The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1888-08-15
Mr.. BIaine's Great Welcome.

place in New York on Friday last
The time had been set for Thursday
and thousands had gathered and ar
ranged for a monster parade on tha
evening, but a days delay in the ar.
rival of the ship, City Of New York
interfered to some extent with the
program. The parade took place
however, and was the greatest ever ac.
corded an American citizen. But the
great demonstration occurred when
Mr.. Blaine was met in the bay and
escorted to the Fifth Avenue hotel,
from which point he reviewed the
great procession, and received thous.
ands of friends. The address of wei.
come was short, but earnest and most
wholesome, in response to which Mr..
Blaine sounded the keynote of the
campaign in the following language,
so characteristic Of the great states
man:
Mr.. President and Gentlemen Of the
Republican Club and Fellow. citizens :
To enable you to appreciate this wei.
come each and every one Of you
shonld be absent from home and
country for the long period of fourteen
months, l am sure you can have
little conception Of the great gratif.
cation Of that instant when 1 saw the
shores of the great Republic. l can
not tell you how deeply grateful l am
to be remembered in this manner by
you and these assembled gentlemen.
1t is a scene l shall never forget 1t
is an occasion which | assure you |
appreciate from the depth of my heart.
1t is shadowed only by the sad event
which greeted US as the FIRST piece of
American news we heard the death
of General Sheridan, a man who was
above party and stood for the union
of the states. Shouts of GOOD ~
With that exception my arrival upon
my native shore was unattended by
anything but joy aud happiness.
The campaign on which you are
about to enter should be prefaced, if
possible, by every voter in the United
States seeing what have seen ['good,
good,"] and hearing what have
heard during the last year. Zap.
plause.] 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. 1t is the long wished for,
the long-looked.for occasion upon
which the cheaper labor and the
cheaper fabrics of the Old World ex.
pect to invade the New and lower the
wages of American workingmen to
the European standard. Great ap-
plause.] 1t is not contest of capi.
tai against capital it is not contest
Of partisan against partisan. 1t is
much higher than either of these. 1t
transcends all party motive. Zap
plause.l Whether the great mass of
American citizens who earn their
bread by the sweat of their brow shall
be seriously reduced in their emolu.
ments from day to day. [Applause.] ]
That is the whole pith and moment
of this question. Anything that di.
verts the question from that single
point is weakening Of the campaign.
[Applause and cries of "thst's good. u
l say here as l hope to say with much
more elaboration-[loud cheering and
cries of "that's what we want"1-I
say here that the wages of the Ameri-
can laborer can not be reduced ex.
cept with the consent and the votes of
the American laborer himself. The
appeal lies 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 chill
dren's children to take that fatal step,
at the bidding of an American con.
gress and an American president who
are governed by that element which
sought to destroy this nation. But,
gentlemen, it is not a time for a po.
litical speech. My heart is too full to
enter at this time on heightened ar.
gument. In this moment of welcome
and joy-getting home to old scenes
and old friends-I must be allowed to
enjoy the pleasant emotions of the oc
eaSion. | can only add my fervent
thanks to each and every member oi
the club and to all my friends for the
penerous and iovous Welcome they