Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-08-30
MIR BLAINE AT PORTLAND.
A GRAND SPEEcH.-INNENsE MEETING AND
GREAT ENTHUSIASM.

(From the Portland Press Aug. 29th.)
The largest political meeting ever held in
Portland, was held in City Hall last evening.
BY six o'clock all the seats in the gallery
of the hall were occupied. and by half-pa
seven it was work OF difficulty to make ones
way through the wide corridors. In the
audience room there was not even a standing
place. The anterooms were thronged and
the stairs leading to the hall densely peopled.
The desire to hear Mr.. Blaine and the elo-
quent Ohio orator was extravagant, and the
would -be-auditors stood on each Others toes
even SO far out as the steps. Only those who
came very early got seats. Hundreds stood
through the evening, and were glad of the
chance. Many other hundreds. finding it
impossible to get into the hall, turned disap-
pointedly away. Had the building been twice
as large it would have been filed. 1t wa.
packed TO its utmost capacity.
When Mr.. w. NJ. Marks, chairman of the
city committee, called the meeting to order.
at eight o'clock, men were still striving to
get into the hall. More failed to get in than
secured seats. Mr.. Marks called the Hon.
NcO. w w ootuidti W udt kcu-
tleman accepted the position, and after brief
and happy remarks. introduced Gen. William
H. Gibson OF Ohio.
As Gen. Gibson concluded his speech
cheers in the corridors announced Mr.. Blaine.
When he was seen coming up the steps lead
ing to the platform the auditors sprang to
their feet and for many minutes the hall rang
with shouts. The applause subsided for a
few moments, but broke out afresh when the
chairman introduced the ex- Secretary as zone
of the greatest leaders the republican party
ever had, one of the greatest orators the
country has ever produced, man
whom Maine and the nation delight to honor.
He needs no introduction to a Portland
audience A voice, Nor to any other
audience in this country. As Mr.. Blaine
more rose to its feet. Men waved their hats
and women their handkerchefs, and cheer
after cheer rang through the hall. He tried
to speak, but for some time could not COM
mand silence At last tbs enthusiastic crowd
settled into the seats. Then Mr.. Blaine spoke
as follows:
Mr.. BLAiNE's SPEECH.
You will pardon what my friend Woodman
has said under the enthusiasm of the moment.
(Applause.) The eloquent gentleman who has
just t-ken Ills seat HAS SpokeH W you vi tHosc
great questions which are of common inter-
est to the people of Ohio and to the people of
Maine, and so rapid has been the unification
of the people of the United States that it is
impossible in any election in Maine to cast
vote which is not of interest in OHIO, and
which does not in fact affect the interests of
the frontiersman who is hewing down the
forests on far off Puget Sound. or the rancho
man who is watching his herds in the valley
of the Rio Grande. We are one people, and
the election you are about to decide
is one which affects the whole people
of the United States, and they who
go about telling you. or attempting
to tell you. that it is mere State
issue which the republicans are anxious
to avoid. mistake the fact, for there certainly
is nothing before the people of Maine as i'm
portant as is the choice of Representatives
in the national Congress and of a Legisla-
ture that shall choose a Senator of the
United States: that shall, in other words, re-
elect VIM. p. Frye. (Applause.) But
Gov. Plaisted is traversing the State today
and will speak to you shortly in this city,
telling you that there are very important
State issues, which should first and fore
most be decided by the people of Maine
For one, / am quite ready to meet the Cover
nor on that issue, and if there were not a na-
tiOnsl question engaging the attention of
the people of Maine. there is enough in the
attitude of Gov. Plaisted, in his disregard of
law, in his trampling under foot the con-
stitution of the State. in his rebellion against
the constitution and order ofthe government to
call out the earnest attention and quick vote
of every citizen of the State. The constitu-
ton of Maine has been held in other States,
many of whom have taken parts of
IL CO.. tha; md fba xrbpla diff Of
a model. The constitution of Maine has
been held by those who have given attention
to organic law, to be one of the
wisest, soundest, best balanced, enjoyed by
any one of the 3S States. In that consttu-
ton the trainers of it thought fit to place a
provision which in 40 instances since the
government was organized has been called
into profitable use. That provision is in
these words:
The Supreme Court, (Justices of
the Supreme Judicial Court), they shall be
obliged to give their opinions upon impor-
tant questions of law and upon solemn
occasions when required by the Governor,
Council, Senate or House of Representa-
tives.' l read that over and had occasion to
turn to Webster's Unabridged dictionary to
see what light a definition of the leading
words would give. The word ''oblige" is
very strong word. The first definition given
OF it by Webster is ''to constrain by physical.
moral or legal force; SO that the Judges Of
the Supreme Court, when called upon, are
constrained by moral force to drop every
thing else and give their opinion upon the
question submitted. They are required" and
Webster says that require means ''to claim by
right and authority, so that this great depart
ment of the government claims by right and
authority to constrain the Judges to drop
every other issue that NAV be upon the
dockets of their courts. and answer at once
upon what may be submitted to them. Now,
as have said. there have been 40 instances;
in the first 10 years of this government when
we had VIM. King, Albion Paris and Enoch
Lincoln for Governors, they had more than
one important question every year, and a
great many points in the constitution were
settled in their practical applications by the
opinions that were thus invoked and thus
given. For the first time in the history of
the State we find a Governor who thus
speaks Of this great power. Governor
PIaisted says: The provision of our con-
stitution which permits the executive
or the Legislature to call upon the court on
any occasion, solemn or otherwise, for its
opinion, seems to me as wrong in principle
As it is dangerous in practice" That is his
opinion upon the constitution 60 years old,
and sanctifed under list of Governors than
whom no other State can present more