Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1884 — BLAINE IN INDIANA. [ARTICLE]

BLAINE IN INDIANA.

His Tour Through the Hoosier State Attended with Wild Enthusiasm. Great Outpourings of tie People to Greet the Republican Leader. His Journey from the Northern Border to the Ohio River One Continued Ovation. Mr. Blaine’s tour through Indiana was one ovation from the hour of entering to the moment of leaving the State. South Bend was the first place of any note visited by the great Hepublican leader, and his advent was heralded by the booming of cannon and the enthusiastic shouts of thousands of honest voters. Mr. Blaine’s speech was devoted exclusively to the tariff, and it undoubtedly had a good effect, as South Bend is one of the most important manufacturing cities in the State. From South Bend the great statesman journeyed by easy stages to Fort Wayne. He made brief stops at Elkhart, Goshen, Auburn, and other points, where he addressed very large and enthusiastic audiences. It is estimated that SO,OOO s.trangers were gathered at T ort Wayne, and Mr. Blaine’s reception was a wildly enthusiastic one. He addressed an imtnehse throng, in which he pointed out the danger of turning over the Government to Bourbon rule. On his journey from Fort Wayne to the capital of Indiana, it is computed that Mr. Blaine addressed audienc - s aggregating 200,000 people. No such scenes of enthusiasm were ever witnessed in the Hoosier State’before. At Logansport there were 25,000 people, and the gatherings at Kokomo, Peru, Huntington, Andrews, Tip ton, and Wabash averaged 10,000. A feature of the meetings was the presence of marching clubs composed of women, in his speeches along the route Mr. Blaine dealt principally with thetariff question and the danger of Southern supremacy. The reception at Indianapolis equaled in numbers and-ex—-celled in enthusiasm any yet accorded to Mr. Blaine. The streets were thronged with cheering multitudes, welcome was waved from every window, and nearly every residence and business establish merit, was gayly decorated. At Military Park Mr. Blaine was listened to and wildly cheered by an audience of 25,t00 people. He spoke as follows: “Friends and fellow-citizens, I feel that such a magnificent reception as that which I have had to-day in the capital of Indiana is so complete in itself that a speech cannot add to its effect, and that I should content myself with offering you, as I do, my profound and heart-, felt thanks. [‘Go on,’ and cheers. 1 In no State of the Union, in no city of the Union, could such a recept ion and such a welcome be more significant in itself or more grateful to me personally. [Great cheering.j We stand on the eve of an important national election—an election in whose decision Indiana will have a potential voice. f'We'll settle itl’J She is looked to by our opponents, as she has been in former year-, as an ally of the ‘Solid South’ against hrt sister States of the dNnrtln —[‘Neyerfij— —Since-Tth®:: eiection in West Virginia the Democratic party count upon a solid vote in the South, and I may be permitted to express the opinion that no more unpatriotic thing can be done than t or Northern men to urge a continued solidification based upon the memories of the rebellion. [Great cheering.] i t has been the aim aud the desire of the Republican party, to develop the material interest ot the South, and.to make her people forget, and the natioii forget, that we have been foes, remembering only that we.are citizens of a common Union under a common Con titution, looking to a common destiny. [Cheers.] But our opponents meet us in an entirely different spirit, and with an entirely different course of action, instead of tire memories of the Union, they invoke the prejudices ot the rebellion in their aid, and they ask that New York arid Indiana shall join the unhoiy alliance and turn the National Government over to the South. [‘Never!’ ‘Never!.’] Ido not Inbelieve it can be done. l‘No!’ ‘No!’ ‘Never!’] I do not believe Indiana will do that under its present leadership any more than it would have done the same thing under the leadership of Oliver P. Morton, the badge of whose memorial club lam proud to wear (placing his hand on his breast enthusiastic chteiing.l To say nothing of its significance in other aspects, the triumph of the Northern element in the Democratic party clearly means the triumph of free trade, it means the breaking down ot the great industrial system which has enriched the United States so marvelously in the last twenty-three years, amt -which has -enriched yo ir own State. in equal, degree with other States. Indiana lias grown into a superb Commonwealth, great in her population, gr eat in her wealth. Not even known beyond her borders as a manntacturing State when the Republican party came into power in 18(11, she now turns out in a single year $159,000,000 worth ot manufactured products. The development, therefore, of your manufacturing resources, dependent, as it is, ui>on a protective tariff, is of the highest interest to every citizen of the United States. A community that combines agriculture and manufactures has the necessary conditions for attaining an ideal prosperity. I can remember myself—and lam not an old man—the time when in my native State of Pennsylvania Gov. Ritner was laughed at forsaying that the day would come when Pennsylvania would not be able to supply breadstufts and provisions to the miners in her mountains and the factories in her towns, yet that day came long ago. and Pennsylvania, the first wheat State in the Union as late as 1850, depends today for a large share of her breadstuff’s upon the granaries of the West. [Cheers:] When Indiana shall have developed manufacturing enterprise to such a degree as to be able to consume her own agricultural products she will have attained an ideal prosperity, and she can do that only by means of a protective tariff. [Renewed cheering.! “The issue is in your hands. You are free men. Y’ou have a free ballot, but in the South we have a million ot friends who have not a free ballot. The South to-day has thirty-seven electoral votes based upon the vote ot’ the colored mqa,. yet the colored men of the South, though a million in number, cannot choose a singles Presidential elector. [‘That’s sol’J As a result of that, the political power of a white man in the South is enormously increased beyond that of a white man in Indiana or in Maine. For the time being we will not argue at all the question ot negro suffrage, but I submit, as a fair proposition to every man in the land, that if the South is to have thirty-seven Presidential electors by reason of the negro vote, then the negro himself ought to be allowed to cast his ballot. [‘That’s it!’and cheers.] The issue is in your hands. Indiana, as I said when I began, will tfeve a potential voice in the decision, and, from the popular demonstrations I have witnessed since I crossed the border of your State, I feel, I know—indeed, 1 am sure—that, upon the ground of patriotism and ui>on the ground of enlightened self-interest, Indiana may be relied upon to maintain a protective tariff and to sustain, as the assurance thereto, the Repub- ; lican partv." [Great and prolongued cheering.] After dinner a deputation of German-Ameri-can citizens called upon Mr. Blaine and presented the following address: : “The Hon. James G. Blaine: "The German-American Republican organization of Indianapolis have deli gated the undersigned to express to you their confideiice and esteem. The identity of your public life with the rise and progress of our country and our I party, the eminent services you have tendered ito both, are matters of history, and i make our duty pleasant as it is honorable. I Your election to the I residency will honor I our country and our.party. Inspired by the love ot liberty and free government, we left the ! land ot our fathers to find a new home in this republic, and. looking toward the welfare of this nation, wc have no other interest thin American citizens. Looking over the pages of history we find the Republican partv to have been the party of liberty and pro. ress. and we trust it to be the same in the future. Upon these paz> swe find your name and tnat of he gallant Gen. laigan inscribed in golden letters, and we feel that, as heretofore, so you will I in the future do honor to the country. Please ’ accept this document as a token of ourapprecia- ! tion and indorsement of your life, character, I and public services. We welcome you to the capital of our great State.” [ Mr. Blaine replied as follows: i "Gentlemen, I ar;i grateful for your call. I am grateful for your friendly spirit. lam grateful for your expressions of good-will. The as- | surance of German sympathy and German supi port in Indiana is a repetition of what I received ! in Ohio. Mv birth and my rearing were in a> State that made me familiar from childhood with tlie German character—with its steadiness, its industry, its fidelity, its integrity, its truth in friendship, loyalty to government. Pennsylvania owes much to her German population—to the Mitlhcnburgs, the HiesUrs, the Wolffs, the Snyders, the Shuiras—who havle illustrated her annals, and with whom I am not unconnected by ties of friendship, of inherited association, in some cases of kindred blood. When I reached Ohio I sought conference with German friends, and was assured - and subsequent events have confirmed the aa-

