The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-01-25
Friday. January as. 1878.
Hayne and Blaine.

} The passage at arms between Mr.. Blaine
Of Maine, and Messrs. Hoar and Dawes Of
Massachusetts, in the senate on Tuesday
last, to have been an outcroping of a
feud 10 the political family down east that
was as unexpected as it was bitter. Just
why Mr.. Blaine uncorked his bottles of
wrath at this particular juncture, and upon
the subject he did, is not very clear to the
average observer; the most reasonable ex-
PLANTATION appears to be that he has been
gradually outstanding and accommodating
his wrath until like an overchargel Leyden
jar slight accident was sufficient to cause
the discharge. This little episode in the
republican family is very pleasantly set
forth by the New York World, and sug-
gests to the distinguished contestants the
way in which outsiders would be apt to
look at their proceedings:
We hope the statues of Governor Win
throp and Governor King will not take up
the quarrel of Massachusetts with Maine
as saYagely as the senators from those two
states yesterday felt themselves moved to
do. 1t will go mora hardly in that case with
the statue than it yesterday went with the
senator from Maine: for the sculptor who
has done Governor Winthrop in marble
has set his venerable head so loosely on hi:
venerable throat that it lies, tilted at an
angle in his huge stiff ruff like the head
of John the Baptist on its charger,
ready to be flung:like cannon bal
at the successful seceder who rent the
province of Maine away from the Massa-
chusetts Bay, and has now been rewarded
for it by niche in the American Pan
theon, If there were any Massachusetts
men on the floor Of the senate yesterday
they must have hung their heads fol
shame to think how differently Webster
fought the fight of the old commonwealth
when Hayne challenged him to the en-
counter nearly half a century ago! The
case of Massachusetts was no better theI
than it was yesterday; but Webster wa:
skilful enough to fight from behind thu
barbados of Bunker Hill. Hoar anC
Dawes rashly rushed out into the open fielC
of the Hartford Convention, aud hav,
only themselves to thank for it that tht
hard-hitting Blaine first brought then
DOtn 10 tn6 RTOuDu COR6lueTs auu Cu6u III
most ignominlous manner picked them VI
again and tossed them both In the oil
pine-tree flag as Sancho was tossed il
the inn-keeper's blanket. Of course i
is evident TO the unregenerate mint
of copperheads and publicans, sinners
that the performances of the re
cent republican Convention il
Massachusetts which indorsed the admin
istration we're not wholly absent from tn
mind of Senator Blaine while he stoo
neatly rubbing the salt of his malice int
the old wounds of Massachusetts federal
ism. And if Hoar and Dawes could hav
kept their temper they might have es
capped at least the tossing in the blanket
But that is their affair and his, and it wa
not in human nature for the Democrat
and southern senators who witnessed thi
rare sport to refrain from applauding il
Inc matter has its serious side, too.
ought to make the most inveterate section
allsts OF New England see as in miro
the ugiiuess of that spirit in politics whic
delights in raklng up the qualrels of tn
past and in keeping old preiudices alive t
breed new ones from them for partlsa
use. Perhaps, too, it may awaken Mass
chusetts to a sense OF the secondary pos
ton into which she has gradually drllte
by cOnhding her interests to second RAJ
men. Blaine rhymes we'll enough wit
Hayne. But 1t is quite clear that Dave
and Hoar together do not spell Webster.