The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-11-27
SPEECH By MR. BLAINE,
Mr. Blaine serenadsd at His Home,
Makes the. Nest Noteworthy
Speech Of the Year.

Mr. Blaine serenadsd at His 4ere,
Makes the. Most Noteworthy
Speech Of the Year.
Danger to the Nation from Southern Dom.
1nation-A Graceful 4. us1on t. Gov.
Cleveland
Auavsr4, Me-, Nov ia large number
Of devoted personal and political friends of
Mr.. Blaine serenaded him this even.rgts
expression of personal good will and admira-
ton of his conduct in the national campaign
They marched through the streets under the
marshalship of Col. Frank Nye When thew
reached Blaine's house their compliments
and friendly regards were EXPRESSED ii, a
speech by Herbert NJ Heath, OF the Keiebec
bar. Mt. Blaine responded as follows. his
speech being continually interrupted by ap-
plause:
Friends and Neighbors: The national contest
IS over, and by the narrowest of margins we have
iost. / Il thank Won for your call, which, If not
one of joyous congratulation, is one, I am sure,
OF confidence and Of sanguine hope for the
future, Ithank you for the public opportunity
not only to you, but to all the Republicans OF
Maine. They responded to my nomination with
genuine enthusiasm and ratified it by superb
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 twenty thousand plurality. No other
expression Of popular confidence and esteem
could equal that OF the people among whom
nave LIVED for thirty years and to whom am
life. After Maine, indeed along with
Maine. my first thought Is always Of Pennsylva-
that unparalleled majority OF more than eighty
Thousand vOtes-a popular endorsement which
mas deeply touched my heart. and which has, if
possible, increased my affection for the grand
old commonwealth, An affection which / in
herltcd from my ancestors and which shall
transmit to my children? But do not limit nv
thanks to the state of my residence and the
Jealous friends iii New England, who worked so
bobby for the Republican party and its candi-
Dates and to the eminent scholars and diyines
lions, made my cause their cause, and to loyalty
to principle added tho special compliment OF
standing as my personal representatives in the
national struggle But the achievements of the
Republican 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
Ohio and ending with California, the Republican
banner was borne so loftily that but single
state failed to join in the wide acclaim Of
triumph: Nor should do justice to my own
feelings If failed to thank the Republicans Of
the Empire State, who encountered so many dis
conragements and obstacles, who fought foes
waged so strong a battle that a change of one
vote in every two thousand would have given us
the victory in the nation. Indeed, change of
transferred New York, Indiana, New jersey and
Connecticut to the Republican standard, and
would have made the North as solid as the
should fail to, recognize with special grati-
tule 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 in the principles which
represented in the canvass the safeguard and
protection OF their own tireside interests. The
result of the election, my friends, will be re-
EEarded in the future think, as extraordinary:
The Northern states leaving out the cities Of
New York and Brooklyn from the count sus-
tanned the Republican cause by majority Of
= million, indeed, of the popular vote: The cit
les OF New York and Brooklyn threw their great
strength and influence with the solid South and
were the decisive element which gave to that
Speaking now not at all as defeated candidate,
but simply as loyal and devoted American,
l. think I'M the transfer Of the political power
great national misfortune. 1t is misfortune
because 1t introduces an element which can not
ensure harmony and prosperity to the people;
because it introduces into the republic the rule
of a minority. The first instinct OF an Amer1-
can, equality, equality of right, equality of priv
tlege, equality OF political power, that equality
citizen that can not be said az to-day In tho
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 violence to others. Forty-two
presidential electors are assigned to the South
on account of the colored population, and yet
the colored population, with more than l, 1OO,-
900 votes, have been unable to choose a single
electOr. Even in those states where they have a
majority of more than hundred Thousand they
are
DEPRIVED OF FREE SUFFRAGE
and their rights as citizens are scornfully
trodden under foot: The eleven states that
sus OF 1850 100000 white population and
:, 300, 900 colored population. The colorod pop
llation almost to man desire to support tho
Republican party. but bya system of cruel in
timidation and by violence and murder, when
ever violence and murder are thought necessary,
they are absolutely deprived of all political
power. If the outrage stopped there 1t would be
bad enough; but it does not stop there, for not
only is the negro population DISTINGUISHED, but
the power which rightfully and constitutionally
belongs to them is tran sferred to the white pop
uation, enabling the white population of the
South to exert an electoral influence far
beyond that eXcrted by the same number of
white people III the North. To illustrate just
how it works to the destruction of all fair Cleo
tlOns let me present to you five states in the
late confcderacy and five loyal states Of the
North, possessing i'll each section the same num-
Der OF electoral votes. In the South the states Of
Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and
South Carolina have in the aggregate forty-eight
electoral votes. They have 2,9OO,OOO white
vcopIc aud over 100000 colored people. In
the North the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota.
Iowa, Kansas and California have likewise forty
eight electoral votes, and they have white
population Of 5,6OO,OOO. or just double the five
Southern states which I have named. These
Northern states have practically no colored pop
ulation. 1t is, therefore, evident that the
white men in those Southern states bv usurp-
ing and absorbing the rights of the colOrcd men,
are exerting just double the political power OF
the white men in the Northern states. Isubmit,
my friends, that such a condition of affairs is
manhood of the North. Even those who are
vindictively opposed to negro suffrage will not
deny that if presidential electors are assigned to
the South by reason Of the negro population,
that population ought to be permitted free suf-
frase in election. TO deny that clear PROPOSE
ton is to affirm that a Southern white man in
the gulf states is entitled to
DOUBLE THE POLITICAL POWER
of a Northern white man in the lake states. It
is to affirm that confederate soldier shall WELD
twice the influence in the nation that Union
soldier can, and that perpetual and constantly
increasing superiority shall be conceded to the
Southern white man in the government of the
Union If that be quietly conceded in this gen.
Grafton, it will harden into custom until the
badge Of inferiority will attach to the Northern
white man easily as the Norman mobiles
stamped it upon the Saxon churl. This subject
is OF deep interest to the labOrng men of the
north. With the Southern Democracy tri-
umphant in their states and in the
nation, the negro will be compelled
to work for just such wages as the whites may
d2cree-wages which will amount, did the
supplies of the slaves, to a bare subsistence,
equal in cash perhaps to IS cents per day, if
averaged over the entire South. The white
laborer in the North will soon feel the distinct-
i've effect of this upon his own wages. The Re-
publicans have clearly seen from the earliest
days of reconstruction that wages in the South
must be raised TO a just recompense Of the
laborer, or wages in the North would be ruin
ousiy lowered, and the party. has steadily
worked for tho former result. The reverse infiu-
ence will now be set in motion and that condi-
ton of affairs produced which years ago Mr..
Lincoln warned the free laboring men of the
North will prove hostile to their independence
and will inevitably lead to . ruinous reduction
Of wages difference in the color of
the skin will not suffice to maintain
an entirely different standard of wages
in contiguous and adjacent states, and the vol
untary will be compelled to yield to the invol-
untary. So completely have the colored meE
in the South been already deprived by the
Democratic party of their constitutional and
legal right as citizens Of the United States, that
they regard the advent of that party to national
power as the signal for their reinstatement,
and are affrighted because they think all legal
protection tor them is gone. Few persons in the
North realize how completely the chiefs of the
Rebellion WELD the DO1itical mower which has