
Birthday of Great Statesman
Meets Fitting Observance.
The Annual Meeting of the Lincoln
Club Of Portland.
Congressman Chester !. Long Ct Kansas De-
Iivers Stirring Address.

land. commemorative the birthday of
Abraham Lincoln. was attended by
over 200 prominent Republicans from
all parts of the State. President Frank
speaker of the evening was Congress
man Chester |. Long of Kansas, who
was given an enthusiastic reception
He spoke in part as follows:
Tonight. for the first time, | speak
tc n New England audience. | accepted
the invitation of the Lincoln Club eX-
tended through your efficient and faith
full representative in Congress, that |
might discuss with you some questions
of interest to the people of this reDub-
lie.
Il appreciate this kindly greeting in
the old home of the greatest pa:lia-
mentaIian of the first century of the
republic. He learned to count in Port
land. and lie did not forget it in Wash
ington. lie made up his mind what
ought to be done and then did ii. He
lived to see his opponents count quo
rum. and finally retired to private life
with no reflection ever having been
made on his personal integrity. and at
ter public career that brought honor
10 his district and State.
But tonight, we think of Lincoln, of
what he said. and the debt the nation
owes to him. He found the nation with
The rights Of the states alleged 20 be
supreme. He left il with the national
authority undisputed everywhere be
tn ion n
a State secede? he answered. No. but
the answer was not needed until slav-
cry was no more and all men We're free.
If the South had left the North, the
West would have withdrawn from the
East and we would not be together
tonight. Lincoln's leadership, his
power to hold discordant elements to
him. his forbearance. made It possible
for the Union TO survive and for Kan
sas and Maine to have the same flag.
Maine came into the Union free. in
the midst of the first contest in Con-
gresS on the slavery question. Forty
one years later. Kansas came in free,
when the last struggle was over and
the question was about to be trans
ferled from Congress to the battlefield
where some questions only can be set
tied. Since these two states have been
in the Union they have agreed on
many things and have differed in but
few. They are now united in the sup
port of our splendid President and adj
ministration In the days of Blaine
Kansas always was wiling that Maine
should furnish the country with
President We marched under the oan-
Ter of the Plumed Knight to successive
defeats, until from across the sea he
earnestly requested that it should CON
tinue no longer. If some people in Kan
sas have believed in fiat money 50
have some in Maine. We have had Pop
uists in Kansas. but you have had
Greenbackers in Maine. We once had
dual Houses in our Legislature. The
militia was called out and quartered
in the State House. our supreme court
decided which was the legal House OF
Representatives and in so doing follow
ed a decision of the supreme court OF
Maine rendered under like conditions
But | have been speaking OF the
past. What of the future? For the ilrSt
10 years from Washington to Lincoln.
the great question in dispute was
whether our government was nation
or q league of states. Lincoln. VINO
stood for national unity. settled that
Question in favor of the United States
of America. After the questions 81 oW-
ing out of that war were determined,
we began a discussion of the KIM OF
money that we should use and whether
We preferred our manufacturing TO De
done in this country or abroad. we
have decided upon the kind of money
that we want 1t is to be the money OF
civilizatiOn-as good as the best any
where We have settled our tarin pol
levin favor of ourselves and our own
country. We have expanded, and we
will legislate on the questions growing
ont of that expansion. The great queS-
tion of the future is whether we VIII
stand still or whether we shall contln-
ne to grow The nation that has at
tempted to remain stationary in the
past has always refrigerated. A nation
can go either forward or backward. Ill
can do nothing else Our people have
genius for invention. We have 16 mil
lions of people We can produce enodgh
for 150 millions. The question Oh tie
future is not one of production; Il Is
one of consumption AS long as We nv
q market for our surplus products
inst 50 long VIII we
per When that surplus is thrown pa'N
on our own people. the mills VIII cio'
prices of farm products VIII 1ali' ai,'
n business depression will surely ,o'
low. During the first century oi ',io
republic our people have been upon 'ne
land. In the second they are COINS up
on the seas. Legislation that VIII i,eip
TO enlarge our foreign commerce. 'n".
viii assist in the transportation vi ou'
products to other lands. ought u
ceive the support of the interior u ~
country as readily as Of those VINO ~
along the seaboard. ,a
The speaker then spoke at SUI
length on the shipping bill ana III ''''
ing, said: .+ora-
This great contest for the res,o
ton of our merchant marine couiu Ia
ta successful until now 1t never W.
have been possible had Lincoln ~"
and the South seeded. Then all iioa III,
IN him for this contamination oeNoa
n he wished. Born in poverty
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