The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-11-26
BLAINE SPEAKS.
The Plumed Knight to His Friends
and Neighbors.
A Grand Grafton I'm Which the south's
--snacing Position and the Oppression
of the Negro are Wildly Depleted
Colored People Greatly Alarmed.

=
personal and political friends Of Mr..
Blaine rendered him serenade as an
expression of good will and admiration
of his conduct in the National cam
paign. After their compliments and
friendly regards had been fittingly ex-
pressed by local orator, Mr.. Blaine
responded as follows:
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBoRs: The National
rcontest is over, and by the narrowest of mar
gins we have lost / thank you for your call,
which, II not one Of joyous congratulations,
g,iine hope for the future. l thank you for
the public opportunity you give me TO ex-
press my sense of obligation, not only to you,
sponded TO my nomination with genuine en-.
thusiasm and ratified 1t by q superb vote. L
count IL rs one of the honOrs and qualhca-
tons OF my public career that the party In
years, and twice within that period losing the
State, has come back In this campaign to the
oldfashioned 10000 plurality. No other ex-
preston of
POPULAR CONFIDENCE AND ESTEEM
could equal that OF the people among whom
1have lived for thirty years, and to Nhom l
am attached by all ties that ennobe human
nature and give joy and dignity to life. Aster
Maine-lndeed, along with Maine-my first
thought is always of Pennsylvania. How can
j tittingly express my thanks for that unpar-
alleled majority OF more than 5000 votes-a
popular Endorsement which has deeply
touched my heart, and which has, IL possible,
increased my affection for the grand old
commonwealth. an affection which Inherited
from my ancestry, and which shall transmit
TO my children. But / do not limit my
thanks 10 the State of my residence
and the State Of my birth. ! owe
much TO the true and jealous friends in New
England who worked 80 nobly for the Repub-
lican party and its candidates, and to the emf
nent scholars and divlncs who, stepping aside
from their ordinary avocations, made my
cause thoir cause, and TO loyalty and principle
added the special compliment Of standing rs
my personal representatives in the National
struggle. But tho achievements for the Re-
publican cause In the East are even surpassed
by the splendid victories in the West. In that
magnificent Gordon of States that stretches
from the foothills OF the Alleghanles to the
GOLDEN GATE OF THE PACIFIC,
beginning with Ohio and ending with Cali
fornia tho Republican banner was borne so
loftily that but single State failed TO Join In
the wide acclaim of triumph. Nor should L
do Justice ta my own feelings II failed TO
thank the Republicans of the Empire Mate,
who encountered so many discouragements
and obstacles; who fought foes from within
nnd foes from without, and who waged so
strong battle that change of one vote I'm
victory in the Nation. Indeed, change
OF little more than Ave thousand votes
would have transferred New York. Indiana,
New Jersey and Connecticut TO the Repub
lican standard, and would have made the
North as solid as the South. My thanks
would still be incomplete II / should fail
90 recognize with special gratitude that
great body OF workingmen, both native and
foreign-born, who gave me their earnest sup
port, breaking from old personal and party
ties, and finding In the principles which rep
resented in the canvass the safeguard and
protection OF their own hreslde interests. The
result of the election, my friends, will be re-
garied in the future think. as extraordl-
nary. The Northern States, leaving out the
cities of New York and Brooklyn from the
count,
SUSTAINED THE REPUBLICAN CAUSE
by a majority Of more than lOOOOO-almost
half n million indecd-of the popular vote.
The cities of New York and Brooklyn threw
their great strength and influence with the
solid South. and were the decisive element
which gave 10 that section the control of the
National Government. Speaking now not as
n defeated candidate, but simply as n loyal
and devoted American, | think the transfer
OF the political power Of the Government 10
the South is great National misfortune. II
10 misfortune because 10 introduces nn ele-
ment which can not insure harmony and pros
perity to the people, because II Introduces
into Repnblic the rule of minority. Tho
first instinct of an American Is equality
VI
fly OF political power-that equality which
says 10 every citizen: "Your vote Is lust us
good, Just as potential, as the vote of any
other citizen" That can not be said to-day in
the United States. The course of affairs in
the South has crushed out the political power
of more than 100000 American citizens. and
has transferred II by violence TO others.
porty-two Presidential Electors are assigned
TO the South on account of the colored popu-
ilation, and yet the coored population, with
more than 1,lOOOO0 legal votes, have been
UNABLE TO CHOOSE A SINGLE ELEcToR.
Even in those States where they have ma
jority of more than hundred thousand they
are deprived OF free suffrage, and their rights
as citizens are scornfully trodden under foot.
The eleven States that comprised the rebel
Confederacy had by the census OF 1880 1900.
900 white population and 100000 colored pop
ulatlon. The colored population almost TO a
man, desire 70 support the Republican party.
but by system of cruel intimidation and by
violence and murder-whenever violence and
murder are thought necessary-they are ab-
lsolutely deprived Of all pollticalepower. II
the Outrage stopped there, II would bo bad
enough; but u does not stop there, for
mot only is tho negro population dis
franchIsed, but the power which right
fully and oonstitutionally belongs to them
yis transferred TO the white population, en-.
exert an electoral influence far beyond that
.exerted by the same number OF white people
I'm the North. To illustrate just how II works
ito the destruction Of all fair elections let me
present to you five States In the late Confed-
,eracy and ive loyal States Of the North, pos.
.sesslng In each section the same number OF
electoral votes. In the South the States Of
Louisiana, Mississippi. Alabama. Georgia and
South Carolina have In the aggreate forty
pie, and over 100000 colored people.
IN THE NORTH
the States of Wisconsin, Minnesota Iowa, Kan.
sas and California have likewise In the aggre-
gate forty-eight electoral votes and they
have q white population OF 100000 or
Just double the fivo Southern States which
have named. These Northern States have
practically no colored population. II Ia there
fore evident that the white men in those
Bouthern States by usurping and absorbing
the rights OF the colored men are exerting Just
double the political power OF the white men In
the Northern States. submit my friends,
that such condition Of affairs Is extraordi,
nary, unjust and derogatory 10 the manhood Of
the North. Even those who are vindictively
opposed TO negro suffrage will not deny that
~ Presidential Electors are assigned TO tho
South by reason Of the negro population, that
population ought 10 be permitted free suf.
frage in the election. To deny that clear
proposition is 10 affirm that Southern white
man In the gulf States IL entitled TO double the
political power OF Northern white man N
the lake States. IL n to afirm that q Confod
erate soldier shall WELD
TWICE THE INFLUENCE
IN the Nation that a Union soldier can, and
that perpetual and constantlyincreaaing su
periority shall be conceded 10 the Southern
white man In the government OF the Union
IL that be quietly conceded In this generation
Il will harden Into custom, until the badge oi
fnferiority will attach 10 the Northern whit,
men as odiously as ever Norman nobl,
ject e Of deep interest to The lahorIng men o.
the North. With the Southern Democracy tri
umphant IN their States and In the Nation IN.