Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-12-17
Prom the Portland Pres
Senator BIdine'S Speech.

Senator Blaines remarks, delivered il
the Senate yesterday. call for the careful
attention and earnest thought Of all good
citizens They are in the nature Of ex-
PLANTATION Of and commentary upon the
resolutions offered by him last week d.
ree,,ng an investigation into alleged frauds
aud outrages IL the recent elections. The
resolutions were In these words.
Ass1lres That the Judiciary Committee d. I'm.
strIct,i 10 inquire and report 20 the Srns Ia
whether. % o., recent cicctinu- She constitution.
81 rights GO American citizens Neru violated .r
any oi the States of che Union whether thu
r.s. of suffrage 0f citizens OF the UnifeI state
or NJ arv class or such citizens, va denied or
abridged 10y the action OF the election officers OF
arE STATE, .u refusing 90 receive their votes. in
failing % count them, or 10 receiving and count
Irs fraudulent ballots, IN pursuance OF a couspir.
acf ia maze tt' .ANiui votes OF such ciuIeu~ o.
uou-eI.ct. AND whether such citizens were pre-
vented OF % exercising tnc elective franchise or
forced 81 use it aSAin-, their wishes 10y violence
or threats or hostile demonstration % armeI
men ur other cr-su tailcus, or by any other uu-
lAWfal means or practice.
R.,7lr-i Tha; the Judiciary Committee De fun
cher Instructed io inquire and report whether I. il
oi.iin che conn atsucr GO C0ug-t~, Co provide D.
additional .cs slAuou Tor the more perfect seruf-
.,y 't he ugrt Cd, sutrase Co citizens ~ ihc Jui.-
Ees9.voi. That Boz prosecuting these inquiries
Che Judiciary Committee shall have lhe rislt IL
SEMI for persons and papers.
No one at all interested in the politi
ca future Of the country or having any
stake in Its material development can fail
70 sec that the Issue before toe country is
10; merely the question of the preserva-
tion o. the rights of negro citizeus, though
that Is Of great Importance, but a ques-
ton also Of the equality Of the white
voter Of the North with the white voter
Of the South. This Issue the Maine Sen
ator dweils upon and emphasizes, present.
Ing a formidable array Of facts and fg-
ureS 10 justify the grave attention be paws
70 the question He points out that the
Northern white voter who fought for the
Union has not so weighty Z voice in the
government Of the country to-day a. the
Southern white voter who fought to de-
s.roy the Union; that IN me states that
formed the Southern COntederacy $1,000
whites have as much power as l32, 200
voters in the loyal States; that the South
EN- whites have thirty-fye more Repre-
seutativGs in Congress than they are en-.
titled TO; that this disproportion enables
the Democracy TO control the House aud
will after the Fourth OF March give the
whole legislative power OF the government
into the hands Of a minority; that the
l,035,000 citizens Of South Carolns,
Mi -, ,-l i ,,,,.,,r. -. - 49,.
members OF Congress as do the 2.247 600
voters Of Iowa and Wisconsin, that the
added political power given to the South
by reason OF the entranchisement of its
negro population, and taken from that
population BY the Southern whites to be
exercised for the aggrandizement Of the
Democratic party, offsets the entire polit-
Ical power Of the SIX New England states
or Of New York.
Ii Is thus seen that the virtual disfran-
cGisement Of the negro IN eleven States
Of the Union works the partial disfran-
chisement OF Northern voters. The white
man South exercises double the political
power Of tue white man North. We are
put 70 a dangerous disadvantage not only
M O strife for political supremacy but a.
regards al our material interests. In the
ievyiUg Of taxes, in the appropriation Of
money in the framing Of tariffs, in the
peu~i0uiuS Of soldiers, in toe ordering Of
pubic Improvements, Ia the protection Of
commerce, in the faciitation of trade. IN
the regulation Of the finances, in a word,
IN all matters of legislation the white
voter South casts a ballot twice as inhu-
enual as that east by the Northern voter.
The South by the political enslavement Of
the negro Is enabled % exert upon all
questions If Dational interest twice the
influence to which it Is legitimately enti.
lied. Sky thousand Southern whites
nave IS much power IN the enaetmen, Of
q tariff that seriously affects Northern
commercial and Industrial interests as have
one hundred and twenty thousand North
erners. They have twice the voting pow