Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-09-04
JAMES E. BLAINE
MIKES AN ADDRESS AT
WATERVILLE, ME.
7 here He Was First Nomi-
mated for Congress.

can Party and a Famous Advocate OF
an Interesting and Progressive Pro-
tective Tariff" His Theme Was
Reciprocity.
WATERvILLE, Me-, Aug. 30.-About
$500 people assembled at mass meet
ing here last night to listen to an address
by Secretary James G.. Blaine. After
remarks by Governor Burleigh, Presi-
dent Small, of Colby university, intro
/ duced Mr.. Blaine as the ''leader of the
Republican party and a famous advocate
of an interesting and progressive pro-
| tective tariff" Hon. William E.
Mason, of Illinois, followed in an en-
thusiastic speech indorsing the princi-
Piles of reciprocal trade. The meeting
1 closed with an earnest speech by Hon.
Henry Cabot Lodge, indorsing the federal
election bill, warning the voters that
| the government must protect all its
citizens in the right to vote. Mr..
! Lodges presence was unexpected and
the people greeted him warmly. Mr..
Blaine said he was glad to speak in
Waterville, since it was there he was
first nominated for congress, and he
well remembered the qualification with
which he learned that the nomination
was unanimous. Referring to state
affairs, he said the affairs of no other
state in the Union had been more justly,
more wisely and more economically
administered. Names succession of
Republican chief magistrates had been
without spot or blemish. The election
which takes place on the eighth of next
month involves in great part the
Political Issues Now Under Discussion
in the national field. The decision of
Maine will have due influence on the
other states, and that decision will be
pronounced in the majorities we shall
give in our four congressional districts.
In regard to the national question he
said: 81 wish to declare the opinion
that the United States has reached a
point where one of its highest duties is
to enlarge the area of its foreign trade.
Under the benefcient policy of pro-
lection we have developed volume of
manufactures which, in many depart
ments, overruns the demands of the
home market In the field of agricult-
ure, with the immense propulsion given
in it by agricultural implements, we can
do far more than produce breadstuffs
and
Provisions for Our Own People,
nor would it be an ambitious destiny for
so great country as ours to manufac
ture only what we can consume or to
produce only what we can eat. We are
already, in many fabrics and in many
products, far beyond that and our great
demand is expansion of trade with
countries whose markets we can find
profitable exchanges. We are not seek
ing annexation of territory. Certainly
we do not desire it unless it should come
by the volition of a people whom l
might ask the priceless boon of place
under the protection of flag of the
Union. l feel sure that for a long time
to come the people of the United States
will be wisely content with our present
area and not launch upon any scheme of
annexation. At the same time l think
we should be unwisely content if we
did not seek to engage in what the
younger Pitt so well termed annexation
of trade.
For Nearly Thirty Years
now the United States has had the ad-
vantage of a protective tariff by far the
longest unbroken period that its in
dustrial policy has been in force since
the federal government was organized.
Happily the great majority of our peo-
pie, without strict regard to party lines,
believe that the results to the American
people from the protective policy has
been intellectually beneficent, aggregat-
ing in quarter of century of national
and individual wealth beyond anything
ever dreamed of before in the history
of the world. do not mention protec-
tion, because 1 intend to speak in refer
ence thereto before this audience. 1
merely wish to proclaim its victories
Without protection the
United States Would Have Been Poor
indeed after the ravages of the war
from 1851 to 1865. With protection
every section has fourished and pros
pered, grown and gained. Even where
revenue duties have been laid with no
expectation of developing industries
there have, in many instances, been
great financial and industrial results.
The heavy duty on silk was levied pri-
marily, not tor protection, but simply
to secure a large reve nue from one of
the luxUries of the ri h, but as a conse-
quence of the duty IT, silk industry has
increased so rapidly that it constitutes
one of the leading fabrics of New
Jersey, one of the largest manufacture
ing states of the Union. Icould readily
advance other illustrations to the same
effect. As have already intimated,
am here to speak of the expansion of
our foreign trade, not by any novel
process, not by any mode that will
shock or disturb home industries, not by
any mode that will invite our people to
rash experiments or that will launch us
in doubtful and dangerous experiments.
What mean to speak of briefly is
A System of Reciprocity
not in conflict with protective tariff, |
but supplementary thereto and present.
ing a field of enterprise that will richly
repay the effort and energy of the !
American people. We shall find it in
structive and valuable to examine into
the sources of our imports, the destina-
tion of our exports and to strike bal |
ance between the two. Take last year,
1889. In that year our whole exports to |
all the countries in the three continents |
of Europe, Asia and Africa and to |
Australia, Canada and Hawaii amounted |
in round numbers to S65S, 200, 600, and |