Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-04-15

Congress in the last twenty years it has shown
marvellous appreciation of the changed re-
quirements of the people as well as sound
judgment in winnowing the wheat from the
chah. Every law was new step forward and
not one has been retracted. The republican
party never has and never will enter into a
competition IN fads and fancies. but for both
sound and progressive legislation it does not
have to rely on generalities or promises. but
points 20 its record and challenges criticism.
What about the Slater For many years the
republican party has been the State. We
have lived with it and grown with 1t. We
have placed the books more truly
progressive legislation than any other New
England state. We have placed government
more closely in the hands of the people and
enlarged.ihe power and protected the rights
of the voter by the initiative and referendum,
the Australian ballot, the direct primary and
the corrupt practice act.
We have recognized the rights of labor, and
protected women and children by sane and
advanced legislation. We have equalized the
burdens of taxation, conserved the resources
of the State and administered its affairs with
honesty and economy. In the last legislature
we passed an admirable law for the regula
ton of public utilities, which is held up, so 1t
is charged, by certain corporations, assisted
by democratic politicians. We recognized the
growing demand of the right of women to
vote by an attempt to pass an equal suffrage
law, which failed for lack of the requisite
two-thirds, but which we will pass next time.
These and many other represent tae desire
and the ability of the repu blican party to
keep step in the march of human progress.
If experience, ability, patriotism and sue
cessful achievement count for anything ii
would seem that the republican party is a
safe and competent agency to eutrust with
the affairs of government
Has it accomplished its purpose? Has it
finished its work. Surely in national affairs
it never was so much needed. Standing for
protection these many Years, always opposed
to free foreign competition, always uphold
ing the dignity of the country with a firm
and consistent foreign policy. it has come
upon time when it sees a party in power
which declares that our policy for the pro-
lection OF American industries is unconstitu-
tional, and which has put upon the Statute
books a law approaching free trade as nearly
as it dared - not only that, but law which
stultihes its authors by unjust and sectional
protective tariff duties from the products Of
the northern states while ii retains the bene-
fits of them for southern products.
In the face of these things can the repu Bill
can party be SO recreaDt in its duty, I'M
mindful of its history, false to its ideals as
to surrender in the face of the enemy Why,
we haven't begun to fight We shall, in this
campaign, occupy stronger moral, economic
and political ground than we have for many
years. Instead of going out of business we
are going into business on broader scale.
The fixed ideas on certain large issues like
the tariff and the integrity of the constitution
as il is, which are held in common by major
ity of the voters of this State, acting together
and choosing its representatives under the
name of the repub lican party, cannot be shak-
en- loose nor can that large group of citizens
which constitute the party be stampeded and
scattered by incoherent shouting and waving
of arms. Nor can the $1,000 voters, which con-
stitute the republican party in this State be
swerved from their purpose of establishing
and maintaining their policies of legislation
and principles of government. by the dragging
across the trail of mi nor matters about which
there is no substantial disagreement or the
capitalizing OF the rancor which grew out of
the Chicago convention.
When protective tariff, which takes care
of our industries, is re-esta blished; when our
foreign policies are back to the American
standard; when cur State constitution is safe
from assault, the publicans of the State
may talk about going out of business, but not
till then.