St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-08-16
BLAINE AT HOME.
Grand Reception on His Return frol
Europe.

Grand Reception on His Return from
Europe.
Hon. James g. Blaine arrived from
Liverpool Friday morning and was
given an enthusiastic welcome in New
York city. The Inman steamer City
of New York on which he sailed was
expected to arrive Wednesday, and a
mammoth reception planned for him
was rather interferred with by the de-
lay, but the people had waited so long
for their celebration that it was finally
decided to 90 ahead without the man
in whose honor the whole affair was
gotten up. The demonstration, which
was held Thursday evening, was a
success. There were between $4,000
and 1000 men in procession and great
enthusiasm prevailed. 1t seems that
the delay in the arrival of the steamer
was Occasioned by the breaking of the
vacuum pump on the engine. In re-
spouse to questions Mr.. Blaine said
that his health was excellent. 81 am
feeling vigorous, very vigorous. My
trip has renewed my youth"
In response to an address of well
come Mr.. Blaine spoke thus -
"TO enable you to appreciate this
welcome, each and every one of you
should be absent from home and coun-
try for the long period of IA months.
/ am sure you can have little concep-
tiOn of the great qualification of that
instant when | saw the shores of the
great republic. l cannot tell you how
deeply grateful am to be remember
ed in this manner by you and these
assembled gentlemen. 1t is a scene
shall never forget. 1t is an occasion
which l assure you l appreciate from
the depth of my heart. 1t is shad-
owed only by the sad event which
greeted us as the first piece of Ameri-
can news we heard, the death of Gen.
Sheridan, man who was above party
and stood for union of the states.
With that exception, my arrival upon
my native shore was unattended by
anything but joy and happiness. The
campaign on which you are about to
enter should be prefaced, if that were
possible, by every voter in the United
States seeing what [ have seen and
hearing what | have heard during the
last year. The progress of the cam
paign in the United States is viewed
from the European standpoint with an
interest as profound as it is in the
United States. 1t is the opportunity
of England. II is the long wished for,
the long looked for occasion upon
which the cheaper labor and the cheap
er fabrics of the old world expect to
invade the new, and lower the wages
of American wOrkingmen to the Euro
pean standard. 1t is not a contest of
capital against capital, it is not con-
test of partisan against partisan. 1t is
much higher than either of these. 1t
transcends all party motive. Whether
the great mass of American citizens
who earn their bread by the sweat of
their brow shall be seriously reduced
in their emOlument from day to day,
that is the whole pith and mo-
ment of this question. Anything that
diverts the question from that single
point is a weakening of the campaign.
l say here, as | hope to say with much
more elaboration, that the wages of
the American labOrer cannot be reduced
except with the consent and the votes
of the American laborer himself. The
appeal is to him. 1t comes to his
door and asks him whether, with the
great power of the franchise and the
great majority he possesses in his own
hands, he is willing for himself and
his associates, his children, and his
children's children, to take that fatal
step at the bidding of an American
Congress and an American president,
who are governed by that element
which sought to destroy this nation.
But, gentlemen, it is not time for a
political speech. My heart is too full
to enter at this time on a heightened
argument. In this moment of well
come and joy, getting home to old
scenes and old friends, L must be al
lowed to enjoy the pleasant emotions
of the occasion" -5''"