Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-11-27
Misfellaueons Readiug.
A VAIL BY BLAINE.
THE ErLUMED KNIGHT STILL WAITING THE
BLOODY SHIRT.

THE EPLUMED KNIGHT STILL WAITING THE
BLOODY SHIRT.
The Defeated Candidate is Serenaded and Makes
an 1Address-He Is more Pen0niOMs than He ,cds
during the Days Of Reconsfruction- He says Me
Solid South viii Gradually Usnrp the Political
Po,rcr of the North.
A large number of devoted personal and
political friends of Blaine serenaded him
at his home in Augusta, Maine, on the even
ing Of the 18th instant, as an expression of
their personal good will and admiration of
his conduct of the National campaign.
They marched through the streets under the
Marshalship of Colonel Frank Nye. When
they reached Blaine's house, their compli-
ments ard friendly regards were expressed
in speech by Herbert NJ. Heath, of the
Kennebec bar. Mr.. Braine responded, his
speech being continually interrupted by
Friends and Neig ghbors-The national
contest is now over and by the narrowest of
margins we have lost. L thank you for
your call, which, if not one of joyous con-
gratulations, is one, / am sure, of conf
dence and sanguine hope of the future.
1 thank you for the public opportunity
you give me to express my sense of obl-
cation, not only to you but to all the Re
|
my nomination with genuine enthusiasm,
and ratified it by u superb vote. count
it as one of the honors and qualifications of
my public career, that the party in Maine
after struggling hard for the last six years
and twice within that period losing the
State, has come back in this campaign to
an old fashioned 10000 plurality. No other
expression Of popular confidence and es-
TEEN could equal that of the people among
whom I have lived for 30 years, and to
whom l am attached by all the ties that
ennoble human nature and give joy and
dignity to life. After Maine, indeed, along
with Maine, MY first thought is always OF
Pennsylvania. How can l fittlngly eX-
press my thanks for that unparalleled ma
jority of more than $4,000 votes? An en-
dorsement which has deeply touched my
heart and which has, if possible, increased
my affection for this grand old common
wealth-an affection which J. inherited from
my ancestry and which shall transmit to
my children. But 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 work
ed so 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 representatives in the National
struggle. But the achievements Of the Re-
publican cause in the East are even sur
passed by the splendid victories in the
West. In that magnificent Gordon Of States
that stretches from the foot hills of the
Alleghanies to the Golden Gate of the Pa
cifc, beginning with Ohio and ending with
California, the Republican banner was borne
so lofty that but single State failed to join
in the wide acclaim of triumph. Nor
should do Justice to my own feelings if l
failed to thank the Republicans Of the EN-
pire State who encountered SO many dis
cOuragements and obstacles; who fought
foes from within and foes from without, and
who Waged so strong 4 battle that the
change of one vote in every 1000 would
have given lis the victory in the Nation.
Indeed change of little more than 5000
would have transferred New York, Indi-
ana, New Jersey and Connecticut to the
Republican standard and would have made
the North as solid as the South. My thanks
would still be incomplete if should fail
to recognize with special gratitude that
great body of workingmen, both native and
foreign born, who gave me their earnest
support, breaking from old personal and
party ties. and finding the principles which
| [ represented in the canvass, the safeguard
and protection of their own fireside inter-
ests. The result Of the election, my friends,
will be regarded in the future, | think, as
extraordinary. The Northern States, leav-
ing out the cities of New York and Brook
lyn from the count sustained the Republi-
can cause by majority Of more than 4OO,-
600, almost half million, indeed, Of the
popular vote. The cities of New York and
Brooklyn threw their great strength and
influence with the solid South, and were
the decisive element which gave to that
section control Of the National Govern
ment. Speaking now, not at all as defeat
ed candidate, but as loyal and devoted
American, think the transfer of the pOit-
ical power of the Government to the South
is great national misfortune. 1t is mis-
fortune because it introduces an element
which cannot insure harmony and pros
perity to the people, because it introduces in
to the Republic the rule of minority. The
first instinct of an American is equality
equality Of right, equality of privilege,
equality of political power; that equality
which says to every citizen: "Your vote
is just as good, just as potential, as the
vote Of any other citiZen." That cannot
be said to-day in the United States. The
course of affairs in the South has crushed
out the political power of more than SIX
million American citizens, and has transfer
! Teu III DS NlOlcUCC W OtilClS. IOllS WV
Presidential electors are assigned to the
South on account OF the coored population,
who, with more than 100000 legal votes
have been unable to choose single electOr
Even in those States where they have a
majority Of more than 100000, they are de-
prived of full suffrage and their rights as
citizens trampled under foot The eleven
States that comprised the ''rebel Confedera
cy" had by the census of 1880, seven and a
half million white population, 100000 COL
ored population. The cOlOred population,
almost to a man, desire to support the
Republican party, but by the system of
cruel intimidation by violence and murder,
whenever violence and murder are thought
necessary, they are absolutely deprived of
all political power. If the outrage stopped
not stop there; for not only is the negro
population disfranchiscd, but the power
which rightfully and constitutionally be-
longs to them is transferred to the white pop
ulation, enabling the white population of
| the South to exert an electoral influence far
beyond that eXerted by the same number
of white people in the North. TO illustrate
how it works to the destruction of all fair
elections, let me present to you five States
in the late C0ntederacy and five loyal States
Of the North, possessing in each section the
same numberOf electoral votes. In the South
the States of Louisiana, Mississippi Ala
bama, Georgia and South Carolina have in
theaggregate Is electoral votes. They have
2,S0O,O0O white people and overth million
c0lOred people. In the North the States Of
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Kansas and
California, have likewise in aggregate Is
electoral votes, and these have white pop
ulation of $500, 900, or just double the five
Southern States which have named. These