Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-06-23
Remarks Of Hon. W. ". phelps
Ar rnR BLAuR AID LOGAN RATIFICATION
NKRrrHC II WAsHIyeros.

| of the national convention. II deserves If
an Enforcement. hearty, unreserved and
enthusiastic ~ this you record to night And
no republican will refuse 70 join, unless he
Is sn enemy to fair play and to the right OF
} the majority to rule. II vas . convention OF
the people, by the people, for the people, and
il made its nominations from the people The
people we're all there The East and the
vest bosstful Of past achievements; the
lSoufh hopeful Of future achievements; the
wealth Of New York the culture of Boston !:
the farmer and mechanic; the native and
nsturalized citizen: the boss, the oficehold-
err the eolored voter-all the interests Of the
mighty republican party there found repre-
sentation and free and equal share in IFS
deliberations and conclusions None among
them will dare to charge that. from the
beginning TO the end of the august proceed
Iings. where q great nation chose les rulers.
from the committees call, which summoned
the people of m empire in their respective
homes to choose their delegates. down TO the
declaration which in a June midnight adj
journed the convention 1t Chicago in the
n presence of Is 900 wifnesses-no one will
venture TO saw that anything was lone other
wise than With decent order and in the
supremest justice. Review the story-I shall
speak Of nothing else tonight.
/ The OLD BLAINE ARDoR,
The call went out to q people filled with
their old love for James G. Blaine. Time
had not withered nor had disappointment
stalled its ardor. As it burned in Cincinnati
| in 1876, when the Blaine delegates. represent.
ing two-thirds of the Electoral College, saw
a minority Of the party name another; so IN
| the earlv DAYS Of 1884 il burned in the hearts
OF the Republican masses when they received
the call to choose their delegates. They rose
and surveyed the field. Everywhere was dis
cOuragement; nowhere the appliances for
victory. The call still gave unequal repre-
sentation to the South. Nor could Blaine
men murmur. for the country knew that the
national committee checked its effort to cor
rect the basis of representation when Blaine
himself declared that the tissue ballot and
| the shot gun must not narrow the basis Of
Southern representation in a republican con
vention. BY this act he sealed at the outset
one third Of the convention against his
friends. They found no candidate. Months
before their chief had Withdrawn from candi-
dacy and had formally released his lieuten
ants and followers to seek new appliances and
make new pledges There vanished his polit-
ical friends. And in the scrupulous fidelity
with which he ever kept any promise made to
the people, he sought to avoid the appearance
of insincerity, and. neglecting to answer net
tiers and to receive or recognize social VISITS.
he strained and cooled the friendships of
years. There went his personal friends.
Srs,rors Axp MEMBERS NOT FOR BLAINE.
More than this, The Blaine men looked
nj the Senate and found that it had given its
heart to other favorites. How completely
wa, evident. when. of the TWENTY-FIVE Sena. |
,oys who went 10 Chicavo to work in the cDn-
yention. seventeen were openly for other can |
didates. and of the remaining five only one |
gave active aid to hi. cause. Nor was the /
House of Representatives for him In proper |
reciprocity of a courtesy always shown, and
in proper recognition OF faithful and honor /
able administration, the Pesident received /
the sympathy OF his faithful commons. The |
office-holders, who generally hew the wood
and draw the water tor the delegates, were
loyal to the same chief.
The great bosses, who were not wounded or
dead were against the giant who had smashed
their machines The Blaine men read the
call, to find that the South was registered
against them that Blaine was not to be found,
that Blaines lieutenants were with other |
chiefs, and Blaine's personal friends were in
different; that Senators and Members had |
other candidates, and so had the bosses and
office holders. What did they do? Did thew |
despair and sulk? Did they bully or threaten? |
Did they seize primaries by force or device?
Ask the daily papers, which chronicled no
broii nor scandal, where oOO delegates were |
elected all over the land. Read the records |
of the convention which showed that its pro-
ceedings were not delayed one hour by the
contests. Or survey its roll. where the per |
sonnet of members shows each district rep |
resented by its prevailing sentiment-were
that tor black or white. German or native,
Blaine. or Edmunds or Arthur. Each district
got its proper representative And when all
these representatives gathered in Chicago it
was found the people had won.
VrcroRY OF THE People.
On the n p aide were Senators and Menu
h.r, and bo.,es and of4icebolder, and noli.
,;c;sn,. on the other we're the neonle the
nlain honest American folk vithout money
and without leadership, but with q grateful
recollection Of the services which for twenty
| four years James G. Blaine, in conspicuous
position, had rendered to the party and coun-
| try, and with an honest and sturdy American
| intent to repay them. That was enough.
These plain American citizens, from the
farm and <hop-from the homes and schools,
where they had studied little more than the
records Of Lincoln and Grant and Garfield
and Blaine, entered the convention. 1t was
q courteous mob, for it had no leader on the
| floor and could look only to its own honest
| iptent and prrposa for Guidance II listened