Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-20
Blaine,s Ringing Sneeeh of sout, Ro,

iSiaine's Ringing Speech at South Bend
SOUTH BEND Qnd.) October l9th.-Following
is Blalne speech at South Bend:
Men q Indidnd: The struggle in all human
society IS flrst for bread. There is use in pro-
pounding fine theories to a man who is hungry
there Is no use in commencing political princi-
pie to one who is in need of shelter; there is no
use u.s., In talking philosophy to one who is naked.
roou ana ciothinS are primary requirements of
human society, primary elements of human
progress, and TO secure this you must put the
Peopie IN the way OF earning good wages
shouts ot That's right and cheers /
l never saw any man moved to en-
thuslasm by silently contemplating the
prosperity of another IlaughterI while
ne himself was in need. To move him YOU
want to make him feel his own prosperity
lCheers. The beginning, therefore, and the
end OF wise legislation is to give every man a
iair and equal chance, TO have the race of life
opes,n, and free torall Cheering What agency
viii best accomplish that, what legislation will
most tend to that end? Certainly it will not
tend TO that end to throw open our ports and
say, Send we all here your fabrics made by
the cheapest and most distressed labor of
Europe to compete with our own people. who
are Just opening their shops and building their
factories" forH you do that you cannot spin a
wheel or turn lathe in these factories ut home
unless you can get your labor at European
prices. l"Thats so."l We begin right there
From these considerations we deduce the con.
clusion that 4 protective tariff is primarily for
the benefit of the laboring man, because ii you
cast your eye upon anything which cannot be
taken in hand, you find that the chief CON
stituent element in its cost is labor In many
cases the material is but one per cent and the
labor Is 80 per cent in The cost of the article.
Therefore, all legislation of protective char
acter is and must mainly be, for the benefit of
labor, because labor is the principal element in
the cost of the fabric hence If there be any man
who is eminetly and above all otkers interest
ed in the tariff, it is the laboring man. lCheers
lfyou compare the two great political parties in
relation 10 this question. you find that the Re
publican party lives, moves, breathes and has
protective tariff was of the first fruits of the
election of Mr.. Lincoln. We have had il for
twenty years on the statute books. with various
amendments which have been added from time
to time TO make it more protective and the re-
suit is that all history, ancient modern and
medieval, may be challenged for u national
progress like that which we have made
since 1851. Renewed cheers.l | am merely
reciting the facts and figures of your
assessors books, and of the United States
census tables. when say that in
the last twentythree years of the history of this
country we have added more wealth. doubly
over than we had acquired from the discovery
of the continent by Columbus down to The clec-
ton of Abraham Lincoln. Prolonged cheering. /
There must nave been some peculiar an potent
agent at work to produce this great result That
agent was the protective tariff, operating to
nerve the arm of labor aud reward il fairly and
literally. lCheers. Whether the policy shall
is the controlling issue in this campaign. All
other questions are laid aside for the time.
There are many which are worthy of conSidera-
ton. but two weeks from Tuesday next we shall
have election in every State il
the Union to determine with reference
to this question the character of the next Con
gress and the future policy of the Government
You have before you the Republican party,
pledged to sustain protective tariff, and Illus
trating. that pledge by specific and consistent
example extending through the last twenty
three years. You have ON the other hand the
Democratic party, which in fifty-one years
since lS3S-has never in single instance voted
for protection, and never controlled Congress
that it did not oppose protection. ['That's so' /
mechanics, some of whom may do Inc the
honor to listen TO me: Your Unions your
Leagues, all those associations which you have
formed for your own advantage and your
own advancement, are well and proper
in their way. 1t is your right to
have them, and to administer them as you
choose but they are not as strong as rope of
sand against the ill-paid labor of Europe, if you
take away the protective tariff, which is now
your background and support. [Cheers. So do
not be deluded by the idea that you can dis
pense with protective tariff and substitute for
it your Labor Unions. Renewed cheering.
do not distract your attention with any other
question. ! do not stop to dwell upon the great
issues that have been made and settled by the
Republicans within the last twenty three years
That party has made deeper and more glorious
imprint in history than any other political or
ganization that ever was charged with great
responsibility, and it is the patriotic pride of
every man who has belonged to it that he
has belonged to it, and has shared its labors,
its responsibilities, its triumphs and its honors.
tGreat cheers