Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-26
BLAINE-CLAY.
From the Albany Argus.


Blaine is being called "the Henry
Clay of the Republican party This
pleases the Conkling and Sherman
organs, inasmuch us Henry Clay new
er became President. But it is a proof
of the facile tiippancy of journalism,
and of the grave injustice it does to
character. No man was ever born
who thought Henry Clay dtshonor-
able man. There is no man living
who thinks Blaine an honorable man.
Eulogy is exhausted as to him when
he is called a brilliant rascal. The
strictly disreputable and for-sale-ele-
me IS of politics exclusively praise
him. Henry Clay's legislative acts
shaped party politics for forty years.
There is no law on the books of which
Blaine is the author. There is no pol
icy of which Blaine is the originator
in American affairs. Clay was chosen
speaker at once, because of the emf
nence he won before entering Con-
gress. Blaine was an unknown before
he entered Congress, and had to job,
barrow and bargain for years before
he got to be speaker. Clay left the
House to go to the Senate by promo
ton. Blaine went to the Senate to
avoid expulsion from the House, be-
cause of fragrant and ferocious corrup-
ton in his office. Clay had the faults
of gaming, drinking, dueling and gal
lantry. Blaine has the crimes that
made him market his rulings for mon
ey, pack committees for pay, and sell
his soul to the devil and Tom Scott
for stock and railroads. Clay was
the soul of honor. lie entered Con-
gress poor. He left it poorer. Blaine
entered Congress poor, and in Congress
he has become rich by money he nei-
ther married, earned nor inherited.
Clay saved the Union from civil war
three times by his craftsmanship.
Blaine has never professed nor disclos-
ed one act of patriotism or statesman
ship. There was no public trust that
would not have welcomed Clay to its
side. There is no business dependent
on qualities that inspire confidence
that would let Blaine come near it.
Clay led his party in the Senate.
Blaine is despised by Edmunds, scorn-
ed by Conkling, and ignored by the
whole Senate in any other role than
that of a common villifier. To liken
James G.. Blaine to Henry Clay is
worse than absurd, it is outrageous.
The one was eloquent, the other is
tonguey. The one was accomplished
and learned, the other glib and ignor-
ant. The one honored his State and
country, the other devoted himself to
infamous enrichment. The one was
glorious statesman, the other a glitter
ing demagogne. The one was repeat
edly made the candidate of great
party, the other was pitchtorked out
of the only convention in which he
ever sought a nomination, on the ex-
pressed gronnd that his career was such
negation of public virtue that his
party would be at war with the NOR
ality of the age if it named him. In
the work of saving his country and
composing the feuds of the people and
nations, Clay came to his best. In the
work of fouling the judiciary o mid
nights, to decree the theft of Presi-
dency or State, all the qualities of
Blaine come to their greatest eminence
of shame. Likening him to Henry
Clay forsooth! If the shade of the
great Commoner should revisit the
place where he so long and so well
served his country and the world, it
would, with its unspeakable contempt
for dishonor, strike such terror into
the soul of Blaine that the very appa-
rition would scar his eye-balls, and
either he would fall dumb to death, or
make fast and furious confessions of
his crimes against liberty and integri.
ty,. to world which would find that
such confession comported with his
whole conscienceless career.