Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-09-28
Hon. I'D. Longs Speech.

The following is from the man who pro-
posed the name Of Senator Edmunds at the
Chicago convention. 1t is from speech
delivered at Gloucester, Massachusetts,, Sep
TENDER 18th:
"Who would not be an American citizeng
Who would not live in this country, which,
under twenty-five years of Republican adj
ministration has reached degree Of nation
al prosperity for all and for each such as in
nowhere enjoyed on the face Of the earth
[Applause. We are in the midst Of one Of
great campaigns. 1t is not campaign, but
an education. 1t began in hope, but since
the elections in Vermont and Maine it has
developed INTO certainty. Applause.
Last week we opened it here in Massachu-
sets, the week before it closed in the old
Pine-Tree state. 1t was my pleasure
to take part in the closing
week Of the campaign. The first speech
ever made was made in a little school
house in school district in Maine in 1860,
in favor of Abraham Lincoln. Applause.
The first convention l ever attended was
that convention in Augusta, Me-. which
nominated the great War Governor of
Maine, Isreal Washburn, and l remember
that, being a younger man than l am now
listened to another man then also young, his
eve bright as it is still, but his locks not
then so gray, who with eloquence which
since has drawn the admiration of the coun-
try advocated the resolutions of that con-
vention. Very little, l presume, did he
then imagine that nearly quarter Of a CEN
fury after, having been speaker of the house
of representatives of Maine; after having
stood at the right hand of its War Gov
ernor; after having served with distinction
OF ha oil
district for sixteen years; after having been
the most distinguished speaker of
congress since Henry Clay; after having
been chosen United States senator from the
state of Maine, and after having been secre-
tary of state under the murdered Garfield,
he himself in the year 1884 would by AN
overwhelming majority of the votes Of the
thirty-eight states Of this union, which he
had seen pass through a civil war, be elected
the chief magistrate. Applause. The rest
of Us. ] had rather think, elect our chief
from the body of the people.
Well, took down to Maine as far as i
could the encouragement, and good cheer
of Massachusetts. / told them frankly that
/, as one OF the delegates to Chicago, shared
in the sentiment of Massachusetts, which
preferred another man, and that SO far
AS preference of mine went it
them what was true, that when attended |
the great ratification meeting held last July |
in fremont Temple was surprised that the |
people were already leagues and leagues be- |
yond us who had been called to sound the |
bugle, and that was satisfied that the senti |
ment in Massachusetts for Mr.. Blaine was |
greater than he had anticipated or appre- |
hended. Applause. And l refer to this
fact that the masses Of our people, the great !
body of your people here i'll this county and |
this city, recognize this simple fact that Mr.. |
Blaine is not only a representative Ameri- |
can, but that he especially represents these |
great industries, that great policy Of protec- |
ton 10 American industries which are SO Wit |
al to you and your interests and the welfare |
of your homes and your city.
speak also of another element in Massa-
chuesetts that is not in favor with the peo-
pie Of Maine, and that is the body of INDIE
pendents in this state, and say good word |
for the Independents because | recognize |
that there is good stuff in them. Some Of the |
older people were in it at the beginning of
the Republican party. Some of them, the |
younger men, are among the most earnest |
that we have. As matter of numbers they |
will have, of course, no appreciabe effect
upon this campaign, but as matter of edu-
cation, especially of their own education, l
think they will amount to great deal.
Their purposes are right, but they have
made "A wrong issue.
know how it is, because | have been
through that experience myself. | don't
hesitate to say that in the Greeley move
ment in 1872 followed that greta
apostle of freedom, Charles Sumner.
That taught me something That
taught me simply this: that the people are
often nearer right because they are more
disinterested than their leaders. II taught |
me tina, the people will frequently abandon
a leader in order to be true to their prnci-
piles, but they never will abandon their
principles even to follow II favorite leader.
[ Applause. Time ha, shown that they were
right and that Mr.. Sumner was wrong, and
| believe he lived to acknowledge it himself,
and time will certainly show that the INDIE
pendents of this year, 1884, are wrong when
they would sacrifice every principle, equal
rights, the protection of American labor, the
reform of the civil service to a mere person.
al objection, and time will show that the /
people of this country are right in doing as
they have begun 10 do already in stand ing
by these principles which are at the founda-
ton of the greatness of this country. APP |
plause.