Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1877-03-16
Blaine's Blunder.

The Portland Press, Boston Journal, New
York Tribune and some other papers are do
ing all they can to make the country believe
Mr.. Blaine did not feel "riled' at the com.
position of the cabinet and if he did, he did
not oppose it in any way. 1t is asking lit
tie too much Of us to belive that those re-
ports of his public speech and his private
utterances all grew out of the wild "imagin-
atious Of the correspondents.
The fact is, Blaine was very much dis
turbed; he had counted on practically man.
aging the administration, and was not con-
suited in making it up Being a man of
strong impulses, of proud spirit, this was
more than he could bear and his turbulence
broke out as 1t did in somewhat violent and
indecorous speech, not to say ridiculous
and impudent," as the Providence Journal
styles it. Col. Forney, who surely can't be
accused Of sentiments any too high said the
Maine senator's words were ''savOring of per-
sonal disappointment, and almost faction,
and told Mr.. Blaine that he "must under
stand that days for senatorial dictation have
gone by" The mans disappointment was
natural, but the significance of the thing is
in its revelations, character aud purpose aud
his deep modification at defeat. 1t showed
the man as deep scheming politician, fair
type of the whole board which has grown
out of and about Grants administration
He was of higher order than Gen. Butler
was not so coarse, had not Buffers cool aus
dacious effrontery, nor his utter disregard Of
the moral sense Of the people. But at heart
he was a scheming politician, and his pur-
pose was his own personal aggrandizement,
and that of his friends Defeated in the
last convention his purpose was so to man
ipulate the patronage of his own state as to
increase his popularity at home, and then, as
his meshes were more securely about the ad-
ministration, use the same means all over
the country for the same selfish ends. But
President Hayes saw through all this and
was too much of man to be party to any
such performances, and he was too ambition!
to lose his own golden opportunity by such
alliances, for he must have seen that he could
by one bold, patriotic stroke, lift the country
out of its ruts, and himself into the hearts o
the people al at the same time, though w
think the president has been both surprised
and delighted with the simultaneous out
burst OF enthusiasm with which the country
has received his conduct. But Mr.. Blaint
is damaged beyond recovery-such an ex
hibiton of himself failed to thrill the party
or the country, yea, more, it surprised, dis
appointed and digusted people. Garden
Blaine men" look upon the chiettain to-day
with diminished zeal and an enthusiasm
cooled by the parliamentary tactics of thei
leader.
of course he yielded as soon as he tool
time to think the matter over, and saw him
self as others saw him, and "heard from the
country" how enthusiastically it had received
the presidents inaugural aud cabinet nomi
nations. Some have suggested that one rea
son why Mr.. Blaine yielded so suddenly wa
the knowledge that some of his associate
knew more than he cared to have made pub.
lie concerning his dealings with Mulliga
and Fisher, and those railroad jobbing mat
tiers which SO damaged him before the coun
try last spring, aud which really defeated hi
nomination at Cincinnati. Finally Mr.
Blaine's blunder was grievouS for his reputa
ton and standing; and the loss which b
suffers by it will not be easily made goOt
indeed, we very seriously question whethe
he eau ever regain his former position.