The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-02-19
BLAINE's FIRST CAMPAIGN.


long and continued applause, greeted
him from the large audience, such as
had not heen heard in that town hall
since the Fremont and Dayton cam
paign, says Charles o. Stickney in the
Boston journal.
This was nearly one third of a century
AGO. in the memorable Lincoln and Ham
lin canvass of 1860. For all that ! can
learn to the contrary, it was Blaines
first regular campaign speech, which he
was delivering in various parts of Maine
"A set speech, no doubt, but delivered
without notes and having all the appear
ance of spontaneity, like the utterances
of most stump speakers, substantially
the same wherever given, modified some
what by local conditions and the pro-
vincial proclivity of their auditors.
Blaine was only 30 years old, and scarce
ly known to fame outside of his county.
To be sure, he had won some distinc-
ton as editor of the Kennebec journal
as rising and smart young politician
and as d delegate in So to the national
convention which nominated Fremont
for the presidency; while in the State
canvass of September following, that re-
suited in electlng United States Senator
Hannibal Hamln for governor by over
twenty thousand majority, he had be-
come potential in the councils of party
chiefs, doing yeOman service for the
new party of freedom; but none of his
WarmeSt admirers for moment dreamed
that this young journalist, speaker and
eX-school teacher, who only six years be-
fore had come from Pennsylvania to
make his home, was predeStined to ma
tional and even worldwide fame.
In disseminating this effort his first
regular campaign speech | use the term
advisedly. 1t is true that in the Fremont
campaign and in the Legislature, where
he had now served two years, his voice
was often heard, but that up to this very
'Wide Awake" campaign of go Mr..
Blaine had spoken in public anything
which served to give him special pres
tige outside his immediate region | can
not believe. Hence, this particular adj
dress, which heard him deliver in the
Bridgton Town House on the evening of
July 9th. 1860 and in which, in the slang
political parlance of the time, he
''whooped Ter up, boys marked an
epoch in the career of the great Republi-
can chief, which also furnishes an inter-
esting personal and political reminis-
cence. His joke, too, about turning
Ephraim," had a sharp and meaty point,
whereby hangs tale.
That evening, when | reached the
scene of the rally, | was little late, but
not too late to hear Mr.. Blaine's opening
remarks. As | turned up into the Town
House grounds | was accOsted by
stranger in an open wagon, who in
qnired what sort of a meeting was being
held. | told him. He then asked who
was the chief speaker or speakers. |
said it was "a man from Augusta by the
name of Blaine-James G.. Blaine was
his full name if | rightly remembered"
"Ah, indeed" said he. "Guess, then,
I'll hitch my horse and 60 in and hear
him. I've just come across from Frye
burg, where | attended Wide Awake
rally, and did not know of this meeting"
The stranger dismounted from his
wagon and quite do-n economically pro-
ceeded, by the starlight, to tie his horse
to the picket fence, while l hurried in
side, pushed my way through the crowd
to an upper side seat near the speakers
platform. Pretty soon my chance ac
quaintance entered the brightly lighted
hall Mr.. Blaine, seeing the new recruit
and evidently recognizing him, turned
quickly to the chairman and whispered
in his ear, whereupOn that functiOnary
at once rose and said: "Will the Hon.
Sidney Perham, who | see is present,
please come forward and take a seat on
this platform p My interrogation imme-
diately accepted the invitation, amid ap-
plause.
1t was, in truth, Hon. Sidney Perham,
of Paris, Me- (Hamlins native town., a
prominent legislator, who was now like.
wise, like Blaine, ON the stump. Mr.. Per-
ham and Mr.. Blaine together began their
Congressional career in 1862, their col
leagues, being Frederick A. Pike, John
II. Rice and |. d. NJ. Sweat, all Repub-
licans except Mr.. Sweat, who was and
still is n Democrat. Mr.. Perham SUISSE
quently served three terms as governor,
and was one of the very best chief magis-
trates that Maine ever had.
But about Mr.. Blaine's speech /?
Well | heard, with rapt interest the
whole of that remarkable speech Like
all the rest of the audience, | was spell
bound by his words, and my hands and
feet helped swell the demonstrations of
approval which at frequent intervals in
terrupted the current of his eloquence.
Since then upward of 81 years have rolled
by. but the speaker and his speech | see
and hear to-day as wildly as then. And
as remember this orator of the sixties,
young and healthful-faced III person, in
speech aggressive, caustic, merciless i'll
dissection of the personnel of the Demo-
cratic standard-bearer, and radical in his
anathemas of that party as whole, and
as | contrast that picture with the white
haired, sOrrow-burdened man, the dig
nifed, conservative statesman of the
nineties it is almost impossible to real
ize that the two are one and the same
person. But in all these years there are
two characteristics which time has not
changed, and these are native intellec-
tual brilliancy and earnest fidelity to the
party of Fremont and Lincoln.
In this State campaign of go, as in So
the eyes of the nation were focused upon
Maine as the 'Star in the East" whose
September verdict was likely to indicate
correctly the general political drift. The
Republican candidate for governor was
Hon. Israel Washburn, Jr., one of the
famous trinity of brothers who woI
great distinction as public men. His
opponent was Hon. Ephraim X. Smart
Democrat. As side show, the straight
Wings" nominated Phineas Barnes, who
however. received only ,735 votes in {
total of 124, 135, WashbuTn receiving {
little over 1900 to Smarts 52,350. I'm
like several of the preceding Democratic
nominees for the governorship, Mr.
Smart was a lightweight as a man, anC
decidedly weak as a candidate.
Blaine was thoroughly posted as Il
Smart's weak points, and he made thu
most of them. His speech, in one respect
4 l.. 1.