Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-11-06
No. 81

for American industries, for the settlement
OF International differences by arbitration,
for war against polygamy, for the decent
treatment of Indians, for the preservation
of the results of the war, and for every
sacred interest of our beloved country bv
voting the Republican ticket at the eusu-
/ ing election.
/ a number of ministers spoke, when Mr..
/ Blaine responded as follows:
/ Mr.. Chairman and Rec. Gentlemen This
/ is another very remarkable assemblage-
remarkable beyond any of which | have
known in the history of political contests
in the United States and it does not need
my personal appearance that yeu should
know that ! am very deeply impressed by
it. | do not feel that ! am speaking To
these hundreds of men merely | am
speaking to great congregations and the
great religious opinion which is behind
them, and as they represent great Christian
bodies | know, and | realize the full weight
of that which yOu say to me, and of the
influence which you tender to me. Were
it to me personally | confess that | should
/ be overcome by the compliment and
weight of confidence which it carries, but
know that it is extended to me as a repre-
sentative Of the party whose creed and
whose practices are in harmony with the
churches. The Republican party, from it's
very outset, stood upon the impregnable
platform of opposition 10 the extension of
human slavery and stood on that platform
tillit was drifted by the hostility it provoked
into larger assertion OF national sovereign
ty and thence into a bloody conflict to
maintain it from that onward. | defy any
man to point to a single measure of the
Republican party which could not challenge
the appreciation of the Christian ministers
and approval OF God. And when, as one
reverend speaker has said, Il narrowed the
issue when | spoke of it Coming down to
a question OF tariff 1 did not mean to
exclude therefrom. | could not mean that
the great history Of the party, which is its
wealth and its creed, and which gives to
you and to all that stand behind you, the
assurance that whatever issue ii attempts
TO enforce, it will do it in good faith. They
can no more separate the party from its
history than you can separate man from
his character, and when the great make
up of public opinion is read it takes into
account the origin, progressive measures,
character OF the party, and character OF its
public men. What | meantby saying that
tariff was the conclusive issue, was that 1T
steps to the forefront, not in exclusion Of
thousand other important issues, but
for this critical occasion and at the
close of this campaign, 1T stands forth as
the issue which represents bread to the
hungry, clothing to the naked and pros
perity to the whole people. The tariff
therefore is merely "a national issue, dis
tinct and separate from the great moral
issue, because, as have said before west
ern audiences, l say here, you cannot inn
press man if he is hungry with any other
thought than that he shall be fed. You
cannot impress man if he is naked with
any other thought than that he shall be
clothed, and therefore that public policy
and that craftsmanship is highest and best
that attends TO the primal needs Of human
nature first, and says here is bread for the
hungry, here is clothing for the naked,
and the tariff, which protects the Amer
lean laborer in mis- wages, the American
capitalist in his investments, the inventive
talent of the country in its enterprise, is
the issue which lies at the very foundation
OF the prosperity OF the American people,
and the very foundation and success Of the
Christian religion. When you send out
your missions to destitute places you
cloth the little naked children and give
them food as the first step. Therefore |
repeat that the great conflict of 1884
closes with the people of the United States
standing face TO face In two parties saying
whether they Will adhere to that policy of
protection which has trebled the wealth of
the United States in twenty years, or
or whether they will abandon it and re-
turn once more to the failing theory of
free trade. 1t involves other issues, too
No nation can grow so powerful as the
United States has grown, and is growing,
without continually enlarging its relations
with other nations As those relations be-
come SO enlarged they become complicated,
and therefore the foreign policy Of the
United States goes right along with its
domestic policy, supplements it and COM
plements it, and we cannot in any affair of
our destiny and our policy separate one
from the other. Now, gentlemen of the
church, address an earnest word to you.
The policy of the United States in the
future must be one of broad, liberal, Chris
tian principles, and in that policy it must
be one, in my judgment, which draws
nearer within the circle of the sympathies
OF the United States those other struggling
republics of North and SOnth Amer
lea, which bring them first into
trade relations and then into
close personal and moral relations and !
believe that we shall not only have that
great gain that comes from intercourse,
but we shall enlarge the civilization of the
Anglo Saxon until its limits shall include
he most southern part of the continent.
/ did not intend, in accepting and ac-
knowledging the great sense of the obliga-
ton / feel for this honor, to 90 into pro-
longed politica! speech. l have but indi-
Gated the two leading points which think
are involved in the pending election. 1t
only remains for me to say to you that L
recognize it at its full worth, and its full
worth is very great, the meaning of this
We have no union of church
and state, but we have proved that the
church is stronger without the state, and
we have proved that no state can he strong
without the church. Let us 90 forward as
we have gone, with the state growing and
by the example of the
church and the church growing and
by liberal cooperation with
all the great reforms which il is within
the immediate province of the government
to forward and improve Gentlemen, |
thank You again and bid you very cor
dial good morning.
Mr. Blaine was then greeted with three
ringing cheers, and then the Rev. DR.. Nc
Arthur called for and led in three equally
hearty cheers for Mrs. Blaine. Mr.. Blaine
then descended to the foot of the stairs
and for some time remained shaking
hands with the clergymen who had visited
nim.
Windows Broken.