The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-09-24
MalItsnIty ov1errr,saaeeAins O1 r,aeAin rtssis.s :

events must know Jndt MT. blhlnp WR
one of the foremost adyocates of specie
resumption and honesty in financial af-
fairs. As long ago as 1868, when Mr..
Pendleton proposed TO pay the Govern
ment bonds by issues Of greenbacks,
Mr. Blaine. as Chairman Of the, Maine
Republican Committee, caused q
special circular to be scattered broad.
cast over that State. and was criticised
for so doing. When the Resumption
act was passed It was not discusyet in
the House, SO that all the expression OF
opinion on the subject Is TO be found in
the roll-call. 1t was strictly q party
measure, reported on and passed first
by the Senate by . strict party vote,
such men as Bayard voting against it.
in the House its passage was resisted
by Democratic leaders, and the roll-calI
shows that several Massachusetts, mem
bers voted against It because it was not
sufficiently strenuous to meet their ap-
proval, and General Butler voted the
same way because he did not believe in
specie resumption at all. Mr.. Blaine
did not vote because the Speaker of the
House rarely votes He was known by
his friends to be heartily in favor Of the
measure. The next Congress was
Democratic, and 1t was given out tina,
the Democrats would undertake 10
repeal the Resumption act Hearing
of this, Mr.. Blaine, before the new
Congress met in December, 1875, pre-.
pared an elaborate speech in favor OF
resumption and against initiation, to be
delivered on the first occasion that Of
fered. Before that speech was deliv-
cred an enemy stole copy OF 1t, and il
was published in advance OF its de-
livery in one or two papers. January
10, 1876, in COMMITTEES, OF the Whole,
Mr.. Blaine delivered lhs speech l.
fills over three close columns Of the
Journal. 1t is unnecessary TO quote
much OF It, but the following sentence
will show where Mr.. Blaine stood al
the very outset Of the fight for the re
sumption of spocie payments; -dmog
The honor OF the National Government and
the prosperity OF the American people ar,
alike menaoed by those who demand the per
petuation OF an irredeemable paper curren'
cy. For moro than two years the country has
| been suffering from the 5prostrhbon OF busi
ness: confidence returns but slowly; trade
reyiyes only partially; and to-day, yl.a Seapi ?.
ind ourselves In the mIdst. OF an agitation
respecting tho medium with which business
| transactions shall be carried on. y Until thai
question is definitely adjusted. II y idle 70 eH
| the energies of our people and the resource'
! OF the land entitle Us. = Pa. Uncertainty
| as TO the value Of tho currency from day y
49, =, hiia 49, whieh IL Lnown- as the del,to
class should be fairly and generon.ly oonsld
/ cred IN the shaping OF meaeurea Tor epeci
resumption. thers z n2 Justice IN & asl,ne Y
the gravest injnstioe; for you must remem
ber that there is . large class Of deservinf
| people who would. DO continually and Ire
morselessly robbed by SUCH policy. meaI
| the labor OF the country that 10 compelled &c
| live from and by its daily earnings. ', .
| There is not cotton plantation In tn
South, not grain or grazing farm In IN,
| West not 0 coal pit or Iron furnace H.
urer IN New England. not ,shiPyard OF
| the Atlantic coast not lumber oaml
from the Penobscot 10 the Columbia not &
mile OF railway between the two oceans TIA
iuenoe OF a final and general acoulescence n
lam told, Mr.. Chairman, In tone
OF most solemn warning. that this country IA
scorni and il seems 70 me n could be per
suaded OF It's truth should be ashamed u
rise in the American Congress asd proclaim
able moral weakness in our people-alway'
heroic when herolsm is demanded-to doub
thel, own capacity to MAINTAIN specie sns pay
ments ton ,,a,,v a, o.nits i anS ws 90 e oDr s1
the era OF doubt and uncertainty prevails
that timidfty will continue to inorease. Stop
toward imitation will make 1t chronic.
In any event, Mr. Chairman. whateye
we may do or whatever We may leave undon'
on this whole financial question, let US not dc
lude ourselves that we can escape speci
standard. No nation has ever succeeded 4
establishing any other standard OF value. NJ
nation has ever made the experiment excep
at great cost and sorrow, and the advocate
OF trredeemable money to-day are but askin
us 10 travel the worn and weary road trayele
80 many times before-a road that has a
ways ended in disaster, and often In disgracs
This speech was widely commente
on. Indeed, the Nation, which was cd
tied by one Of the present editors OF tn
New York Evening Post, the pape
which told all inquirers that IL coul
not find that Mr.. Blaine had any n
sumption record, and repeated th
statement after the Journal had calle
attention 10 It In an editorial article |
the issue Of February IL, 1876, quote
Mr.. Blaine as declaring that "the pol
icy of the Republican party Is to &c
back to specie payments by o firm an
considerate course" The only occasio
, in the House when Mr.. Blaine had q
opportunity 10 vote against the repe'
Of the Resumption act was January L
. 1876, when Mr.. Holman presented
I. resolution declaring for It's repeal. Nj
Blaine, with all of the Republicans o.
!. cept four, voted against the resolution
!. Columns Of extracts might be give
/, from Mr.. Blaine's speeches during u
period that specie resumption WI
threatened TO show that he was one I
the ablest and stanchest champions {
8 that measure.
The course Of the papers which ha,
; raised this issue fitly illustrates u
methods which his foes have adopt
: 70 defeat Mr.. Blaine. Either Of Il
papers named could easily have asce
. tanned Mr.. Blaine's record on specie !
4 sumption. Indeed, It Is difficult TO b
. ieve that the intelligent men who wri
% and supervise the editorial work
d those journals, can be so ignorant
! current political history as TO decla
v that they do not know that Mr.. Blail
4, was In favor Of the Resumption az
y Their course In this respect Is In kee
ing with that which his foes are purs
ID iino Thev will afop NJ nothing Whi