ch I accepted:

"Augusta, Me., July 3, 1879.
"Hon. John Sherman, Secy. of Treas.

"My Dear Sir:--Could you speak at Portland, Tuesday, July 23, and
then during the same week at Augusta and Bangor--say 25th-27th?
Your Portland speech we should expect to have printed the next day,
accurately from your own slips.

"Your two other speeches, hardly less important to us, might be
made with less care and accuracy, that is, more on the order of
the general stump speech.

"In your Portland speech I hope, however, you will talk on something
more than the finance, making it, however, the leading and prominent
topic--but giving a heavy hit at the conduct of the Democrats during
the extra session.

"Sincerely,
"James G. Blaine."

The election in the State of Maine preceding those of other states,
great interest was taken in it, as the result there would have much
influence in other parts of the country. That state in the previous
year had faltered in support of the Republican party. In that year
there were three candidates in the field for governor, the Republican,
whose name I do not recall, the Democratic, Garcelon, for hard
money, and the Greenback, Smith, under the lead of Solon Chase, an
alleged lunatic in favor of fiat money, the repeal of the resumption
law, and the enactment of an eight-hour law. Smith received about
40,000 votes, Garcelon about 28,000, and the Republican candidate
about 54,000. Many Republicans either did not vote or voted the
Democratic or Greenback ticket. By the constitution of that state
a majority of all the votes cast is required to elect a governor,
and in case of failure the house of representatives of the state
proceeds to ballot for choice. The names are then sent to the
senate for the action of that body. The result was the election
of Garcelon, the Democratic candidate.

This was due to a strong feeling then prevailing in favor of
irredeemable or fiat money, and to some discontent among Republicans
with the liberal measures adopted by President Hayes to secure
peace and quiet in the south, especially the recognition of Hampton
as Governor of South Carolina and of Nichols as Governor of
Louisiana.

I thought it important to turn the issues of the campaign to the
financial measures accomplished by the Republican party, and
therefore prepared with some care a speech to be delivered at
Portland, and confined mainly to this subject. This speech was
made on the 23rd of July