Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-09-01
Blaine in Maine.

Blaine in Maine.
Nh, Blaine made his first speech in the
Maine canvass in the City Hall at Port
land on Monday night, but if the reports
thereof are correct it was huge failure.
The earlier portions of his remarks were
directed towards vigorous criticism of
Governor Plsisted's position in holding
that the Executive Council Of the State
is a simply advisory body, with no
check upon the Governors actions.
Whether the Governor or Mr. Blaine is
correct in the premises it rests with the
people of Maine to decide, and from all
indications the chances are in favor of
the former being sustained.
Taking leave. with this. of local issues.
the great leader Of the half breeds
launched out npon the sea of Federal
politics. He told his hearers how Robert
Walpole once assured George II. that His
Majesty need have no fear of the cleo
tons while wheat was sixteen shillings a
quarter and the crops were good. The
application of this scrap of history was
obvious, but. nevertheless, Mr.. Blaine
proceeded to dilate upon it at length,
asserting that the country owes its good
crops and its present pitch of prosperity
mainly to the wisdom and patriotism of
the "grand old party" Honest" John
Sherman, it will be remembered, piped
on the same key two years ago, but
really Mr.. Blaine must have felt qualm
of conscience, and his hearers
must have repressed a few smiles
as he and they recalled Dingley's hay
protection bill, which did not get through
Congress Besides, the crops in Maine
this year are by no means cOnsolngly
large, and the ex-"Premier" could have
given his audience decidedly more en-
couragement by working in the other
Walpoleian maxim that "every man has
his price" and by informing them that
Hubbell had shekels enough to go
around.
AS the present position of "the grand
old party" is not at all charming to the
plumed knight, and its future is not
roseate, he naturally turned to It's past.
He dwelt on the glorious achievements
of Radicalism, and defed any one to
point to time when it was unwilling or
afraid or unable to take responsibility.
This is ''frozen fact" so to speak, but
it occurs to most thoughtful people, be
they Republicans or be they Democrats,
that the party has taken altogether too
many responsibilities, and that it is quite
likely that its opportunities for assuming
more may shortly be surprisingly cur
tailed.
Mr.. Blaine is not felicitous in the
humorous vein, but his illusions to the
dead past compelled him to give his
hearers something to promote a reaction,
and accordingly he pictured the Demo
cratic party and its numerous ''side
shows-the Greenbackers, Labor party
and other organizatiOns-as "mean,
caviling and powerless critics, following
after the great procession that has gone
on ahead" Considering the fusion of
the opposition IN Maine, the "side show
reference was neat, but considering the
efforts that the administration IS making
| to give strength and prominence to
those attractions in other States, it was
on the whole rather unfortunate. 1t is
singular, too, that despite the great past
of Radicalism, its achievements are not
admired by the intelligence of the
country, as Tllden's election and Gar
fields slender plurality over Hancock,
despite the formers negro contingent,
indisputably proves. Hubbell is, per-
haps, as familiar with the grand old
party's" record as Blaine, but he prefers
to rely for success rather on hard cash
than on patriotic "reminiscences.
Poor Blainel He has been shOckingly
snubbed and made a football for
shrewder men, and what was once
the Outpouring of his sanguine
heart is now the mere
lip service of the politician.
About the best thing in his speech was
the close of his peroration, in which he
declared that never in the past sixty
two years has the feeling between the
North and South been as cordial and as
fraternal as it is tonight" If several
others of the Northern States will follow
the probable example of Maine and re-
tire ''the grand old party, we venture
the prediction that the good feeling be-
tween the sections will be largely in
creased.