Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-08-25
Opening Of the Campaign.

Opening Of the Campaign.
MR.. swAsEY AND JUDGE PHILBRooK
ADDRESS GOOD AUDIENCE.
The first Republican meeting OF the
campaign at South Paris was held Mon
day evening of last week In New Hall,
when Hon. John P. Swasey and Hon.
w. G. Philbrook of Waterville spoke to
good audience.
The Norway Band played selection
in the square before the meeting, and
then went into the hall, where they
played during the intermissions of the
programme. Rather short notice had
been given of the meeting, and the even.
ing was rainy following rainy day, still
q good number were out. There were
some women and children in the audi
ence, but the larger part Of those pres
emit were voters.
Alton C. Wheeler of the Republican
Town Committee presided, and briefly
but fittingly introduced the speakers.
Mr.. Philbrook was the first speaker.
In opening Mr.. Philbrook said that
the arrangements for this meeting had
been made so late that he had had no
time for preparation. He did not pro-
pose to discuss local politics to any con-
siderable extent. He believed that as q
rule both parties nominated respectable
gentlemen for the offices, and he should
not talk about candidates, but about
certain fundamental principles. He
took up the preamble to the constitution
of the United States, and called atten-
ton to the six several purposes stated in
that paragraph as reasons for the adop-
ton of the constitution. This whole
preamble, an able writer on the con-
stitution has said, might be summed up
iu the last clause, ITO promote the
general welfare"
Mr.. Philbrook considered briefly some
of the clauses of the preamble, but de-
voted his principal attention to the in
elusive one relative to the general well
fare. He instanced the tremendous de-
velopment of the country under Repub-
lican rule since the civil war. This de-
velopment, he said, would not have been
attained If there had not been distinct
policy adopted that encouraged the
building of railroads and the establish
ment and upbuilding of all industrial
enterprises. This has been the policy
of the Republican party. Do you want
to keep the government in the hands of
the same party, or do you want to turn
it into other hands, with unknown con-
sequences?
Brief reference was made by Mr..
Philbrook to the rum question:" but
he did not discuss it at length, saying
that he considered 1t settled that the
state did not want resubmission.
After the completion Of Mr.. Phil
brooks speech, which was well received
but not lengthy, Mr.. Swasey was intro
duced. He opened by reference to the
"92" from Oxford County who gave him
unanimous support at the convention,
and expressed his gratitude and appre-
citation of the county's loyalty. Never
theless, he said, there are some things
about being a candidate that are not al
together pleasant, and he referred to the
recent incident, in which he was charg-
ed BY the Waterville Sentinel with say
ing that the laboring man is getting
more than he deserves.
81 never said it," said Mr.. Swasey,
sand the two men from whom the story
is alleged to have come say never said
it. So there are three of us against the
Waterville Sentinel"
Further, Mr.. Swasey said that there
was no reason why he should have any
to say any such thing. He
knew what it was to labor. He had full
sympathy with the laboring man. The
Republican party is the party, has al
ways been the party of the laboring
man. The Democrats will tell you
theirs is the party of the laboring
man, the party that is nearest the peo-
pie. When did the Democratic party
ever pass law in the interest of the
laboring man, though it has had opp r.
tunityP The Republican party from its
coming into power in 1861 has MAINTAIN
ed a protective tariff which is for the
benefit of the laboring man, covering
the difference in the cost OF production
here and abroad, and maintaining a
higher standard of living for the Ameri-
can laborer.
Turning aside to the state issue of re-
which the Democrats are
agitating, Mr.. Swasey briefly disposed
of it, saying that he believed the state
did not want resubmission. He said
that for three weeks he had been travel
ing in several counties, meeting the peo-
pie and speaking to an audience nearly
every evening, and in that time he had
seen only one man who showed the
effects of liquor. Such showing in
itself was strong argument in favor of
prohibition.
Returning to the subject of the tariff,
Mr.. Swasey suggested that the changed
conditions had made a revision of the
tariff advisable, but that such revision
should be made by the friends of the
protective policy, and not by those who
favor "tariff for revenue only" The
question is of special Importance to
Maine, because tho laying of revenue
tariff will open all our long Canadian
border to the importation of low-priced
Canadian products. Certain of the
figures used so freely by Mr.. McGilli-
cuddy in his speeches were shown to be
false and misleading.
About an hour was occupied by Mr..
Swasey, and he was listened to with
close attention. At the close of tho
meeting many of the audience went for
ward to greet the speakers.
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