The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1888-01-19
WHOLE NO. 1876
BLAINE EXPOSED.
MIR. blaine II n Friend Of the
WOrlSinGmnn? Well.
Let Us See.

MACN UE tTGbs
Mr.. Blaine claims to be the friend
OF the workingman, We look through
the long record of his public career
and find that up to the present mo,
ment he has been the apostle Of syn.
dicates, monopolists and big corpora.
tions; but he has suddenly turned his
face to the wage earners who have
heretofore seen only his back, and as
sures them that he has loved them all
along, but circumstances over which
he had no control compelled him to
repress his ardor until now, when
he has reached the sere and yellow
leaf.
Well, let US see what his new born
love is worth and how far it will carry
him. Of course il looks u good deal
like proposing to the poor girl because
the rich one has given him the mitten,
and the compliments and fattery with
which he cajoles the laborers are the
warmed up remnants Of his rejected
addresses to the capitaists-but no
matter, The old jingle that while the
lamp holds out to burn the something
or other may return is part of our
creed, and if Mr.. Blaine sees the error
OF his ways, and is trying to be a new
man and better man, why, his death.
bed repentance must be respected.
Will he take the tariff Off of wool
for example, and let the raw material
in free? Then, you know, this poor
man, who has wife and six children
besides himself to support, could afford
to buy stockings, dresses, uDdergar.
mentS and other needed articles of
warm clothing to keep the cold out.
Clothing is very important item Of
expense, and the difference between
all wool and wool and cotton goods is
frequently the difference between
pneumonia and health. The drain on
the worklngman's purse for suitable
garments for those who belong to him
Is something which he faces with dis
may. 1t presents one of the hardest
problems in the life of labor, and is too
requently solved by the grave in the
cemetery, the consequence of high
prices to protect the manufacturer
while the poor mans children go
cold.
Mr.. Cleveland made that point in
mis- Lessage. OF course he did, be-
cause he belongs to the democratic
party, which has always been the poor
mans party and which iealously
guards his enjoyment Of all possible
privileges. The President says that
laborers ought to have cheap clothing,
that the country can afford to give il
to them, and is therefore bound to do
so.
| What does Mr. Blaine say? Well,
he says no, and very emphatically.
Who not? Oh! because, as he puts it,
that would work great injustice to
many interests" forgetting for the in
stant that he has disguised himself in
overalls and is playing the role Of the
workingman's friend. 1t was a fatal
slip. He ought to have covered the
hoofs in embroidered slippers and the
horns in a high hat. He neglected
that precaution, however, and so we
discover that it really is the same
old "Jeems" whom we have known SO
.ong,
But hold a moment. Mr.. Blaine,
after all, is not so black as he is paint
ed. We hasten to his defence. He il
the poor mans frind in spite of APP
pearances, He has noticed that min
ers, carpenters, iron workers and other
brow sweaters, that they alI--but why
do we hesitate at such marvellous
newsH that they all-"chew. He
honors the act OF chewing He thinks
that mortals never touch the pro-
fOundest enjoyment unless they dc
chew. Watch the poor fellow at the
plough, and note the eagerness with
which he sometimes bites off even
"moro than he can chaw" and ther
expectorateS his soul along the open
ing furrow. With that picture before
!, him, Mr.. Blaine, the magnetic anC
magnanimous statesman, tremblel
with generosity way down to his boot.
and whistles through three thousand
miles Of cable, Take the duty off o
:, tobacco and give the laborer free
49, chaw"
II Will you give him cheaper clothing
, Mr.. Blaine? Never
,f Will you give him cheaper timbe
!, for his house, cheaper nails, cheape
4 anything else? Never
4 A free "chaw" for the poor man, bu
:. after that he must pay the monopolistt
:, price for everything,
Mr. Blaine is said to have some erea
qualities Of character, but we ventur
to say that the superb generosity wit
which he bestows free chaw on th
a. working class is unparalleled anon
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