Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-08-23
WELCOMED TO MAINE.
Mr. Blaine is Welcomed to His Home-Hls
Talk About Trusts.

Ink ABOUT Trusts.
PORTLAND, Me-, Aug. 16.-A great mass
meeting was held in the city hall yester-
day afternoon to express welcome to Hon.
James G. Blaine. Three thousand persons
were present. When Mr.. Blaine appeared
IN the corridor of the bailding a great
shout went up from the crowd outside and
was re-echoed by the throngs in the hall,
the men cheering and the ladies waving
their handk erchiefs. As the gentlemen
ascended the platform, General Harry B.
Cleves was called upon to preside. He
spoke briefly upon introducing Mr.. Blaine.
Mr. Blaine, in response, said:
I should not have left my home the very day
after my arrival bat for my desire TO feel my
self once more in touch with those with whom
have in previous years fought in many good
Republican contest. tCheers.l Once more to
compare notes with those upon whose wisdom
The party has always relied. namely, the Re-
publican masses, as 20 what should be done at
this crisis in the political affairs of the country
and IN the history OF the party which is its great
defender. When President Cleveland deliv-
cred his message, ne bad something TO say TO
the American people about the danger OF
trusts" 1 think there have since been no
Democratic papers in the country. whether they
understood the meaning of the word or not,
that have not been constantly warning the pso-
pie as to the horrible danger OF trusts"
Well shall not discuss trusts this afternoon.
shall not venture to say that they are alto
gether advantageous or rdisadvantageous. They
are largely private affairs with which neither
President Cleveland nor any private citizen has
any particular right TO interfere. Aside from
that, the point which wish 10 impress upon
you is that trust are not the outgrowth nor in
any way the incident of the protective paiicv,
as the President charges; that protective
policy no more breeds what the President con-
siders the pestilence OF trusts than does the
veriest free trade country in the world, which
is England: for England is literally plastered
all over, with her system Of free trade, with
trusts. The very day sailed for home, just a
fortnight ago, I cut from a London journal the
announcement that all the manufacturers OF
cofins and all the undertakers OF the United
Kingdom had gone into a trust [laughterl, that
it was to consist OF t2.0O0,0O0 capital, which,
in the language Of the English financial mar
ket, was to have q large number of ''preferen-
tial bonds" and that the yearly death rate
might be expected 10 yield a semi-annual divi-
dend of - per cent. Laughter Now think,
my friends, that we might bury all the Presi-
dents predictions of evils Of trusts in this
country, in the graves N which those collins are
about to 60 preferential bonds and all. and we
might do this by showing that so far from the
protective policy generating trusts, an utter
free trade policy generates them in far greater
number lcheersl, and thus leave the question.
Mr.. Blaine then spoke on the Fisheries
dispute and the pending treaty; also the
State contest, in which all the people of
the State are interested.