The Portland daily press., 1886-10-20
BLAINE's ENTHUSIASTIC REcEP-
TON.
BY the Country Folk of PennsyI'
vania.
His Speeches Cheered to the Echo
by Immense Audiences.

HUNTINGDON, Oct 19.-Mr. Blaine and
his party reached Lewiston at 10 o'clock, an
hour before they were expected, but found a
crowd of several thousand gathered in front
of the court house in the public square. City
Solicitor Warwick, of Philadelphia, began
speaking, followed by Col. Snowden and
Gen. Beaver, while Mr.. Blaine shook hands
and conversed with groups of ladies. Mr.
Blaine concluded speaking with 10 minute
address in reference to the tariff and prohi-
ton, and strongly urged the election of Gen.
Patton who is candidate for Congress in that
district. He said so far as he could learn
the Prohibition party here was doing what
it did in Maine running as a tender to the
Democratic machine. In saying this he did
not impugn the motives of the people who
would vote the ticket, but he did seriously
question the honesty of the Third Party.
Mr.. Blaine spoke of the magic-like material
prosperity of the nation under Republican
auspices as compared with its hating and
limited development under the Democratic
policy he specially emphasized the fact that
three-fourths of the present total wealth of
the State of Pennsylvania, now a magnih-
cent empire in the extent and fertility of her
day on which Abraham Lincoln was nonli-
mated for President. All the wealth acquir-
ed in this State from the date of the grant of
the charter to William Penn down to 1860,
aggregated only one-third of the existing
total and that two-thirds had been acquired
since 1860. The explanation was that prior
to that year we had free trade, and only fit
full instances of protection. The census of
1860 showed the value of property in Penn
sylyania then to be less than $1,000, 100000,
xubarQ oftpr % of Rannblipan nrOtpa-
tion to our industries the value was $5,000,-
100000
The train left Lewiston at II o'clock and
reached Huntingdon at 1890 O'Clock, a half
hour behind time. A large crowd was found
waiting, nearly all the people of the noun
tain town being at the station. The crowd
was demonStrative, and Blaine and others of
the party wereplaced with difficulty in car
rlages and driven to the fair grounds across
the river where the meeting was held.
Speeches were made by DR.. Doane and Chas.
Emery Smith. Gen. Beaver spoke ON the
tariff and then Mr.. Blaine was introduced
Taking advantage of a lull in the storm of
enthusiasm which his presence evoked, Mr.
Blaine said: Il cannot sufficiently regret
the hoarseness of my voice which prevents
my responding to your welcome as | would
wish, but | can plead in its behalf that it was
lost in the good cause, in trying to make it
reach the magnificent crowds which daily
greet your candidate for governor | over
ton. (Renewed cheers.)
On my way to Pennsylvania | received
much instruction from Democratic papers
along the road as to what | should say and
how should say it. | was specially re-
quested to state that while the Democratic
party was in power national prosperity con-
tinued, and that warnings of the Republican
orators of the danger to the industrial syS-
tenn of the country, because OF Democratic
supremacy, had been falsified. have in
NV ffah ord daft Of xuh
stituted the height of impudence, but here
is a practical exemplication of it. Forum
ately for the Republican party, it is not pos
sible, however, to obliterate current history.
After the Democratic party tried for SIX long
months at the last session of Congress to
break down the protective tariff, they failed,
and it is in consequence of that failure, and
because of the maintenance of the tariff, that
VIC find our industries. springing forward
with renewed activity all over the country.
But these men who sought to destroy our
industrial system are now calling upon us to
testify that prosperity is possible under the
rule of the Democratic party. They
also contend that the charge that the
finances would be unsafe under Demo-
cratic administration has not been substan-
tiated, but in point of fact the finances of the
country at present are administered accord
ing to Republican prescription, so far as the
public credit is concerned, and IN defiance OF
the predictions and desires of great
country. So that the fact is apparent
that Republican precedents have been fol
lowed in whatever has commended itself
to the public judgment since the Republican
party went out of power, and In spite OF an
efforts of the Democracy protective tariff
still stands upon our statute books. Great
eAthusasm) God grant that the Democrat
ic party so long as it remains in power in the
nation may follow the same guide. Ii they
will agree to stand by a protective system
cfrI@ nf 10
try | will guarantee to give impartial testi-
mony to the fact before every audience be-
fore which have the honor to appear.
If was to define the difference between
the two parties would say that In all the
broad and comprehensive sense the Republl-
can party is essentially an American party,
while the Democratic is dominated by for
eign sentiments, that hostility to the tariff
is in the interest of Great Britain, and that
the maintenance of a tariff is in the interest
of every man in America, high and low,
rich and poor.
We were told for years before the Demo-
Gratis were called upon to administer govern
ment that we did not have civil service and
the gentlemen who went out from us and
joined the Democracy, charged that the Re
publican administration did not maintain
good civil service. Whether or not they
were sincere in that it does not become me
to say. With fatuity which was incompre-
hensble to us they assumed to. believe that
lHt 16uuOCIdblC pdlby NOuIQ fSlNC tllOiil uli
improvement. Our reply was we have the
best civil service that has ever been known
in any country, but we VIII
continue to improve it and we promised to
make progress in the way OF an Intelligent
and practical improvement. The Democrats,
Mr., Blaine continued, wanted civil service
patterned after that of England to show that
the English service was inefficient Mr..
Blaine read a London despatch published in
the New York Tribune written since acces-
20, e 4I,fa,N prItl tlch min
try, and in which the writer states that Lord
Randolph Churchill's civil service commls-
sion will endeavor to bring about the needed
reforms and increased economy, and that
charges OF high salaries, short hours, eX-
cessive staffs, eXtravagant pensions and
general incompetency had been made against
the existing system in England. This, con-
tinued Mr. Blaine, is the standard of civil
service reform which the civil service reform
club, (and might use that word club, IN
in the Republican party for the last ten
years, declaring If we did not reform our
civil service, and put it practically on the
basis of the English civil service, they
would have no more of u.s..
Well, gentlemen, they have placed civil
service under the control OF the Democratic
party, and all round in various parts of the
country you see visible improvements. ZAP
plausel The audience Immediately crowd
ed up to the stand to shake hands.
AT IyrOn ClIy bn6 uelHOuSlIdIiou Weo
large and enthusiastic Gen. Beaver and
Mr. Blaine made brief speeches of the same
tenor as those at previous stopping places.
At Altoona the arrival of the train was
signalled by the firing of cannon. The
guests were escorted to the base ball grounds
where 10000 people, most of them working
men, were gathered. Blaine's remarks here
were received with tremendous enthusiasm.
At Johnstown and Greensburg.! the latter
point being reached at $50 p. M, monster
gatherings assembled. Mr.. Blaine quietly