Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-10

but you have all heard me talk a great
many times, and / am just going tc
occupy a few moments while the most
of you are getting settled so that YOU
can hear Congressman Kelley.
I'VE have two systems of govern.
ment in this country, and we are es.
pecially interested in both just at the
present time. We have some great
principles involved in every campaign
to be worked out by the national and
by the State government. You have
two in the coming campaign. They
are the two rs, Tariff and Temper.
ance. Those are the problems that we
have before us, special problems Ia
the coming campaign.
Nov / have not the time-in fact
it is not necessary that / should un.
dertake to review the situation with
reference to the national tariff, but IL
Is a vital issue with us here In the
State of Maine. / have been in politics
as we say, interested in government
ever since the campaign of 1879, when
we started in with that great Green.
back craze. We have had the tariff
with us more or less ever since. We
have had low tariff and high tariff
never yet up to this time, in my judg.
ment been able to understand how
the American manufacturers could
pay wages to American labor unless
the tariff protected the American
manufacturer and American labor tc
the extent of the difference between
the cost in the production of goods In
this country and in Europe That is
a problem that you have never been
able to understand in the way ouI
Democratic friends have explained tc
us. The recent administration has told
us-their great and distinguished Pres.
ident has told us-that we must b.
smart enough to compete with the
world, that we had great business or.
CARNATIONS in this country that could
manufacture goods on any sort of ba-
sis and compete with any country In
the world; the volume of business
would enable us to do It: and They
went into power on that promise ane
that pledge: and what I can't under.
stand is how that Is going to be car.
ried out and accomplished with tbs
present administration pounding to
death every large strong business cor.
poration in this country, and how We
are going to compete with foreign
manufacturers who have the support
of their government, where the large
American manufacturers have no sup.
port at all. and have to defend them.
selves in the courts for their VERY
existence.
I'VE understand perhaps q. little bet.
ter about our affairs here at homo
1t Is strange thing that for 80 yearA
the federal government has had but
two terms of Democratic administras
ton and that here in the State Oh
Maine they have had their two terms
of Democratic administration durina
this same period and I want to cal
your attention to how after so Year,
the State Of Maine stands today in
her governmental matters. haven't
time to go into detail. but want to
just give you a summary Of the situa.
ton we are in.
IT have no need to refer to the leg.
islatton we have had; I have no need
to point out how our laws have been
made for the greatest good of the
greatest number; 1 have no need to
call particular attention to the many
steps taken to protect labor and the
laborer in securing wages, against I'm
prisonment for debt, against unfair
trustee process, and providing for
weekly payments. You know them as
we'll as l do. We have carried this
legislation through in the State OF
Maine under the guidance and the
strong hand of the Republican party
and we have adopted every possible
progressive advanced measure that af-
fects the welfare of the average cfti-
zen of our State. We have done all
these things, and that is well under.
stood by all our people.
THE study of our State government
is quite science, and had the time
l would like to tell you of the new
legislation we have had in the last few
years. Perhaps there is nothing more
marked than the wonderful financial
condition that we find ourselves in
today. Here we are-742, 900 In aIl-scat.
tered over this great State, 300 miles
north and south, and east and west,
out of debt. Here we are, a State out
OF debt in which there are 500 towns
practically all out of debt and all the
counties are out of debt. Here we as
sess this year only four and a half
mills tax upon the property of the
State of Maine and that gives us only
two and a half million dollars and
yet we raise practically five millions,
the rest coming from our indirect tax
on corporations.
We have adopted by legislation a
system of equalization of taxation so
that We are paying back to over 400
of the towns in the State more money
than we receive from their trea suries
for State purposes, and there are but
Very few but what are getting about
as much. Practically we have abol-
ished the State tax for the average
citizen of the State, and that on the
small basis of AZ mills.
we have a provision that allows US
to have 100000 for a temporary loan.
In the year 1913 we didn't use it, and
in the year 1914 we will not use it:
not one single cent of the temporary
loan will be used, or the loan made.
might add that we have a system to-
day by which we discount every bill
just as the merchants of the State
do in their own private business We
are doing it for the Insane hospital,
State prison every departmept of state