Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-09
Hon. Thomas Fitch of Nec0-
du. Hon. James q. Blaine
of augusta and Hon. 4.
Il. Reed Of Portland,
ADDRESS An IMMENSE AUDIENCE
Hundreds Turned Away - The
Beacon Fires Soon to
Blaze From
ouoDDY HEAD TO KlTTERY!


''When are the republicans going to do
something's" This question has been asked
hundreds and hundreds of times within a
few weeks, and was gloriously answered at
Gardiner, Saturday night. The announce
ment that Hon. James G. Blaine and Hon.
Thomas Fitch of Nevada, were to speak in
johnson Hall, drew an audience which in
point of numbers and in the character of the
elements composing it, was truly wonderful
when We take into consideration the fact that
SO many people are out of town. The hall
was jammed with humanity; the galleries
were literally packed with people. and many
stood up in the aisles. 1t is estimated that
over a thousand persons were compelled to
return home, unable to obtain ingress to the
hall The Gardiner Band furnished excel
lent music. On the platform sat many of
the prominent citizens of Gardiner, Hon.
Thomas Fitch of Nevada, Hon. James G.
Blaine and Messrs. Emmons and Walker
Blaine of Augusta. Hon. Thomas B. Reed
of Portland, Hon. J. II. Bodwell of Hal
lowell and other distinguished men. Lor-
EMO Clay, Esq, presided, and in a few well
chosen remarks introduced
Hon. THOMAS FIrCH OF NEVADA,
as the first speaker. A mighty wave of APP
plause rolled up from the human sea below,
as Mr. Fitch gracefully acknow lodged the in
PRODUCTION. He is a man in the prime of
life, of medium statue, smooth faced with
black mOustache. and straight black hair.
He looks like man who might relish good
dinner. Mr.. Fitch has none of 1.-THE studied
tricks of oratory," but speaks out in a whole
some, hearty, whole-souled way, that is ex-
tremely fascinating. Even the most captious
critic would be compelled to acknowledge
that his speech was literary treat. 1t had
cauley, the wealth of illustration of Burke
and Sumner, and the glowing, fervid elo-
queuce of Ingersoll.
Mr.. Fitch began his remarks by saving
that he should examine the character, history
and claims of the two great American par
ties. In New England the democratic party
is pretty good party. In the North it is not
the foe of order. don't suppose that here
in Maine the returning board has SO paralyzed
it that it would ever dare again to assemble
a bogus legislature to convene out of doors
and be called together by a speaker roosting
on the fence. Applause Even in Con-
necticut, New Jersey and Indiana, those
three Northern States where they have that
fossil, democratic governor, the black men
are allowed to exercise the right of franchise
But how is it in the South? How is it that
they burn negro school houses and fire negro
cabins, and defraud negro labor? Let the
colored men in Louisiana make answer Let
the long line of ebony faces set toward the
North star make answer. All over the South
there is crouching and covering and SILVER
ing among the blacks. These are facts.
They cannot be answered by sarcastic allu-
sions to the COURAGE mill they cannot be
answered by Wade Hampton clasping the
hands of his colleage wet with negro blood.
One hour of gush will not atone for sixteen
years of slaughter. These acts of violence
are not sporadic; they are not isolated.
They are sanctionedby Southern politicians
they are apologized for by the Southern
press; they are condoned by Southern so.
ciety. The slavery which is now partially
restored in seventeen States in this Union is
not illuminated by any kindly ray. Not
only has the ballot been taken from the
black man but assaults are occasionally
made upon his life. The ballot which the
North gave him twelve years ago ha. been
wrestled from him; his rights are trampled
into dust
Democrats, will not discuss past issues
There are living questions before the country.
Through the smoke of battle fields. throuvb
swamp and prison pen, the soldiers marched
to liberatc the slave. Here are four million
people to whose protection the solemn faith
OF the nation is pledged. If we suffer them
to be maltreated now. we, as a nation, shall
be forever disgraced in the eyes of the civil
iized world But as for us republicans who
nave received loyal service from the black
man, what do we owe him? He enlisted in
our decimated armies; he labored patiently
at the trenches; he conducted the soldiers
through the unhealthy ooze of swamps. And
now that the war is over, now that the fay is
restored to Sumpter, as republicans we can
not, We cannot abandon him to the tender
mercles OF the ex-confcderates: and by the
eternal God we would not if we could
lGreat applause.
DO need to make appeals to Americans
Tor protection of Americans: Whv. Eng
land was never so grand as when she sent
her relocated legions to the heart of Abys-
sinia because dusky king had murdered an
English subject. You remember what a
wave of indignation surged up when the
news reached US that an irresponsible Span
lard had butchered the crew Of the Virpinius.
How our blood boiled when we read in the
daily paper of the atrocities perpetrated by
the Ctes on the western frontier!
Would the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and