Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-10-07
GRAFTON.
4 Large Crowd and Considerable En-
thusiasm-Blaine's Speech.


thusiasm-Blaine'sS Speech.
PARKERsBURG, ". Va, October O.
At Grafton there was very large and en-
thusiastic meeting. The little mountain
town was packed full of people from the
surrounding country. Mr.. Blaine was
escorted to the stand, where the Hon. John
W. Mason introduced him to the people
When the demonstrations with which he
was received had subsided, he said:
Blaine's Speech.
"CITIzENs OF WEST VIRGlNIA-As your
distinguished Chairman has intimated, am
not q stranger to your State. | have known
it personally for more than forty years, and
have known this section of it well. | was
born on the banks OF yonder river, a few
miles below the point where it enters Penn
sylvanis. and you 90 not need to be told by
me that there was always unity Of
feeling among the inhabitants
of the Monongahela Valley. Cheers.
But do not see before me the West Vir-
ginia which knew in my boyhood. The
West Virginia of forty years ago was COM
paratively wilderness; the West Virginia
of to-day is prosperous industrial center in
the United States. Applause West
Virginia as an Independent commonwealth
began her existence during the civil war
and at that day the most liberal
estimate of the total property according to
the enumeration Of the United States census
did not exceed one hundred dollars. In
1870 the census gave you an aggregate Zone
hundred and ninety millions and in 1880 it
showed that you possessed capitalized
wealth to the amount OF three hundred
and fifty millions Of dollars. From
the close Of the war to the year 1880
West Virginia had therefore gained in
wealth the enormous sum of two numbered
and fifty millions. You have Jared pretty
well therefore under Republican administra
ton. Laughter and cheers. Probably
some political opponent does me honor to
lii ten to me and | would ask him as can
did man what agency was it that
Nerved the Arm
of industry to smite the mountain and
create this wealth in West Virginia? 1t was
the protective tariff Great cheering,
and financial system that gave you good
money. Renewed cheering Before the
war you never had circulating in your
midst, bank bill that would pass current
a hundred miles from home. That's so
and cheers You do not to-day have q
single piece of paper money circulating in
West Virginia that is not good all around
the globe. Cheers. Not bill that will
not pass as certainly in the money markets
of Europe as in New York or Baltimore
so that the man who works for days wages
knows when Saturday night comes that he is
tobe paid in good money Renewed cheers.
Under Q protective tariff your coal indus
tries and your iron industries aud the
wealth of your forests have been brought
out, and it is for you, voters of West N!r-
ginia, to say whether you want this to con
tinue or whether you want to try free trade
+ No, we dont!l l make bold to say with
all respect that there is not Democratic
statesman on the stump in West Virginia
conspicuous enough to be known to
the nation Il speak only
of those | know who advocates a
protective taIiff not one. Not one, not
one) 90 further. | do not know a
Democratic statesman who will acknowL
edge that tariff for protection is unconsti-
,utional, and therefore, as honest men, they
are bound to oppose it. The Morrison
,ariff bill, I'VE wont have it) the Morrison
tariff bill would have struck at the interest
OF West Virginia in many vital points, and
ii is an
Amazing Fact
that representatives in Congress from West
Virginia voted for that bin There is
good old adsge which wish to recall to
your minds that God helps those who help
themselves. aud if West Virginia is not will
ling 10 sustain q protective tariff by her
vote and her influence, she must not expect
il 10 be sustained for her BY others 1t she
wants the benefit OF protective tariff she
must give to protective tariff
the benefit Of her support. Cheers.
L. am glad that | am
addressing southern people, a community
that were slave holders, community made
up of those who were masters, aud those
who were slaves. But am addressing
slave State no longer. Great cheering
| am appealing to the new South, Renewed
cheering, and am appealing to West Fir-
ginia not to vote upon tradition or pre-
iudice. not to keep her eyes to the rear
but look to the front and to the future, Well
do il we'll do il, and Wild cheering. and If
I could be heard would make the same
sppeal to other Southern States, to Old Flr-
giinis, to North Carolina, to Georgia to
Alabama, to Tennessee. and Louisiana;
They are all interested in a protective tariff.
and the question is which do they prefer to
crafty. a prejudice OF to promote general
prosperity3 West Virginia can lead the way
She can break this Seemingly impregnablr
barrier of a Solid South Cheers and
cries Of "we'n do itr' well do it, Solid
on what? Solid on preiudlcei solid on a