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

evening as an expression of personal good
will, and admiration of his conduct in the
national CAMPAIGN. Thev marched
through the streets under the marshalship
of Colonel +. Nye. When they reached
Mr.. Blaine's house their compliments and
Friendly regards were expressed in a
speech by Herbert NJ. Heath. ESQ, of the
Kennebec bar. Mr.. Blaine responded as
follows, his speech being continually in
terrupted by applause:
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBoRs The ma
tional contest Is over and by the narr ow-
est of margins we have lost | thank you
for your call which, if not one of joyous
congratulations, is one am sure of con-
iidence and sanguine hope for the future.
] thank you for the public opportunity
You gave me to express my sense OF obli-
cation not only to you but to all the poll
ticians of Maine that responded to my
nomination with genuine enthusiasm and
ratified it Ivy superb vote. | count it as
one of the honors and qualifications of my
public career that the party in Maine, af-
ter struggling hard for the last six years,
and twice within that period losing the
state, has come back in this campaign to
its old fashioned 10000 plurality. No
and esteem could equal that of the peo-
pie among whom l have lived for thirty
years and to whom 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 tittingly express thanks for that un-
paralleled majority of more than $4,000
votes, a popular endorsement which has
deeply touched my heart and which has,
ii possible, increased my affection for the
grand old commonwealth, an affection
which l inherited from my ancestors and
which / shall transmit to my children.
a i n N
of my residence and the state of my birth.
owe much to true and jealous friends in
New England who worked so nobly for
the Republican party and its candidates,
and to the eminet scholars and divines
who, stepping aside from their ordinary
avocations, made my cause their cause
and to loyalty to principle and the COM
pliment of standing as my personal rep
resentatives in the national struggle.
But the achievements for the Republican
cause in the East are even surpassed by
the splendid victories i'll the West. In
that magnificent Gordon of states that
stretches from the foothills of the Alleghe-
nies to the Golden Gate OF the Pacific, be-
ginning with Ohio and ending with Cali
fornia the Republican banner was borne
so loftily that but single state failed to
join in the wide acclaim of triumph. Nor
do do justice to my own feelings if
failed to thank the Republicans OF the
dlscouragements and obstacles, who
fought foes from within and without and
who wageu so strong battle that a
change of one vote in every two thousand
would have given us victory in the nation.
Indeed a change of little more than five
thousand votes would have transferred
New York, Indiana, New Jersey, and
Connecticut to the Republican standard
and would have made the North as solid
rs the South.
NY thanks would still be incomplete if
l should fail to recognize with special
.vratitude that great body of workingmen,
NNth native and foreign born, who gave
me their earnest support, breaking from
old personal and party ties and finding
in the principles which l 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 future, think, as
extraordinary. The Northern states.
leaving out the cities of New York and
Brooklyn from the count, sustained the
Republican cause by majority of more
than 1000 almost halfa 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 the control OF
the national government. Speaking not
at all as a defeated candidate, but simply
asa loyal and devoted American, 1 think
the transfer of the political power of gov
ernment TO tho south is a great national
misfortune. 1t is a misfortune because ii
Introduces en- element which can not in
sure harmony and prosperity to the peo-
pie, because it intoduces into the republic
the rule of a minority. The first instinct
of an American is equality. Equality OF
right, of privilege, of political power
that equality which says to every citizen
"Yonr vote is just as good, just as poten-
tial as the vote of any other citizen. -
That can not be said to day in the United
States. The course of affairs in the South
has crushed out the political power oi
more than 5000, 900 American citizens and
ha, transferred it by violence to others
Forty-two presidential electors are as
signed to the South on account of the col
ored population and yet the colored popu-
latlOn, with more than J, 100000 legal
votes, have been unable to choose sin
gle elector. Even in those states where
they have majority of more than l00,-
0O0 they are deprived of free suffrage and
their rights as citizens are scornfully
trodden under foot. The eleven states
that comprised the rebel confederacy had
population. The colored population al
most to a man, desire tn support the Re-
publican party, but by system of cruel
intimidation and violence and murder,
whenever violence and murder are
thought necessary, they are absolutely
deprived of all political power. If the
outrage stopped there it would be bad
enough, but it does not stop there, for not
only IS the negro population disfranchised
but the power which rightfully and con-
additionally belongs to them is trans
ferred TO the white population, enabling
the white population to exert an electoral
influence far beyond that exerted by the
same number of white DaOnla i'm tha
North. To illustrate just how it works to
the destruction of all fair elections let me
present to you five states in the late confed-
eraey and five loyal states of the north,
possessing in each section the same num-
Der of electoral votes. In the South the
states OF Louisiana. Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia and South Carolina have in ag-
........La .L L..-ni..L.. .l...L.....I