The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-28
EX.SECRETARY BLAINE
SPEAKS TO THE PENNSYLVA.
MANS OF LgWISBURG,
And DsvOtes Himself Chiefly to
Frightening the White Labor
With the Negro.

LEwIsBURG, PA, October 27.-Mr.
Blaine reached this place this after
noon, and spoke in Music Hall. He
said: The political contest in Penn
sylvania this year bears a very strik-
ing analogy to that which we closed in
Maine in September. We had Re-
publican patty in the field, we had a
Democta ic party in the field, and We
had third party in the field, profess
ing a special devotion to the doctrine
of prohibition. Maine has been a
prohibition State for thiity years, and
the third party OF Prohibitionists in
this country seemed to think they
had particular patent right upon
all temperance topics, and they
came to Maine TO persuade
us, a prohibitory State, that the Re-
publican party had better be dis
posss Of power and the cause of
temperance handed over to the tender
mercies and kind care of the Demo-
cratic party. l find the same con-
dition of things in this State, with the
exception that Pennsylvania has never
pronounced in favor Of prohibition.
But Wa fnd a third party organized
for this purpose, and with the declared
intention OF defeating the Repupubli-
can party and OF bringing the Demo-
cratic party into power. Now, what
ever you may think, whatever / msy
think, or whatever anyone else may
think, as to the expedlency or mex
pediency Of prohibition, we will all
agree tbat the one party in the
United States which has never done
anything for the cause OF temperance
is the Democratic party. [Applause, !
And here in Pennsy vania, as before
in Maine, the third party organized
especially to promote temperance
works obviously to the end OF throw
ing it all over in the control of its
ma ural, inherited and perpetual ene-
mics of temperance. The laboriDg
men of this State and OF the
Northern States are about entering
on another QUESTION. They are
about entering on a question of great
and impressive msgnitude-that is,
with the power OF the national govern
ment in the hands of the Democratic
party, there Is no possible hope for
the rise or the progress of nearly two
millions OF oolored lsborers in the
South. They give them no vote; they
give them no voice; they give them
no influence. They keep them living
in huts on starvation wages, and they
are hurrying them by millions into
competition with Northern men.
Now, if the Democratic party holds
the government of this country, and
keeps that labor as servile as it was
when the chains OF slavery we're fas-
tened upon it, it's competition with
the white labor of this country will
grow more and more fierce, and more
and more will they have to confront
this direct and important truth, that
either that great mass OF laborers in
the South must be "A 'sed in the scale
or they will pull doSs Northern men
to their level on wfges. Therefore, /
say aud / dwell upo, it as the one
idea which / may hope to leave for
y our reflection, that the contest for
free labor in thiscountry or for ade-
luate compensation to labor in
this country, is going to be
more fierce between the South
and the North, and between
the Republican and Democratic
parties than it has been for the last
quarter of century, and il the white
Iaboring men of the North are not |
willing to engage in the contest on
The side of good wagas and prosperous
lines, then the battle against them is
hopeless And then to them will |
come the inevitable, the downward |
equaliz ,tion Of labor between the
colored labor of the South and the |
of white workingmen in the
North. Now these mil ions in the
North-aud everybody is a working.
man in the North--if they resolve to
10 it, can control the policy OF this
government with no greater effort than
small piece of paper, and
# they are not willing to handle that
mall piece Of paper with its great
potency, its mighty power, so as to
protect themselves and their children,
hey will look in vain for others to do
t. Gentlemen, this ia no catch word
II campaign; it is no mere resource
If political necessity; it is not the cry
II party defeated or of party that
xpecs to be victorious. 1t is sol
mn, undeniable, industrial fact.
Fray re fleet upon it"