Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-30


the farmers of the United States that
they are robbed by protective tariff,
and the effort is thus made to con-
solidate their vast influence in favor
of free trade. But. happily. the farrPs
ers of America are intelligent, AID
cannot be misled by sophistry when
conclusive facts are before them. They
see plainly that. during the past
twenty four years. wealth has not
been acquired by one section or by one
interest at the expense of another
section or another interest. They
see that the agricultural states have
made even more rapid progress than
the manufacturing states.
In these extraordinary developments
thu farmers see the helpful impulse of
a home market and they see the tinan7
cial and revenue system, enacted
since the Republican party came into
power has established and constantly
EXPANDED the home market.
The Republican party has protected
the free labor of America SO that it's
chrpensation is larger than is real:-
ized in any other country. 1t has
guarded our people against unfair
cofnpetition of contract labor from
China. and may be called upon to pro-
! hibit the growth of a similar evil
from Europe"
y, Gentlemen could there be clearer
i definition of our partyS protective
= policy today than these truths uttered
more than a quarter of a century ago
Notwithstanding Mr.@Blaine's proph-
ecy, the voters of America were, IN
that great campaign of 1884. "misled
by sophistry," when conclusive facts
were before them. They decided to
apply the panacea to national Ills
prescribed by the Democracy today
namely Democratic administration
of the country's affairs. You doubt
less remember whether the condition
of that great class, to which Demo-
cratic oratory is ever appealing. the
common people, improved during the
following four years of Democratic
administration. The following national
election placed. by an overwhelming
majority, Republican again in the
Presidency. But again in 1892 they
were misled by sophistry The
Democratoc plea, that during their
former administration they did not
have the whole legislative machinery
Ntrn unable to give the country the
benefit of those beneticient measures
necessary to the welfare of the COM
mon people. was accepted as sound
and good reason for the failure of
great and universal prosperity to ma
terialize during the years of the first
Cleveland administration Accord
ngly in 1892 the Democrats again
came into power in both the executive
and legislative branches OF govern
ment, with the ableSt Democrat since
Thomas Jefferson again in the White
House. Now indeed was the national
patient long sick with chronic Re-
publican ills to be cured. How near
they came to killing the patient in q
few short months is matter of his
tory.
But, we are told that these things
are ancient history and should be for
gotten, that there are new issues con-
fronting the country today with which
the Democratic party is alone fit to
Grappe. that we must no look back
ward but forward, and that time has
not only obliterated the past, but has
improved the personel of the Demo
cratic party. Are the Democratic
leaders in state and nation today
more capable or more honest in their
purposes than were those of 1892 :
Are they more honest and trust +
worthy than those leaders who in 1880
startled the state and shamed the
nation?"
If we are not to judge the honesty,
purpose and capability of the two
parties by their history, how in Heav =
ems name are we to judge them?
| The strongest indictment against a
protective tariff is that it increases
the cost Of living.
1t would be worse than foolhardy
for me to stand here today and claim
that the cost of living has not in
creased in the past few years. for we
all know that it has; but our Conten-
ton is that all the tariff ever had to
do with this increase is to have
brought about a condition 50 pros
porous that it has added SO much to
our per capita wealth that it has Of
fered so much remuneration to those
engaged in manufacturing and allied
indus tries that the result has been q
much higher standard of diving and a
large increase in national eXtrava
ganCe--a severe indictment TO be sure,
but the inevitable result of great
prosperity.
On the other hand the protective
policy has brought about another
condition OF immense benefit to this
state and all other agricutural com
munitieS. | refer to the greatly in
creased value of all farm products
For many years the trend of our
hest young manhood that manhood to
which we are indebted more than to
any other for the laying of our ma
tiOual foundations and for the build
ing OF our national structure. had been
away from the farms toward the
cities and their broader opportunities
What was; the result. The great in
duStria CenterS continually drew
new blood and strength from the
agricultural sections, old men and Wo-
men long past efficient labor were
left alone on the farm to work out
their lonely and often hopeless des-
tiny. with no young arms to TAX" VI
their burdens and no young hearts tc
cheer their dreary monotony, and fin
ally when death released those tired