Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-03-27
A! BLAINE BOOST.
J.w. Johnson's Candidate for President.


zens while no small portion of Grant S
power is centered in the latent opposition
to and underlying lack of faith in Blaine.
An eminent Bostonian wrote me the other
day: "The Grant boom is diminishing.
Were Blaine out of the way, it would have
little strength left. Many go for Grant be-
cause they know that the embodiment of
corruption is Blaine'' "Were either of
these two candidates out of the way, the
strength of the other would wane." A Re-
publican senator of the United States
wrote Grant isjustly blamed because he
is continually sacrificing his own interests
land he might add the intrests of the
whole country] to his worthless friends"
"Blaine has not friend on earth, good
bad, or Indifferent, whom he would not
sacrifice with alacirty, were the friend in
his way. Those who know him best, know
that in politics he cares nothing for the
people, nor the country, nor the Republi-
can party, further then they relate to
James G. Blaine and further his aggran-
dizement."
This verdict of peer, whose political
path he never blocked, but who is ac-
quainted intimately with his character and
actions is perfectly in accord with the late
singing estimate of the New York Times,
when it declares: ''In long political
life, he has distinguished himself by his
steady support Of Mr.. Blaine, and his
PRONUNCIATION and defense of the Blaine
doctrine that Mulligen has no right to re-
tain compromising letters. " Adding
further on:
eff an impudent person writes to know
whether the speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives ought to be personally and
pecuniarily interested in special legisla-
ton, he should be refuted by a picturesque
account of the murder of negro in Miss
issippi-a kind Ofrefutation which in full
ness and accuracy cannot be surpassed.
Thus far but few have possessed the
penetrating sight that could pierce the
| glamour which surrounds this man !; to see
him as he intrinsically is-a man whose
perpetual self seeking has been crowned
| by eminent success.
When the sons of Maine by thousands
| were marching to the sacrifice, how was it
with one young man named Blaine, then in
| the flower of his youth, whose grandfather
| is now bOasted of as soldier of the revOlu-
| ton? Did his grandson, young, strong,
brave, march to serve the country his
grandfather served? Oh ! no. Other men
young and brawny, with wives and little
children, might find it sweet to die for
their country. James G. Blaine found it
sweeter'' to look out for the main
chance. Amid marching troops he came to
Washington quite alone for that purpose.
| Writes one who knows we'll whereof he
speaks:
t'Mr. Blaine was Pennsylvania, and
from the very first found that he could
obtain fayai Fat the war departments
departmea nobody needs to be told,
where all things went by favor. Mr..
Blaine was speaker::of the House of Re-
presentatives in Maine, as captivating then
as now. He instantly turned to valuable
account the information and the favOrs
which he was able to obtain in Washing
ton. One of his first profitable operations
was tho collection from the war de-
partment of large sum of money for the
Maine Central railroad company. 1t
will be remembered that at the outbreak
of the war and the grand uprising of the
patriotic North it was felt to be
almost wrong to ask compensation from
the government for the services that were
so freely profiered. Men felt like giving
all they had to save it. The states fitted
out their own troops and the railroad COM
panies offered to transport them to the
capital free of charge. But this sort of
thing did not last after the war actually
opened. The railroad companies were
glad to be paid for all the service rendered
even though they had given it gratuitously
in the first instance. Mr.. Blaine discov-
cred claim for $4,000 for the Maine
Central, and he offered to collect it. He
was told that he could have 25 per cent.
for the job, and he was speedily successful.
He pocketed $1,000, and purchased the
|
adorned, where he has for nineteen
years resided. A similar claim for
the Boston and Maine railroad COM
pany was collected by him about the
same time and if the railroad companies
did not shine in the transaction, Mr.. Blaine
was, at least, made $40, 600 the richer by it..
For a man who starts with nothing, this
was a prosperous beginning of business.
The equipping of the state troops required
large purchase of material in Boston, and
MIR. Blaine speedily found that an acquain-
tance with the acknowledgements ways of
! doing business and the men with whom he
did business was valuable. IIe was men,
Der of the Legislature but he was also a
private citizen, and as such he had right
to engage in business operations that were
profitable. There was no law in the state
of Maine against a member of the Legisla-
ture being interested in government con-
tracts ; and when the war was fairly begun.
Mr.. Blaine found that he could make all
the money he wanted"
Thus out of the war that sapped the
nations heart-blood Mr.. Blaine wrought
| the cornerstone of his ascending fortune,
whose crown and consummatiOn, in his
mind, can be found now only in the White
| House, himself seated in it, chief magis-
trate of the United States. These, having
| been perpetuated by the blood of tens of
thousands of other men, still need presi-
dent.
That Mr.. Blaine, by each energy and
shrewdness, amassed a fortune during the
| war does not prove him to be more selfish
than thousands of other men who tried to
do the same, but, through lack of his abil-
| ity, failed. 1t only proved that in the
hour of his countfy's extremity no was
| not a patriot. 1t was not amor patriP but
| love for himself, that NOV ed him.
LATEST NEWS BY MAIL.
Ex-Mayor Metcalf, of Toronto, died in
that city on Thursday night. He was a
leading Orangeman.
The Masonic female college at Lumpkin,
Ga, was destroyed by fire on Thursday
Loss, $50, 900 no insurance.