Wichita eagle., 1888-10-21
BI AlNE AT CHICAGO

BLAINE AT CHICAGO
CHICAGO, Oct 20-One of the most not
able Republican demonstrations in the
campaign of 1883 occurred in Chicago to-
night. Mr.. Blaine was the central figure.
About 1000 people in Battery ID armory
were the first who heard Mr.. Blaine make
the Grafton of the evening. After Mr..
Blaine commenced speaking in the first
hall the doors of both armories were closed
and hundreds of persons turned away.
Mr.. Blaine spoke with his old time
force and his remarks were received with
great enthusiasm. Facing the vast crowd
In Battery d, he said:
The twenty four years of Republi-
can rule in the United States form
an epoch second only in Importance to
those great years comprehended between
the declaration of independence and the
organization of the federal government
History recognizes this by assigning to the
first president and chief actor in the latter
period rank second only in American
craftsmanship and heroism to Washington
himself The twenty-four years reach
from 1851 to 1885 and were distinguished
by an advance in every department of in
dustry and by a progress in every field of
human effort more extraordinary than
were ever realized within a like period in
any age in any other country. At the con-
clusion of the twenty-four years, the exc
cutive power of the nation was transferred
to the Democratic party and the political
campaign in which the American people
are now engaged is to determine whether
the Democratic rule shall continue or
whether the Republican party on its record
Of achievements shall be entrusted with a
new lease of power.
The Republicans contend that the gen.
eral welfare of the whole country has not
been promoted by the Democratic admin
istration and that the Democratic promises
OF reform have been signally diSregarded
and trampled upon. They have found that
the administration has been against the
material welfare of the country and that
1t threatens the impairment of our indus
trial system, whereby, under a protective
tariff, the country has advanced so rapidly
In power and prosperity.
The Republicans arraign Mr.. Cleveland
for falling short of the promises where
with his administration was inaugurated,
and for disappointment of the just eX-
pectations which his words inspired.
/, First-They arraign him for his failure
TO improve the civil service, as he promised
In every form of words in which official
pledges could be expressed. Instead of re-
form there has been constant deterioration
Instead of curing the system of partisan
removals the president has developed it to
such an extent that more officials have been
removed from Office during the present
administration without charge and for
mere polit cal reasons than by any three
of his predecessors in Office, even though
those may be selected who were eight years
each in the presidential chair. The ''spoils
system" instead of being rooted up AS the
president promised. has been developed
more intensely than ever before, and the
assessment of Office holders is so notorious
that the chairman of the Democratic
national committee takes his station in
one of the hotels of Washington within
sight of the white house, and as | read
from a congratulatory dispatch published
In Democratic paper, received assurance
OF contrl buttons from more than one
hundred office holders in a single day. Ii
has, moreover. been charged in responsible
newspapers, aud proved before special
committee of the senate. that men of
bad character, convicted and pardoned
criminals, have been placed in office under
the present administration and that thus
the civil service has been subjected to open
shame in degree hitherto unknown.
Second-The Republicans arraign the
president for having surrendered the rights
of the country in the fisheries of the
North American coast in manner de-
rogatory TO the dignity of the nation and
in utter disregard of the rights of the
fishermen. The question of the fisheries
has been subject of dispute ever since
the war of 1872, and never before has
the country, even its days of weakness
been willing to surrender TO Great Britain
the rights which now, in the day of our
prestige and power, the present admins
tration abandonS to the sacrifice OF nation
nj nd ha ,nfr Ia ..rl,,
of our fishermen. The American people
were not more surprised at the tame man
ner in which our fisheries rights Were sur
rendered than were the negotiators of
England, themselves, when they found
that obstacles hitherto insurmountable by
British diplomacy had been removed by
the present administration and the path
way TO diplomatic victory made smooth
and easy TO the representatives of England
Thlrd-The Republicans arraign Mr.
Cleveland for his cruel disregard for the
rights of poor and needy soldiers who in
CURED their distress and their poverty in
the service of the nation and who. by the
interposition of the presidents veto. were
deprived of the pittance voted
TO them by a Republican senate
and Democratic house, Not only has the
president vetoed the general bill passed for
The relief of the needy and dependent SOL
iiers, but in more than two hundred cases
president has interposed his power to pre-
rent these creditors of the nation from
receiving their just dues. His vetoes of
The bills, both general and personal, has
thrust thousands OF soldiers for their daily
subsistence upon the humiliating alterna-
tives of private charity or the public poor
house. No man jealous OF American honor.
no man approaching the sacrifice which
the soldiers made for the country's unity,
should ever be willing To see man, who,
In the ranks of battle had defended the
union of the states, declared a public pau
per and left to die in the aims house. And
yet that is precisely the condition in which
thousands of soldiers who took honorable
part in the country's defense are left by
the presidents veto
The Republicans arraign the president
not merely for his veto of pension bills but
for his general and dangerous use of the
veto power without precedent in the pre-