surance rdhat. so far from being hostile to me 1 nrsonally. my German fellow-citizens were, as i tad a right to expect, and as you so eloquently ' declare, friendly and partial to me. Thanking you again, gentleman,■ for the cordial expressions of your address, I am prpud to take yott by the hand in token of mutual friendship and esteem." Later a large deputation of clergymen, about thirty in number, called upon Mr. Blaine and presented an address, as follows: “The'Hon. (Fames G. Blaine: ‘ “DeabSib: As Christian ministers we extend to yon, irrespective of party considerations, a cordial welcome to our city, and we bid yon a hearty godspeed. It seems fitting, now’ that you.are in the city from vFhich for none other than partisan reasons poisoned arrows have been shot at you, that we should at least refer I to that fact; but let us assure you that the'l Christian people of this vicinity have no sym- I patliy wjth any such modes of warfare. We", therefore^bring to you this word of good cheer; I and, further, we beg leave to say that we recog- I nize in you a fellow-citizen justly honored, an 1 experienced statesman, a patriotic leader, a steadfast friend of both the laborer and the op- I pressed; in short, a typical American, and, as : we trust, the coming President of the United States." To this Mr. Blaine replied: “I return you my sincere thanks, gentlemen, j for your friendly call. I know the influences ; you wield deservedly in the community in which your lives illustrate the teachings you I enforce. Although we do not have in this country a union of church and state, I yet recognize the great influence which the Christian ministry fairly and properly exercises in forming a just public opinion, and I canpot in terms too warm express the gratitude I feel for your cordial assurance of esteem and support.” * ■ From Indianapolis to the Ohio River th,e same scenes were repeated that were witnessed from the northern border to tbejcapital city of the Hoosier State. At every city and town immense thrones of people welcomed and cheered the great Republican leader. At Evansville, Vincennes, and Terre Haute the crowds were enormous and the enthusiasm phenomenal. At Evansville Mr. Blaine addressed an audience of 25,000. After impressing upon his hearers the duty of Indiana to vote to maintain the protection policy which had done s’o much for the country, he said: “A very respectable member of the Society of Friends spoke to mein Indianapolis yesterday in warm commendation ot' the proposition for a peace coqgress of American nations as originally designed under the administration of President Garfield. Such a movement as that I consider mygelf to be the basis of a sound and wise foreign policy. We seek no intervention in the struggles and contentions of European Governments, but we do seek the expansion of trade with our American neighbors, and as the prerequisit thereto we seek friendly and peaceful relations with all the countries ot North and South America. [Cheers.] We seek more than that; Vve desire not only to be peaceful and friendly with these nations, but we desire that they shall be peaceful and friendly with each other. I confess that I can imagine no more impressive spectacle than would be presented by all the nations of the New World meeting in the capital of the great republic, and solemnly agreeing that as between themselves war shall cease, and that every difficulty that may arise shall be submitted to impartial arbitration for just and friendly settlement. I Cheers.] Almost every republic of North and South America has indicated its desire to meet in such a congress in the city of Washington, and every instinct of justice, every consideration otphilanthropyrcvery teaching of Christianity suggests that such a congress should be held. Though it would embrace in its membership only the nations of America, it could not tail if successful in its grand design to affect favorably the opinions of the world. I confess I should wish no prouder distinction for the__ United States of America than to initiate a movement that might irr the wide sweep of its fficmijeentlnllueiice lncoxpdrate: the principlesof fi lendiy ar 1 >ll ratio n as apernia nent part? of the international code of the world. Without intermeddling in the affairs of other nations, we can exert upon them the influence of a lofty example and e< inmend to them a policy l.aserlon theLeteriia.l principles of justice.” [Prolongedcheering.]