The Portland daily press., 1875-12-22
Blaine on Commerce,

At the inspection of the centennial exhibition
buildings in Philadelphia Saturday one of the
toasts was Commerce the handmade of 9TH
er industries in exchanging commodities
among our own people and with foreign ma
tions." Mr.. Blaine was announced to respond,
and the mention of his name was received with
cheers, and the guests arose from their seats
and waved hsndkerchiefs and hats. Consider
ing the dignifed character of the audience the
tumultuous demonstration was certainly sig
nifcant. Mr.. Blaine made the speech of the
day. The vast audience, which had been rest
sand noisy, leaned forward in expectancy
and as he stepped to the desk he was greeted
with repeated cheers. He said:-
Mr.. CHAIRMAN-The earnest and serious
business of the meeting has at last been
reached (Great laughter.) have volumes of
for this occasion. Uaughter.) l have all the
bound reports issued by the State Department
fol the last ten yeras; and Mr. Robson sitting
by me now, has them in his lap-Qaughter)e
which he will read when grow tired.
have been authorized to announce that the
vast gathering of the naval vessels along our
Southern coasts is not in any sense warlike.
think disclose no secret of the government
in saying that these vessels are to be used in
the arts of peace, in dredging the Charleston
sippi river. Great applause and laughter.)
am sustained by my honorable friend Colonel
Scott on my left who has caused me to pre-
pare an abstract report of the 10000 miles of
railroad which his company controls and no
authorizes me to say that if it were not for the
penurious economy of the Post Office depart
ment he would give US the New York papers
for breakfast in Washington and carry them
to the people of Chicago in four and three
quarter hours. (Renewed laughter.) 1 know
the Colonel desires to speak for himself, how
ever.
But to leave these serious matters-(laughter)
and to turn tomore ocular affairs of the nation,
I take Measure in saying that there Is a very
peculiar pride for us in celebrating the Centen-
NAL of tbe United States on the soil of Pennsyl-
vania Not because of the immediate histori-
cal interest which attaches to it, but because
| Pennsylvania represents the average progress
| of the whole Union, and because Of that very
significant coincidence that, from the organiza-
tion Of the government, Pennsylvania has
turned up at every census representing Just ten
per cent. of the whole population. When all
the States had population of 10, ,000, 900, Penn
sylyania had / 1000 900; when we had 10000, 900
she had 100000; when in 1880 we had 80, Co.,
900 she had 100000; when we had 38, ,0O0, 600,
Pennsylvania had population 70 5000 056 At
this ume it was not quite ten per cent. The
100000 that were missing can be accounted for
by Colonel Scott sending them out to work on
his railroad in the West. (Great laughter):
The croakers who are opposing the Centennai
should remember the patriotic Senator Dil,
worthy who always went for the oia nag and
an appropriation. prolonged laugnter.J
Mr.. Blaine paid handsome coHpLnens 70
| Mr.. Hancock, q relative OF tne immortai oonn
| H1ncock and the Representative from Texas,