The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-08-04
by TELEGRAPH.
SENATOR BLAINE.
His Reception and Speech at Saco
Saturday.
A Greenback Inquirer Badly Discounted
Especial Despatch to the Press.1

Special Despatch to the Press.]
| SAco, Aug. 2.-This evening the Hon.
James G. Blaine opened the fight in York
county by delivering an able and eloquent ad-
dress to crowded house at the City Hall.
The Senator Immediately on his arrival in
the city went to the Saco House, where he was
waited on by prominent Republicans from all
parts of York county. The Senator kept
"open house. and held large but informal
reception in his room. Those present were
full of encouragement and had only good re-
ports to bring up in reference to the prospect
of electing Mr.. Davis.
Long before the hour advertised for the adj
dress to commence the people began to gather
in the hall, and while the extreme heat proba-
bly, kept many away others came down from
Old Orchard, leaving the cool beach for the
hot hail. finding their reward in listening to
the clear and logical address of the distin-
guished Senator.
The Institute Band of Biddeford, Pierre
Painchand leader, was in attendance and
favored the audience with some good music.
AT eight o'clock Senator Blaine entered the
hall and was received with loud applause. The
great popularity of the Senator shows no abate-
ment, and
''Still is his name of high account,
And still his word hath charms
The Hon. Roscoe L. Bowers called the meet
ing to order and introduced the Hon. Rufus P.
Tapley as the presiding officer Judge Tapley
said that they had met to hear the opening
gun Of the campaign in York county, and it
was only left to him to introduce the speaker
of the evening, Senator Blaine.
The Senator was received with loud and
rep Gated bursts of applause, and proceeded TO
deliv er an aggressive and eloquent address,
making his points with telling effect and cut
ting out the ground from under the discom-
fitted Greenbackers who We're, at last, driven
to the attempt useless in his case, a fact that
they fully comprehend by this time) to confuse
him by constant and irritating interruptions.
The Senator kept his temper and turned the
lau gh against them in every case. AT last
Senator Blaine touched on the question of
taxes, and one Greenbacker put his foot badly
in it by saying that he was overtaxed to help
pay the expenses of the government. obi
rectly?" asked the Senator. "No, but by du-
ties, was the reply. "On what?" asked Mr..
Blaine. "On Matches" was the ready reply
of the man, who evidently had been reading
the Leader. "How many matches do you use
in day." enquired the Senator, and the man
at first eyaded, but finally fixed the number,
and the Senator figured out that the individ-
ual was being taxed in that direction, accord
ing to his own statement, just seven cents a
year. ''It strikes me-" said the Senator, that
the government may save you more than sew
Ell cents year." and the fellow was laughed
down, but rallied far enough tc say that the
duty on tea bore hard on the farming class, but
was shut up with the assurance that there was
no duty on tea at all, and with the whisper of
"whiskey'' the crushed Greenbacker folded
his ears over his head and sank back into his
seat, it is to be supposed satisfied man, as he
declined to accept the sarcastic invitation of
the Senator to continue in the same line of
seeking information as it would do him good.
The heat in the hall was considerably above
what it should have been to have ensured alb
.solute comfort to all concerned, but the crowd
was perfectly good natured and gave the clos
est attention to the argument Of the speaker,
applauding the Senator frequently.
The meeting was spirited one, and the
ringing address of Senator Blaine will give
the campaign good send off in York county.