Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-10-13
BLAlNE,S TRIP.
by the Ohio Miners, TO Whom he
Makes an Interesting Speech.

as he passed. At Oak Hill there was q con-
siderable crowd, composed largely of work
men beside the track. They had erected a
platform of pig iron, on which Blaine stood.
He began his brief speech by saving: IL
stand on the same platform on which l stood
in Congress 20 years ago-the platform which
enables iron to be made in our own country
instead of Ireland" This was received with
great cheering. The remainder of the speech
was devoted to the bearing of the tariff on the
iron industry.
ATHENS, o., Oct. IL.
At Jackson there was very large gather
| ing. Blaine spoke q few words about his
interests in coal land, and the bearing of the
tariff on the iron and coal trade. His re-
marks were favorably received, and as the
| train moved off the people cheefed him re-
peatedly.
! LANCASTER, O.. Oct. IL.
! Nelsonville, the centre of the mining dis
trict in Hooking Valley, Blaine made the
| following speech:
''If am at home anywhere it is IN the
coal region. was born and brought up in
the coal region in the Valley of the Monon-
gehala, and know something about coal.
! have been an owner of coal lands nearly all
/ my adult life, and the greater part of what
| little property | have in this world is in coal
lands. have also been TO some extent
engaged in the mining of coal. l am now
interested as a stock holder and director in
company in West Virginia | have had 27
wears experience in connection with the coal
industry, and l count it piece of remarka-
bic good fortune that neither myself nor any
! company with which have been connected
have ever had strike or quarrel or dispute
of any kind with any of the men. Cheers.
Further, have to say that during the last
| Is months the company that am connected
with has been able to pay an average of $50
a month to every one of the 260 men engaged.
| You see, therefore, that / am not talking
about subject that do not understands; but
while | acknowledge that l am an owner of
| coal lands in Pennsylvania and in West Vir-
ginis, l am kindly assured by number of
democrats in Ohio that l own also a large
tract of coal land in the Hooking Valley.
/ daughter. Now | think that when a man
has property attributed to him which he pro-
tests that ne does not own, and when other
parties insists that he does own it, they ought
to be compelled by law to make it good to
| him. Laughter and cheers. They saw
that,I am holder in the Hooking Valley
| syndicate. say that do not own a single
share. They say again that do. Let them
| come into court then and make the owner
ship good. If | could bring them into court
on that issue and under the rule suggested,
could bankrupt great many democratic
editors and speakers who insist that | own
property that never did own. | understand
that the miners in this region have had some
trouble with the operators. Our political
| opponents say that am one of the operators.
| As said awhile ago, have never had any
trouble with the men employed in the mines
| in which | am interested, and never expect
ed to have any because If | cannot continue
business without difficulty Of that kind.
shall abandon it. Cheers. think there
is no disagreement that ever arises between
| an employer and the men he employees that
ought not to be settled by fair, impartial
arbitration. and think the man who is not
willing 10 submit such matter 10 arbitration
| ought TO explain to the public why he is
unwilling to do it. But because you are in
temporary trouble, why should You turn your
backs on the great protective system which
for 20 years has promoted and secured the
development OF your valley? Are you going
to? II seems to be inevitable. You want to
get rid of them if you can, but the parties
concerned should deal with each other in a
patient and conciiatory spirit, aad in your
anxiety to remedy these passing troubles you
should not think of tearing up the very foun-
dstion on which the prosperity of your State
and whole country rests. [Cheers.l ap-
peal to you as working men, as mders, be-
cause if the protective tariff is not good for
the coal and iron interest, it is not good for
anything. So it does not develope these,
it does not develop anything, and if the pro-
tective tariff were repealed tomorrow. these
bills would be again wrapped in silence and
desertion, in which they rested during the
25 years that preceded the enactment Of the
protective tariff; but on the other hand if the
protective tariff is maintained, have full
| faith that your troubles will soon be adjusted,
and a new era of prosperity will dawn
upon you"
A miner-"May ask, Mr.. Blaine, if you
are interested in the Union furnace?"
Mr. Blaine-No; not to the extent of
single penny. will make it stronger than
| that. | never owned an interest in any iron
furnace anywhere in the civilized world |
never was engaged in the iron business at all
but have been engaged in the coal business,
and large proportion Of the property | am
worth is invested in coal today. | am inter-
ested with you in this matter. If the coal
business breaks down in Ohio it cannot be
maintained in Pennsylvania and West Vir-
ginia. We all stand on the fall together.
When they were about to sign the declaration
| of independence some one said to old DR.
Witherspoon: We'll. we must hang to-
gether. Yes said he. If we don't hang
together, George the Third will see that we
nang separately. lCneers aRd laughter.
| Now. my friends engaged in the coal indu,
if we do not stand together we shall
/ ether. thank you for the very KIDD
you have given me, and leave you
| in ope and expectation that we shall
soon b., .e better times for mining interests
throughout the whole United States" Re-
newed cheering
tLogan. a town in the mining district.
there was q very large crowd which cheered
Blaine's remarks enthusiastically.
In the evening at Lancaster, he was escort
ed to the house of his cousin, Judge Ewing,
and later. at a meeting held in his honor.
made q speech.
4 LANCASTER, o., Oct. H.
| At public reception given him Saturday
night, Mr.. Blame delivered the following
speech
''My friends-I confess that in this place
and at this time hardly feel disposed TO
making an allusion to public affairs. Recol-
Iections that rush on me as stand here carry
me back through many years to time
before most of you were born. In ls4l
was q school boy in this town attending the
school of Mr.. Lyons, q cultivated English
gentleman. "a younger brother of DR. Lyons,
and an uncle, believe, of the British minis
ter at Washington), who taught with great
success the youth of this vicinity. know
not whether he be living. II he is want to