The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-12
Haines and Goodwin
Address Large and Appreciative Audience
in the Belfast Opera House.


Although the campaign and election are
over and the time is past for reporting cam
paign speeches the Republican meeting in the
Opera House last Thursday evening merits
mention now. Many of those present said it
was 1.-THE best political meeting they had ever
attended" and local politician said it was the
best gathering here of the kind for fifteen
years. 1t rained in the afternoon and the
weather was So threatening that it prevented
the attendance of many from out-of-town,
but long before the speakers arrived the hall
was well filled with representative audience,
largely composed of voters. The speeches
were both interesting and instructive and were
listened to with marked attention throughout
and frequently punctuated with applause.
There was no mudslinging, such as has charac-
terized some of the Democratic meetings. There
were good natured references to some of the
opposing candidates, but for the most part the
speeches were confined to a recital Of facts
and an exposition of the vital issues of the
campaign. Hon. Forrest Goodwin, the first
speaker, played ball here in 1867. when
working his way through college and made
many friends in Belfas. at that time, and his
mention of the members of the famous old
team, which included Billy Dilworth, won
him the instant favor of his hearers. His
speech was mainly devoted to State issues,
such as the Waterville Sentinel printing graft.
the Democratic economy of not killing dis
eased cows, thus allowing tuberculosis to
spread ard become menace to the lives of
little children, the unsigned and unverified
statements concerning the finances Of the
State which ''read as if they had been written
by Baron Munchausen, and printed in Utopia"
His rendition of Plaisted's famous Kingfeld
speech brought down the house. In exposing
the broken promises of the Democrats con-
corning enforcement he spoke of the Maine
cities under Democratic mayors that are 'wide
open" today, and in Waterville the mayor is
also the Attorney General of the State. He
emphasized his opposition to reciprocity with
Canada and told his hearers what they must
expect under free trade if Democratic Con-
gress and president was elected.
Hon. VIM. T. Haines when introduced to the
audience received such an ovation that it was
several minutes before he could begin his ad-
Dress. 1t was a greeting such no other
speaker received here during the campaign,
and Mr.. Haines feelingy remarked: 81 feel that
am among friends" Mr.. Haines gave a
clear exposition of the system of taxation in
Maine. showing how the tax is raised, and how
appropriations are made. He pointed out
that no money could be taken out of the State
of ha
State Legislature and that it was for making
up these appropriations that the Legislature
met and committee hearings were held There
was no reduction in the rate of taxation in the
Plaisted- administration. Mr.. Plaisted had
81, ,12S, 900 more to spend than Mr.. Cobb had in
his first administration So, 10000 more than
Mr.. Cobb has in his second administration and
$4,000, 900 more than MIR. Fernald had to spend
in his two years in office. Mr.. Haines told how
| the Democrats had misrepresented the
| finances of the State. had unnecessarily added
! two mills to the tax for 1911. which will leave
large surplus nthe treasury that will tend
| to extravagant appropriations by the next leg
| islature, and said that while the Republican
administration of 1909 1910 had added $685.
OCV.cc III new UulIuluSs anu PSiMdNcAI re-
pairs to State property and purchased land
for the State of the value of $25, 700. the new
| constructions of the Democratic administra-
ton only amounted to 6.2745 SO and not an
acre of land was purchased. Mr.. Haiaes made
an earnest plea for good roads and in closing
said he made no pledges to individuals. but if
elected would do the best he could for the en-
tire people of the State of M aine. II will fill
the offices with young men from the Republi-
can party, and If cannot find them in the Re-
publican party will go to the Socialist or Pro-
hibition party. If l cannot find them there,
| do you think it would do any good to look to
the Democratsa" and then he said, mo, but l
will look to the women of the State and
Maine won't be the first State that has turned
to its women in crisis, and for one will be
the first to go down on my knees to the wo-
manhood of Maine and say, For Gods sake,
save u.s."
| At the close of the meeting many of the au-
dience went forward to greet and congratu-
late the speakers. The Belfast Band furnish
| .J,.o fho