The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-05-16
MIR. BLAINE ON PROJECTIONS.
His speech at the Philadelphia
Permanent Exhibition.

The following Is the conclusion oil sen
ator Blaine's defense Of Protection at the
re.opening Of the Permanent Exhibition
in Philadel phia last week:
And now, slowly emerging. as We hope
we are, from the gloom and depression
OF these last four years, let us gather
knowledge and counsel and wisdom and
courage for the future. With the wealth
Of continent surrounding US, let us not
permit ourselves TO doubt or mistrust
our abundant capacity 10 provide remu-
nerative labor and cheerful homes for
our ever.increasing population. Let US
look at our actual condition, and draw
thence some instruction, which may 81
lence partisan strife over questions OF do
nestle economy. To those who doubt the
development OF home industry under the
stimulus OF protection to the American
inventor and the American me-
chanic, 1 say, Stand on this plat
form and look around you Argu
ment may well cease in the face OF
a positive demonstration. Clamorous
contradiction may we'll be silenced In the
presence OF an irreiutable conclusion. To
those who think We need the yigor and
Independence which free trade can i'm.
part, say, look abroad over the domain
OF the United States OF America, inhabit-
ed by population that will soon be So.
900, 900; with $1,000 miles Of ocean front
on the. Atlantic, the Gull, the Pacific and
Arctic; with FIVE great interior seas, each
more valuable than those waters for
whose mastery European empires wage
bloody and wasteiul wars; with rivers
flowing from the farthest north 10 the
tropical south, connecting our States in a
network Of inland navigation greater in
extent than all the rivers Of Europe com.
bined, with our railways joining lake to
gulf and ocean to ocean, and thenremem.
Der and reflect that on all our ocean
coasts, on all our interior seas,
on all our rivers, over all
our railroads, between all our States and
with all our Territories, trade Is abso.
lutely free for all American products and
fabrics without fetter or duty or charge
or fee or any Governmental tar what
ever, National, State, or municipal: and
remember, TOO, that great organic law oil
the land declares that II shall always re-
main so. And here assert, that enjoy
ing as we have enjoyed, and as / hope we
shall enjoy, the full benefit Of protection
to American industry against Injurious
competition from abroad, we have also
enjoyed and do enjoy among ourselves the
blessings Of absolute free trade beyond
that ever realized in the world elsewhere
by so large population, over so vast an
extent OF country, The aggregate OF our
domestic commerce is astounding in its
figures. car Ia ..
The vast Importance OF our foreign COM
merce Is now exciting general Interest
and enlisting the atten ton Of the whole
country. II has grown so large that It's
total for single year amounts to nearly
s, 200 0O0, 900, and its importance cannot
be over-estimated. But compared with
our domestic commerce It Is insignificant
10 extent. The traffic by railroad alone
In this country Il estimated 10 be sixteen
times rs large as the whole Of our fore ign
commerce, and when you add to that the
commerce Of lake and river and canal
you have an aggregate Of domestic ex-
changes that amounts TO twenty-five
times as much as the foreign commerce,
including the exports and imports,
And thus 1t IL, Mr.. President, the sys.
tenn Of absolute free trade among our
selves and protection with respect to
foreign nations has created and developed
those great industries, whose richest and
ripest fruits We see around US here TO.
day. | congratulate you on the auspic.
ious results Of your energy and your en-
.terprise, and predict with confidence
that your labors will be amply repaid by
the increased trade Of your great and
growing and patriotic city, and repaid
again BY the intelligent gratitude Of That
great mas oil the American people who
know aad who feel that the country is
always happiest and most prosperous
when labor is honorably employed and
amply compensated at home.