Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-11-29

Augusta, No, November 18.-A large
plumber of devoted personal and pOliti-
cal friends of Mr.. Blaine serenaded him
this evening as an expression Of their
personal good will and admiration for
his conduct of the National campaign.
They marched through the streets under
the marshalship of Col. Frank NYe.
When they reached Mr.. Blaine's house
their compliments and friendly regards
were expressed in speech by Herbert
NJ. Heath, Esq, of the Kennebec bar.
Mr.. Blaine responded as follows, his
speech being continually interrupted by
applause:
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORs-The National
contest is over, and by the narrOWest Of
margins we have lost. 1 thank you for
your call, which, if not one Of joyous
congratulations, is one am sure of conf
dence and of sanguine hope for the future.
1 thank you for the public opportunity
you give me to express my sense OF ODll-
cation, not only to you, but to all the
Republicans Of Maine. They responded
to my nomination with genuine enthu-
siasm and ratified it by a superb vote. I
count it as one of the hOnOrs and gratih-
cations 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 the old fashioned
10000 plurality. No other expression Of
popular confidence and esteem would
equal that Of the people among whom 1
have lived for thirty years, and to whom
am attached by all the ties that enODle
human nature and give Joy and dignity
to life. After Maine, indeed along with
Maine, my first thought is always Of
Pennsylvania. How can I tittingly eX-
press my thanks for that unparalleled
majority of more than $4,000 votes, a
popular endorsement which has deeply
touched my heart, and which has, If pos
sible, increased my affection for the
grand old COmmOnWealth-an affection
which I inherit from my ancestry, and
which I shall transmit to my children.
But I do not limit my thanks to the State
of my residence, and the State of my
birth. I owe much to the true and zeal
GUS friends in New England who worked
so nObly for the Republican party and
/ its candidates, and to the eminent schOl-
arsa and divines who, stepping aside from
their ordinary avOcatlOns, made my
! cause their cause, and maintained their
LOYALTY through so many obstacles and
diScOuragemeuts; who fought Toes from
within and foes from without, and who
waged so strong a battle that a change of
one vote in every 1000 would have given
US the victory in the Nation. Indeed, a
change of little more than 5000 votes
would have transferred New Y FORK, 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 1
should fail TO recognize with special
gratitude that great body of working
men, both native and foreign born, who
gave me their earnest support, breaking
from old personal and party ties, and
! finding in the principles which i repre-
sented in the canvass the safeguards and
protection of their own hresides and IN
/ terests. The result Of the election, my
/ friends, will be regarded IN the future, L
| think, as extraordinary. The Northern
/ States, leaving out the cities Of New
| York and Brooklyn from the count, sus-
/ tanned the Republican cause by a major
/ ity Of more than 100000, almost half a
million of the popular vote. The cities
/ of New York and Brooklyn threw their
/ great strength andinfiVence with thesOlid
/ South and were the decisive element
which gave to that section the control
/ of the National Government. Speaking
now, not as a defeated candidate, but
/ simply as a lOyal and devoted American,
think the transfer Of the political
/ power of the Government to the South
/ is a great National misfortune. it is a
misfortune because it introduces an ele-
ment which cannot insure harmony and
/ prosperity to the people, and because 1t
+ introduces into the Republic the rule of
\ a minority. The first instinct of an
/ American is equality, equality of right,
/ equality Of privilege, and equality Of pO-
/ liGical bower. That equality which says
/ to every citizen, your vote is just as
/ good and just as potential as the vote OF
\ any other citizen, 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 100000 American
/ citizens. and has transferred it, by viO-
/ Ience. to others. FOrty-tWO Presidential
electors are assigned to the South on &C
count Of the colOred population, and yet
the colored population, with more than
] 100000 legal votes, have been unable
to choose q single electOr. Even I'D
/ those States where they have a majority
of more than 100000, they were deprived
of free suffrage, and their rights IS citl-
zens are scOrnfully trodden under foot
The eleven States that comprised the
! Rebel C,onfederacy had, by the census Of
/ 1880. 100000 white population and
! 100000 cOlored population. The col
/ cred population slmost 70 man desire