The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-08-21
Mr.. BLAINE Defended.
An Eloquent Speech by Sena-
tor HOar, of MasSa-
chusetts,
Delivered at the Great Repub-
Iican Meeting at
Boston.

The first question, compared to which every
other il petty aud trifiing, is that OF the SUI
premacy OF the Constitution itself. know not
what others may think, hut cannot stand in
Faneuil Hall in honor when know that In
great States the right of suffrage Is practically
denied to my country men 90 Rot tnlnh my
IL the man of my choice Is TO be defeated by
such processes as prevail at the south. Ihere
are three States-Mississippi, Louisiana, and
South Carolina-to say nothing of Others, In
which, beyond all question, the electoral vote
recorded at the coming election VIII have no re-
lation whatever to the will of the people. These
three States cast twenty electoral votes;
with Virginia they cast forty. Now, giving 10
Gov. Cleveland all the States that his most en-
thusiastic supporters can hope Tor, ne VIII fall
far short OF an election unless the votes OF these
States, wrested from their Republican MAORI
ties by crime and fraud, are TO be counted In MS
favor. The young reformer who votes for
Gov Cleveland cannot help to elect him.
He can only help TO make possible the
successful accomplishment OF the crime
by which a minority shall usurp the
government OF the country. The process Is
very simple and familiar. Ii Is known as the
Mississippi plan Violence ana murder are
made use OF until the minority get the election
offices in into their hands and thenceforth the
ascendancy is maintained by the easier way OF
tissue ballots and fraudulent counting. These
things Will scarcely be denied by Southern
Democrat in private. The leading Democratic
papers in each OF these States have named,
have in substance admitted these facts, and all
but one have indicated them n necessity.
You tell me Gov. Cleveland Is not responsible
for these things. II he were to declare in a man
ner that showed he was in earnest, that he
would, II President, use the power vested in him
for their suppression or II he should declare. rs
an honest man should co, that he would not
take an office gained by such means, he could
not get Democratic vote south OF Mason and
Another question next in dignity, is that
of the wages OF the American workman. We do
not accept the teachings of that political
economy, with its tidings of despair,
which tells us that it is the lot of the the
We believe this country is governed, Is to be
governed. and ought 10 be governed, by the men
who work with their hands on farms and in
shops. Unless these men shall have a return
for their labor, which shall bring them leisure,
comfort, education for their children, they can
not preserve the qualities needed for citizen
ship, and the republic must fall There may be
a great and powerful nation on this continent
on other terms. but there cannot be great re-
public. This end can only be secured by the
maintenance of the American system. The
prices OF many other things the rates of ex-
change, are, in the ARTIFICIAL arrangements or
commerce. determined in Great B itan. We
do not propose TO annex American labor TO that
market. We believe that by "a judiclous system
of protection, framed for that purpose, this re-
suit can be and Is secured, and that agriculture,
manufacture, and commerce Will alike be bene-
fitted. A few theoretic economists, a few college
professors, and the great bulk OF the old owners
of plantations and slave labor differ with us
We propose TO debate that question with them,
and take the verdict of the American people
dates and framed its platform. Your delegates,
in obedience to what they believed TO be the
wish of their constituents, voted for the distin-
guished statesman from Vermont. But we are
bound to say that there was never nomination
made under circumstances more entitled TO re-
spect. The unit rule, which formerly threatened
to tramme the free choice of the people, was
overthrown. The holders of office were in al
most solid column for another candidate. / do
not believe that until within few days Mr..
Blaine either sought or expected the result.
1t was the irrepressible act Of the Ieople who
had eyes and chose him Look at
the States and communities who have
made this choice. They are the very flower
of America. . Fellow citizens, this is
the nomination Of what is best in
our Ans rcan life. 1t is the nomination OF what
is best in human society the round world over.
1t il the nomination OF the ereat free States. 1t
Is the nomination OF the church and OF the
school house. 1t is the nomination of the men
who own and till their own farms. 1t is the
nomination OF the men who perform skilled Ia
Dor IN our shops. IL Is the nomination OF the
soldier OF the men who went To the and
stayed all through. 1t is the nomination OF
the men who paid the debt and kept the
currency sound, and saved the nations honor.
1t is the nomination OF the men who saved the
country in war, and who have made il worth
living in in peace. This fellow citizens, is the
riffraif of the Republican party that surrounds
The people knew well what they were doing.
Mr. Blaine, IL we except our great soldiers has
been for nearly twenty years the most conspic-
nous personal presence in the country. He has
dwelt in his simple American home in Augusta
and Washington with wife and children. Into
the inmost recesses OF his life blazing light has
been constantly poured. He Is the choice OF
what Is best in character and what Is most pro-
gressive in opinion throughout the whole coun-
try. Gentlemen tell us that he has done moth
ing of m MOI able public service. had thought
otherwise. 1 had thought him one of the very
greatest of the great leaders who have conducted
the American people along the difficult pathway
OF danger and of glory which they h ave travelled
for the past twenty years. l had thought his
hand was found in the framing OF the four
teenth and fifteenth amendments / had
thOught-indeed, had knOwn-that he was In
the very Utmost councils when the resumption
act was framed, and that his influence carried II
through the House which he presided
had thought that he had been Speaker of the
House of Representatives during six crowded
and eventful years / had thought that among
the great orators OF the country he had been OF
the very greatest anu most persuasive in the de-
bate which satisfied the American people to take
up the heavy burden OF the debt, to keep its cur
rency depressed and its credit safe. | had
thought that when in Maine the ambitious lar
ceny of the Democratic party undertook to pill
fer a whole state Government at once, Ii was
his leadership that by peaceful and lawful meth
DDS baifted the conspiracy and saved the State
1 remember too the next year, when the ReDub-
licans had the temptation TO Tetaliate in kind
and exclude Gov. Plaisted by technical objec-
lions. IL was Mr.. Blaine who said One major
1ty Tor MIR. Plaisted shall be as good as q
They say Mr. Blaine is a "Jingo" He Is just
such lingo" as was John Quincy Adams. The
malice Of his detIactors brings against his per
sonal integrity a single charge which is support
ed by no proof and refuted by every witness who
knows the facts, aud n single phrase in letter
which IL fully susceptible OF an honest construc-
ton. IL Is said that the President of the United
States ought to be like CAESARS wife, above sus
picion. / have one thing TO say about Caesar
Cesar did many base things: among them wa;
the destruction of the liberties of his, country
but he never did a baser thing than when hi
abandoned his wife because somebody slanderec
her.
wish to say word concerning Mr.. Blaine,
associate on the ticket, whom for fifteen years
have had abundant opportunity OF knowing
Gen. Logans opinions and character hav,
been constant growth from the
time he entered public life
Democratic Representative from Egypt thirty
years ago i have not explored, but i have M
doubt II you were TO look back among forgotten
records, you would find many opinions that h,
expressed and many votes that he gave will
which you and / should have little sympathy
Sut what of that? He was born again in thu
day of the great regeneration. He went through
the baptism of fire and blood, and ever sine
has been true "a steel on every question o
patriotism and freedom. He is the type anC
representative Of the American voluntee
soldier He entered the a private. HI
came out the highest in rank and the mos
famous OF all the men who enlisted from civil
life. Ever since, the people of his great Stat
have kept him in public service I'm House anC
Senate, until the other day she presented him a
hoxc dat Tor he of3lo