The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-08-17

The Great Issue Involved In the Campaign.
Fifty thousand American citizens had as
sembled in New York to extend q "welcome
home" to James G. Blaine. They had
gathered from every State, even as far west
as Nebraska, and the demonstration was
projected to be worthy of him who is to-day,
. private citizen, the foremost man Of the
land. Unfortunately the new steamer, the
City Of New York, on which he returned,
was detained q couple Of days, and the pa
rade with 10000 men in line took place the
Thursday evening before his arrival, as
many of the visitors were necessitated to re-
turn to their homes. On the morning Of
August 10th the City of New York arrived
outside the Narrows. The Republican Club
of New York and many other distinguished
people and friends with Cappa's Band went
out in q steamer to meet him and . splendid
reception was accorded Mr.. Blaine, who
came on board the Club steamer. He was
received with an address of welcome, and in
response gave
BLAINE's VIEW OF THE TARIF
"Mr. President and gentlemen of the Re-
publican Club and fellow citizens. To en-
able us to appreciate this welcome each and
every one Of you should be absent from
home and country for the long period of IA
months. I am sure you can have little con-
ception of the great qualification of that in
slant when I saw the shores of this great
Republic. I cannot tell you how deeply
grateful I I'm to be remembered in this
manner by you and these assembled gentle
men. 1t is . scene I shall never forget. It
is an occasion which I assure you l appre-
ciate from the depths Of my heart. It is
Swallowed only by the sad event which
greeted us as the first piece of American
news we heard-the death of Gen. Sheridan,
q man who was above party and stood for
the union of the States. With that excep.
ton my arrival upon my native shore was
unattended by anything but joy and happi-
ness.
The campaign on which you are about to
enter should be prefaced, if that were pos.
sible, by every voter in the United States
seeing what I have seen and hearing what I
have heard in the last year. The progress
of the campaign in the United States is
viewed from a European standpoint with an
interest as profound as it is in the United
States. 1t is the opportunity of England. 1t
Is the long looked for occasion upon which
the cheaper labor and the cheaper fabrics of
the old world expect to invade the new and
lower the poor workingman to the European
standard. 1t is not q contest of capital
against capital; 1t is not = contest of partisan
against partisan. It is much higher than
either Of these; it transcends all party.
Whether the great mass of American citizens
who earn their bread by the sweat of their
brows shall be se%dulously reduced in their
emolument from day to day-that Is the
whole pith and moment of this question.
Anything that diverts the question from that
single point Is q weakening of the campaign.
I say here IS I hope to say with much more
elaborateness, I cay here that the wages of
the American laborer cannot 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 fran
cbise and the great majority he possesses in
his own hands, he is willing for himself and
his associates, his children anil his children's
children, to take that fatal step, at the bid
ding of ar American Congress and an Amer
lean President, who are governed by that
element which sought to destroy this nation.
But, gentlemen, it is not the time for q po-
litical speech. Ny heart is too full to enter
At this time on long arguments. In this
moment of welcome, of joy. getting home to
old scenes and old friends, l must be allowed
10 enjoy the pleasure of the occasion. I can
only add my fervent thanks to each and
every member of the Club, and to all my
friends, for the generous and joyous welcome
they have extended to me in the harbor of
New York."