Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-01-28
Congratulations to Blaine.

The Maine Republicans could not let Mr.
Blaine go back to Washington without
jubilation over the great triumph of law,
order and justice which has been achieved
at Augusta. A mass meeting was held
there last Wednesday night, over which ex.
Governor Arson p. Morrill, presided, and
opened with congratulations on the fact
that Maine had government with Daniel
F. Davis at its head. Mr. Blaine said:
1--WE have had a long and trying contest with
the desperate men who sought to disfianchise
voters by the thousand and substitute n false
to a state government. But for all oui troubles
and trials, and for all the wrongs we have so
patiently endured, we are this day richly repaid
when we remember the instrumentalities by
which we have trumphed, without firing gun,
without shedding drop of blood without strik-
ing single blow, without one dsorderly assem-
bage. The people have reg aimed their own right
through the might and majesty Of their own laws.
Friends at distance wondered why we did not
use force and on the very first day of the session,
and seat the Republican members OF the legsla-
ture who were duly elected That might easily
have been done, for the Republicans were present
in the proportion of four to one but when we had
got through with it we should only have proved
that we were physically the stronger party. We
should only have established the fact that our
tribe could give the loudest war whoop aud could
assemble the largest number of braves for given
battle, and after the battle was over we should
have been remanded to the courts for trial OF
our title. We preferred to go to the court and
have our title confirmed in advance 1t was our
belief that as plaintiffs we could not improve our
standing in the court by committing a breach
of the peace on the threshold OF the chamber of
justice With the right incontestably
established, with technicaties, evasions, bubbles,
frauds and forgeries all brushed aside, the ad-
mnstration OF Daniel f. Davis stands to-day
strong in the confidence of the people. The law
has again asserted its supremacy. Order rules
everywhere, and the people who but yesterday
crowded our streets In the grim determination that
fraudulent government should not be put over
them, have quietly returned to their farms and
their workshops contented and secure in the pos
session OF their birthright and their inheritance
The mighty power OF a republic Of fifty
millions Of people with a continent for their pos
session can only be welded permanently by being
welded honestly. In fair and generous strug-
gle for partisan power let us not forget those
issues and those ends which are above party. Or
ganized wrong will ultimately be met by organ
lied resistance. Impartial suffrage is our theory
1t must become our practice. Any party of
American citizens can bear to be defeated; but
no party of Americans will be defrauded, The
men who are interested in dishonest count are
units, and the men who are interested in an
honest count are millions. | wish to speak for
the millions of all political parties; in their name
to declare that the republic must be strong
enough and shall be strong enough, to protect the
weakest of its citizens in all their rights. To this
simple and sublime principle let us, in the lofty
language of Burke, attest the retiring generations
let us attest the advancing generations between
which as link in the great chain of eternal order
stand -