The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-11-26


dental electors are assigned to the South
by reason of the negro population, that
population ought TO be permitted free sur
frage i'm the election. To deny that clear
proposition is TO affirm that a Southern
white man in the Gulf states is entitled
to double the political power of a North
ern white man i'm the Lake states. 1t is
to affirm that a confederate soldier shall
WELD twice the influence in the nation
that an Union soldier can, and that a, per-
petual and constantly increasing superi-
ority shall be conceded to the Southern
| white man in the government Of the I'M
ion. If that be quietly conceded in this
generation, it will harden into custom un-
til the badge of inferiority will attach TO
the Northern white man as odiously as
ever Norman noble stamped it upon the
Saxon churl.
This subject is of deep interest to the la
boring men of the North. With the
| Southern Democracy triumphant i'm their
states and in the nation the negro will be
/ compelled TO work for just such wages as
the whites may decree, wages which will,
amount as did the supplies of the slaves,
to bare subsistence equal in cash per-
haps to thirty-five cents per day, if aver
aged over the entire South The white
laborer in the North will soon feel the de-
structive effect of this upon his own wag-
es. The Republicans have clearly seen
from the earliest days of reconstruction
that wages in the South must be raised to
just recompense of the labor or the
wages in the North ruinously lowered
and the party have steadily worked for
the former result. The reverse influence
will now he set in motion aud that condi-
ton of affairs produced, which years ago
Mr.. Lincoln warned the free laboriny
men of the North will prove hostile to
their independence and will inevitably
! lead to a ruinous reduction of wages. A
mere difference in color of skin will not
/ suffice TO maintain an entirely different
| standard of wages in contiguous and al
jacent states and the voluntary will he
compelled to yield TO the involuntary
! So completely nave tho colered men in
the South been already deprived by the
! Democratic party of their constitutional
and legal rights as citizens of the United
States, that they regard the advent of that
party to national power as the signal of
their reinstatement, because they think
all legal protection for them is gone.
/ have spoken of the South as placed by
the late election in possession of the gov
ernment, and l mean all that my words
imply. The South furnishes nearly three
fourths of the electoral votes that defeat
ed the Republican party and they will
step to the command of the Democrats as
unchallenged and as unrestrained as they
held the position for thirty years bofore
the war. Gentlemen, there cannot be po-
litical inequality among the citizens of a
free republic, there cannot be a minority
! of white men in the South ruling major
of white men in the North. Self respect,
pride, protection of person and safety for
the country all cry out against it. The
very thought of it stirs the blood of men
who inherit equality from the Pilgrims
who first stood on Plymouth Rock and
from the liberty loving patriots who came
10 the Delaware with William Penn. 1t
becomes the prime question of American
manhood. 1t demands a hearing and a
settlement. 1t will at least establish the
equality of white men under the national
government and will give to the Northern
man who fought to preserve the Union as
large voice to preserve the government
as the Southern man who fought to de-
stroy the Union. The contest just closed
i utterly dwarfs the fortunes and fate of the
candidates, whether successful or unsuc-
cessful. Purposely-I may say instinct
ively-I have discussed tthe issue ard
| consequences of that contest without ref
erence to my own defeat, without the re-
motest reference to the gentleman who is
elevated to the presidency. Towards him
personally L have no cause for the slight
est i'll will and it is with cordiality / ex-
1 press the wish that his official career may
prove gratifying to himself and beneficial
to the country and that his administration
may overcome the embarrassments
which the peculiar source of its power
imposes upon it from the hour of its
BIRTH"
At the conclusion of Mr.. Blaine's
speech he invited the large crowd into his
house and for nearly an hour an infor-
NAL reception was held, the hundreds OF
people passing through the rooms. The
greetings wero especially friendly and
cordial.