Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-08-25
BLAINE'S REMARKS.
THE REPUBLICAN ORACLE ADDRESSES A
MAINE AUDIENCE.
The Tariff, the FShsrisSl and Mexican Questions and
the Third Party Movement Engage His
Attention - Other Speeches
10 Follow.


opening speech. He is expected to thOrO-
ughly stump the State and will speak twice
more this week. There was large au.
dience to greet the distinguished states
man.
Mr.. Blaine began his speech by saying
anew administration is unusually unvexed
in its first year except by theimportunities
and disappointments of its own supporters,
while the people at large are apparently
Indifferent. This period of rest gives time
for patient hearing and of fair argument
when National issues again come up. The
situation in Maine makes it proper to in
quire whether people are content to cease
disputatiOn, or whether it is fact that
the American people are now seeing more
clearly than ever the coming of a struggle
over policies that are irreconcilable.
He then proceeded to point out the posi-
tiOn of the two great parties on the subject
of the tariff, placing the Republicans in
favor of protective tariff, and the Demo-
Gratis, OF a vast majority of them, in favor
of free trade.
Upon
THE LABOR QUESTION,
while offering no quack nOstrums, he was
a firm believer in the efficacy Of the protec-
tive tariff, but he was surprised to see Ia
Dor organizations insisting so little upon
this policy He was astOnished, also, that
they gave so little heed to the pOrtentOus
fact OF the existence gilmore than million
and n half dark skinned labOrerS in the
South with expanding intellect and grow
ing ambition. While they were slaves
they were not in competition with
skilled labor from the North, but
now they are entering mechanical
and manufacturing pursuits. Being I'M
able to influence legislation they are un-
derpaid, and Mr.. Blaine argued that if the
Democratic party shall succeed, Us they
have been attempting annually for the
last twelve years, in destroying the pro-
tective tariff, the labOring men of the
North will be thrown into competition
with the miserably paid labor Of Europe,
and if the same party keeps the Southern
colOred men in their present political situa-
ton, the cOlorcd labOrer will remain con-
stant quantity in the labor market, under
paid himself and crOwding down the COM
penSatiOn of Northern labOrerS.
He devoted considerable space to
THE FISHERY QUESTION,
criticising sharply the action of Secre-
tary Bayard in June last, when he
promised the British Minister that in con-
sideratiOn of the continuance of the terms
of the expiring treaty six months longer
the President would recommend to Con-
gresS the creation of an international COM
mission to agree upon treaty. Mr.. Blaine
assumed that a fair construction Ofthe
treaties places the United States i'll sad
light Us submitting to insults and diSgraceS
from which her citizens should be pro
tected He said:
The humiliation of our situation has
been gratuitOuSly increased by the vote OF
a majority of the Democratic party in the
House of Representatives to throw open
the markets of the British and Canadian
fishermen, without duty or charge and
without securing to American fishermen
the right to fish i'll British Canadian
waters. This is an act of such unaccOunt-
able, rancOrOus hostility TO the fishing in
tereSt of New England that it is difficult
even to comprehend its motive. John
Randolph 50 hated the wool tariff that he
felt like walking mile to kick sheep
Do the northern Democrats feel such deter
mined hostility to the fishermen Of New
England that they would sacrifice great
national interest in order to intiict blow
upon them?'
Referring to
THE MEXICAN TROUBLE
he said: I'm contrast with our patient
endurance of Canadian OutrageS we have
made an unnecessary and undignitied dis
play of insOlence and bravadO towards
Mexico
Continuing, he said:
''There could not, fellow citizens, in my
Judgment, he q more deplOrablc event than
a war between the United States and any
other Republic OF America. The United
States must be regarded rs the elder sister
in that family of cOmmOnwealthS. Even
in the day Of our weakness, We gave aid
and comfort to them in their struggle for
independence, and let us not fail now to
cultivate friendly and intimate relations
with them Refraining from war
ourselves we shall gain the
influence that will enable us to
prevent war among them-So that peace
Shall be assured and perpetual on this con-
tinent. Ii l recall any part of my own
participation in public affairs with special
satisfaction it is that l endeavOred and al
most succeeded in having the American
Republics assemble in a Peace Congress in
order that war between nations on this
continent should he made impossible. War
in any direction would prove great ca
lamity to the United States; but war forced
on Mexico would be crime, marked in
an especial degree by cruelty
He closed his speech with an allusion to
the
THIRD PARTY PROHIBITIoNISTS
in Maine.
C,ooluJ;Dn ba said.