Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-21

Lord Mayor having q splendid dinner while
the workmen of London are starving in

Hoiu "ayof nSFlng = splenold dinner while
the workmen of London are starving in
novels Here, here, and appreciation
give you these two kilograms together as
forming better argument than any | could
make on the question, and send back greet.
ing TO the London Time. that l stand this
moment before countless thousand of free
American workingmen who have good wages
and happy homes with prosperity behind them
and before them. Tremendous cheering
we are constantly encouutering IN this dis.
cussion the argument of the free trader that
we should increase our foreign trade. that the
United States Is deterioratiug because we do
not enlarge the area and increase the volume
or foreign trade. To begin with, my friends,
there is great deal of delusion about our
foreign trade. live down on the extreme
borders of the Unitel States, in the State of
Maine, although | am now near the verv
spot on which was born. GCheers If a
merchant living on the border of Maine sends
cargo of goods across TO the New Bruins
wick line, tive miles, and sells il that is for.
eign trade. If he should ship it around Cane
Horn away up TO Washington Territory m
Peget Sound, $4,000 miles away from home.
that is domestic trade. Laughter Eng
iand foreign trade is made up lsrgely of
trade to the colonies which she herself gov
erns and believe, though as do not abso-
lutely know the fact refrain from making
the statement absolute, that which she sells
to the channel islands of Guernsey and Jer-
sey, between her coast and that of France,
and under her flag is classed as foreign trade
by the way of making showing of prosper
ouse business. But we have something else
To look at. Free traders beyond the
seas are not one whit concerned
about our increasing our foreign
trade. What they want is to get a share of
our domestic trade The foreign trade of
this country last year. all that went out and
all that came in, exports and imports
amounted to only % ,000, 900 tons of mer-
chandise. representing about 81 400, 900, 900
In value. The local freight carried on the
railroad between Philadelphia and Pittsburg
not counting ton of that which came from
beyond the boundaries of the state, but the
actual traffic within the state limits handled
on that great artery of trade in YOUR state
was % 500, 600 tons. cheers so that even on
single line of railroad within the limits of
one state, the aggregate of merchandise taken
up and delivered Was practically equal in
tonnage to the whole of our foreign trade eX
port and import. | have never yet been able
to ascertain with positive accuracy what the
enormous domestic trade of the United
have estimated it as being last year from So
5O0,O00,000 to $50 1000, 900 600. This total
would represent all the exchanges which
took place between thirty-eight states and
nine territories. On the other hand our total
foreign trade of last years exports and i'm
ports is estimated at 81 400, ,0G0, 900. | re-
peat, it is that domestic trade of ours which
all the nations of Europe want to get share
of. Mr. Blaine then smoke of connecting to
the skilled labor of the North, would likely
be found in rapidly growing tendency of the
negro in the South to enter the field of skilled
mechanics at wages much lower than was
paid for the same work in the North, and
said the way to correct this was to insist that
the rights of the negro be maintained in the
South; that he be allowed to vote as he
wished. in which case there would be no dan
ger of free trade legislation, for the colored
voters would be in large majority.
He also claimed that if the negro is not al
lowed to vote the basis of representation in
the South should be changed as the basis OF
representation was founded on the enfran-
chisement of the negro. Mr.. Blaine went
into the Southern question at great length
and aroused great enthusiasm by his tribute
to Gen. Beaver which closed his remarks.
At the conclusion of his address Mr.. Blaine
was driven to the Monongshels House where
he was joined by his son James q. Blaine,
Jr., and wife. The evening was devoted to
an informal reception. Tomorrow Mr..
Blaine leaves for trip up the the Monon-
gahela river to his old home at Brownsville.
lie expects to go to West Virginia on busi-
ness and will return here Friday, passing
through the city on his way North.