Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-10-15
Maine Democracy
(Cnntinued from Pana Onel

fore the central committee in this city
was his first appearance in this State
and follows q trip which took him
through the northern states to the
Pacific coast.
There were some three score prom
inent members of the party present
for the banquet and talk-fest last eve
ming, including about half-dozen
women, and it is planned to make the
meeting at the Augusta House the
first of a series of such political get
togethers between now and the OPEN
ing of the 1926 campaign.
Other speakers, whose remarks
were largely upon state organization
and local issues were Hon. Fulton
]. Redman Of Ellsworth, former may
or Louis J. Brann of Lewiston,
who has announced himself a can
didate for the nomination as COVER
nor on the Democratic ticket; Hon.
D. ]. McGillicudy Of Lewiston, May
or Ernest l.. Mclean of Augusta,
James B. Perkins Of Boothbay and
Augusta, DIR. Plummer OF Auburn
and Mrs. Grin B. Frost of Augusta.
Congressman Oldf1eld reviewed the
policies and achievements of the ma
tional Republican and Democratic
parties, and then. after recounting
the important legislation of the two
Wilson administrations, launched
into an attack upon the tariff and
taxation laws of the Harding and
Coolidge administrations. Upon
these issues he spoke in part as fol-
lows:
The Fordney- Mccumber Tariff Law
What did the Republicans do
when the Harding Coolidge admins
tration came into power? They
placed upon the statute books what
is known as the Fordney McCumber
tariff law which was written by the
benefIciaries of the act. Many of the
rates are absolutely prohibitory. BY
this act they builded a wall around
America which has tendency to de-
stroy all foreign trade. We are a
creditor and not a debtor nation now
and it behooves us to have interna-
tional trade. Foreign governments
and foreign peoples owe us around
twenty billion dollars. 1t is impossi-
BILE for them to pay us except in gold,
goods or services. Since we have our
own merchant marine 1t is impossible
for them to pay a great deal of this
debt in services. Since we own most
of the gold ourselves 1t Is impossible
for them to pay us in gold, but they
could and they would pay us in goods
if we had fair tariff law. How can
foreign peoples buy our surplus
wheat, meat products, cotton, copper,
automobiles and shoes If we do not
take their goods in payment OF our
surplus?
upon the enactment of the Ford
ney- McCumber' tariff law the New
York Herald. a Republican paper,
said it would cost the people in in
creased prices anywhere from two
billion to three billion dollars per
year. The Fair Tariff League, pro-
tective tariff organization, has had
it's experts figure out the cost and
they report that it is costing the
people at least four billion dollars
annually.
IT'S Effect Upon the Farmers
1.-THE Farm Bureau Federation,
non-partisan, non-political organ1za-
ton, has had it's experts figure out
how the rates in the act affect the
farmers of the country. The Farm
Bureau experts have made their report
and it has been published to the world.
And what does the report show? 1t
shows that the present Republican
tariff law is costing the farmers more
than three hundred million dollars per