Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-10-16
SUNDAY. ....OCTOBER 10. 1892.
ME-. Blaine's Speech.

Mr.. BLAINE yielded TO the wishes OF the
populace in Mr.. WniTELAw REID's neigh
borhood aud made speech to them on
Friday night last. But it was not the real
Mr.. BLAINE that spoke, for more COM
mon place speech was never delivered even
TO q northern audience. eve mean only
TO say that northerners are not as good
stump-speakers as southerners.) His heart
was not IN the matter. II ever there was
q speech which deserved to be described
as perfunctory it was this one. God help
me, could not do otherwise, "said MARTIN
LUTHER upon famous occasion. And Mr..
BLAINE, when he read on Saturday morn
ing the report of his speech OF the night
before, must have felt like exclaiming: :
God help me. 1 could not do otherwise"
Three weeks before the day of the presi-
dental election Mr.. BLAINE undertakes to
wall back the tide OF unpopularity that
attaches to the Republican Administra-
ton and attempts to reinstate the tariff in
the affections of TIE people. The people
are grooming under tie burthen of hard
times; but he tells them that they are
grooming without cause. - doubt"
auoth he, IF since the government of the
United States was instituted anybody at
any time has seen what We call good
times so general, taking in so many in
terests and spreading prosperity through
out the whole domain of trade" Why,
that declaration is almost enough to take
ones breath away. Surely Mr.. BLAINE
was "poking fun" at Mr.. REID's neigh
bors.
We have known for many years the fact
stated by Mr. BLAINE as to the large manu-
featuring interests OF New York city; but
we have also known that that same manu-
featuring city always gives large major
ity for the Democrats.
Mr.. BLAINE ridiculed the statement that
the farm mortgages in the West amounted
TO so many millions of dollars. as the Demo-
Gratis said they did, and added that such
was not the case in New York, New Jer-
sey, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. We
suspect that Mr.. BLAINE has not posted
himself on this point. He speaks mot
for the masses, but for the classes" The
people will tell him what they have to say
on the subject on eleotion-day.
The only other question touched by Mr.
BLAINE was the Irish vote. Think of Re-
publican leader trying the game of blair
ney" with the Irish voters. Time and
words are wasted when they are impor-
tuned to desert their friends the Demo-
Gratis and vote with and for their enemies
the Republicans. HENRY A. WISE once
said that the Wings knew one another by
the instincts of gentlemen. The Irish
voters in like manner know by instinct
and intelligence and the testimony of
thousands Of their countrymen residing IN
this country that to vote the Republican
ticket Is vote as no true Irishman ought to
vote. BY the way. an Irishman likes cheap
sugar as well as native American likes it.
and has by Mr. BLAINE himself been ia
vored with an object lesson on that sub
iect which he will not soon forget.
But the most significant fact to be men,
toned in connection with MIR. BLANE's
speech Is that he gave the Republicans no
reason to suppose that he expects them to
elect their President. He discussed briefly
the points we have mentioned, but never
q rainbow" did he chase. If there is any
reason to hope that Mr.. HARRISON is to be
reelected Mr.. BLAINE not only neglected
TO name that reason, but forbore to MAN.
tain that there was any such reason in
existence, As dumb as an oyster on the
prospects of Republican success, he said
nothing either in beginning, continuing,
or closing bis miserable failure of speech
which could enliven the hopes of the Re-
publicans or cast doubt over the mind of
any true Democrat.