The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-11-26
BLAINE SERENADED

london Ladies Journal.
BLAINE SERENADED
By THE CITIZENS OF AUGUSTA, AND HE
DELIVERS LONG AND ELOQUENT
SPEECH.
AUGUSTA, November 1S.-A large
number of devoted personal and po-
htical friends of Mr.. Blaine serenad-
ed him this evening as an express
sion of personal good will and ad-
miration of his conduct of the ma
tional campaign. They marched
through the streets under the mar
shalship of Col. Frank Nye. When
they reached Mr.. Blaine's house
their compliments and friendly re-
CARDS were expressed in a speech by
Herbert NJ. Heath, ESQ.,, ofthe Ken
nebec bar. Mr. Blaine responded as
follows, his speech being continu-
ally interrupted by applause
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBoRs-The ma
tional contest is over. and by the
narrowest of margins we have lost.
| thank you for your call, which. if
not one of joyous congratulations, is
one, | am sure. of confidence and of
sanguire hope for the future. |
thank you for the public opportuni-
ty you give me to express my sense
of obligation; not only to you, but
to all the republicans of Maine.
They responded to my nomination
with genuine enthusiasm and rati-
fled it by superb vote. | count it
as one of the honors and gratifca-
tions of my public career that the
party in Maine, after struggling hard
for the last six years, and twice with
in that period losing the State, has
come back in this campaign to an
old-fashioned 10000 plurality. No
other expression of popular conf
dence and esteem could equal that
of the people among whom | have
lived for thirty years, and to whom
| am attached by all TIE ties that
ennoble human nature and give iov
and dignity to life.
AFTER MAINE,
indeed along with Maine, my first
thought is always of Pennsylvania.
How can l fttingly express my
thanks for that unparalleled ma
iority of more than eighty thousand
votes.
a popular endorsement which has
deeply touched my heart, and which
has, if possible, increased my affec-
ton for the grand old Common
wealth /; an affection which l inner
tied from my ancestors, and which |
shall transmit TO my children, but l
do not limit my thanks to the State
of my residence and the State of my
birth. / owe much to the true and
Jealous friends in New England who
worked Sc nobly for the Republican
party and its candidates, and to the
eminent scholars and divines who,
stepping aside from their ordinary
avocations, made my cause their
cause, and to loyalty to principle
added the special compliment of
standing as my personal representa-
tives in the National struggle.
But the 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 Alleghenies to
the Golden Gate of the Pacific, be-
ginning with Ohio and ending with
California, the Republican banner
was borne so loftily that but a single /,
State failed to join in the wide ac-
claim of triumph. Nor should | do
Justice to my own feelings if failed
To thank
THE REPUBLICANS OF TIE EMPIRE
STATE,
who encountered so many discour-
agements and obstacles, who fought
foes from within and foes from with
out, and who waged SO strong a
battle that change OF one vote in
every 10000 would have given US
the victory in the nation. Indeed a
change of little more than 5000
votes would have transferred New
York, Indiana, New Jersey and
Connecticut to the Republican
standard and would have made the
North as solid as the South. NY
thanks would be incomplete if | |
should fail to recognize with special
gratitude that great body of work
ingmen, both native and foreign !
born. who gave me their earnest
support, breaking from old person
al and party ties and finding in the
principles which / represented in the
canvass the safeguard and protection !
of their own fireside interests.
The result of the election, my
friends, will be regarded in the fu-
ture, think as extraordinary. The
Northern States, leaving out the
cities OF New York and Brooklyn |
from the count, sustained the Re-
publican cause by a majority of
more than 4O0000-almost half
million of the popular vote. The
cities of New York and Brooklyn
threw their great strength and iEfu-
ence with the Solid South, and were
the decisive element which gave to
that section the control of the Ma
tional Government.
A NATIONAL MISFORTUNE.
Speaking not at all as defeated
candidate, but simply as loyal and
devoted American, / think the trans
fer of the political power of the
Government to the South, is great
national misfortune I; it is misfor-
tune because it introduces an ele- |
ment which cannot insure harmony
and prosperity to the people because
it introduces into a republic the rule
off minority; the first instinct of an
American is eouality-eouality of