The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-06-03
TIE GREAT SPEECH
" HON. JANIS @. BLAINE
ON Home Rule In I~Fsland-Ths WrOREu
Of Erin Explaiasd-HOW to Relieve
the suroFipEs Of the People.
The Protest Of Ulster.

At the Home Rule meeting at Portland
Me-, Mr.. James G. Blaine was one Of the
speakers. He was greeted with tremend,
Gus applause. Gov. Robbie introduced the
distinguished gentleman, who spoke as
follows:
Your Excellency-Dirsctly after the
publication Of the call for the meeting l
received a letter from a venerable citizen
in an adjacent county asking me to ex-
plain, II l could, just what the Irish ques-
ton is. l appreciate the question, or
rather l appreciate his request for an ex-
PLANTATION Of a question that calls forth 60
much sympathy and sentiment on the
part Of the world at large and evokes so
much opposition among those who are
directly interested. There may be danger
Of not giving attention enough To the sim
pie elementary facts OF the case.
Now, what is Home Ruler Why, 1t is
what every State and Territory OF the
United States enjoys, [Applause.l And
Il is what Ireland does not enjoy, In a
Parliament OF 65S members, Great Britain
has 553 and Ireland has los, and, except
with the consent OF that Parliament, Ire
land cannot organize agas company laugh
teri or 9 horse railroad company, or q
ferry over q stream [~laughtsrb or do the
slightest Thing that implies legislative
power. Now, suppose we bring that home,
and the State OF Maine should be linked
with the State OF New York, relatively as
large with the State Of Maine as England
In numbers with Ireland, and your beau
tiful city hero could not take q step for It's
own improvement nor the State Of Maine
orgRniZS an association of any kind or
charter q company OF any kind, unless the
overwhelming galaxy Of the New York
Legislature gave her consent, how long do
you think the people OF Maine would
stand 1t? Applause.
That the simple question between Eng.
land and Ireland, except that there is q
great fact in addition-which would not
apply to New York and Maine-thAtther
are centuries OF wrong which have built
up monuments Of hatred on the part Of
those who are the subjects OF oppression,
and which have aggravated the question
between Ireland and Great Britain far be-.
yOnd the limits that would be found be-
tween New York and Maine.
THE AMERICAN IDEA.
Isuppose II the question was left to the
United States to decide, we should say:
"Adopt the federal system, have your
Legislature for Ireland, your Legislature
for England, your Legislature for Wales,
your Legislature for, Scotland, and your
Imperial Parliament for the British Em.
pire. Let questions that are Irish be set
tied by Irishmen, questions that are Eng
lish be settled by Englishmen, questions
that are Welsh be settled by Welshmen
and questions that are Scotch be settled by
scotchmen. [Applause.] Let questions
that affect the whole Empire Of Great
Britain be settledbya Parliamentin which
the four great constitutional elements shall
be ippartially represented. Applause.
| say that would be the shortest method
Of settling the question, for We have lived
that way for nearly 100 years in the
United States Of America. Applause l
do not forget, however, that Il would be
political empiriCism to attempt by any
prescription to give the exact measure,
the exact details OF any measure, that
should settle this loug dispute between
Great Britain and Ireland. | am admon.
inhed by what l have noticed in the
British Parliament in discussions concern.
ing America not to be too forward in the
knowledge Of detailso or In prescribing OK.
act measures, because, l suppose, they
would retort that we know quite as little
about their precise troubles az they know
about ours. Therefore, l do not stand
here simply to say that MI. Gladstone's 10
a perfect measure; | do not stand here to
say that l sven could give you the exact
details Of the measure; l do not say that
/ ever took time to examine them but /
say that am in favor Of any bill that
shall take the first step towards righting
the wrong and Of handing over the Gov.
eminent to Ireland.