Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-04-07

uncle, Hon. John I'll. Ewing, at that
time Representative in Congress from
the Washington district, and who still
lives at an advanced age with a very
lively interest in the fortunes of his
nephew.
At the ouarter-centennial of the
class held in 1872 twenty-nine of the
thirty-three were living, and every one
of them was man of position and
| character in his community. John IL.
Hampton, Esq, of Pittsburgh, A. NJ.
Cow, of Washington, Pa, John '.
Lemoyne, of Chicago, were members
of the class.
TEACHER, EDITOR AND POLITICIAN.
After graduating Mr.. Blaine taught
for awhile as college tutor in Ken
tucky and in Pennsylvania, wrote for
the newspapers and magazines, and
engaged in the study of law, though
he did not enter upon the practice In
1853 he went TO Maine and assumed
the editorship of the kennebec Jour
nal and afterward of the Portland Ad-
uertiser. His progress in Maine can
not be called slow, for he was chosen
to the Legislature in 1855, where he
served four years, the last two as
Speaker of the House.
In Mr.. Watts sketch, from which
we have already quoted, we find the
following paragraph. 1t was from a
letter by the late Governor Kent, OF
Maine. who modestly refrained from
CHASING himself with Fessenden, Ham
| lin and the Morrils, though he belonged
in the front rank of the public men in
Maine, made especially prominent to
the whole country in the campaign OF
| 1910:
almost from the day of his assum,
ing editorial charge of the kennebec
Journal, at the early age of twenty.
three, Mr. Blaine sprang into posi-
tion of great influence in the politics
and policy of Maine. At twenty-five
he was a leading power in the councils
of the Republican party, so recognized
by Fressenden, Hamlin, the two Nor
rills and others then and still promi
nent in the State. Before he wa;
twenty-nine he was chosen chairman
of the Executive Committee of the Re
publican organization in Maine-a
position he has held ever since, anC
from which he has practically shaped
aud directed every political campaign
the State-always leading his
party to brilliant victory. Had Mr.
Blaine been New England born ht
would probably not have received su cl
rapid advancement at SO early an age,
even with the same ability he pos,
sessed. But there was sort of Wes
tern dash about him that took with Us
Dow neasters an expression OF frank
ness. candor and confidence that gave
him, from the start, very strong and
permanent hold on our people, and, as
the foundation of all, pure character
and a mastery ability equal to all de-
mands made upon him."
HIS CAREER IN CONGRESS.
In 1862 Mr. Blaine was chosen Rep
resentative in Congress, and from that
date he has been well known to the
entire country. Indeed few men have
lived more constantly in what Mr.
Manton Marble would call the full
sunlight of publicity On the floor OF
the House, in the Speakers chair,
again on the floor of the House. thence
in the Senate, and during the political
campaign of all these years on the
stump in almost every Northern State,
Mr.. Blaine has been emphatically with
the people and of the people His
opinions on all questions have been
pronounced, sometimes to aggressive
ness, and his worst enemy has never
| accused him of evading or avoiding
any responsibility, or the expression OF
his convictions on any public issue.
In reviewing Mr.. Blaine's Congress
sional career we desire at the outset to
point out very superficial and frivo-
ious line of remark which we some
times see not only in regard to Mr..
Blaine but to other prominent public
men. "What great measure did Mr.
Blaine ever originate 2" asks the un'
unhedged but omnipotent chamber
statesman, and might go on indefinitely
asking what great measure did Mr.
| Sherman or Mr. Thurman ever origl
nate, or Mr. Edmunds or Mr.. Conk,
! ling or Mr. Webster or Mr.. Gallatln
Such critics and such criticisms are
! equally shallow. Great measures grow
in the minds of the people. Specie
payment came after long public dis
, cussion, and now Senators are quarrel
! ing as to who it was that drafted the
| bill passed in 1875. SO it is with all
measures of great public moment.
, They do not spring from the mind OF
! one man sitting behind his Congress
+ sional desk. The duty of the states
man is to shape, mould, direct, iii a
. Republican government. The creative
power is in the minds of many, and
the cause of action is necessity. The
great lawyer does not create his case
he argues it, deyelopes it, applies prin-
eiples to it.
/ TO say that Mr. Blaine has been a
power in Congress for the past seven
teen years is simply to affirm current
history. Though entering very young,
he made his mark at once. At the
period Of darkest depression in the war,
when anxiety brooded everywhere and
boded everything. Mr. Blaine deliv-
cred speech on "The Ability OF the
American People to Suppress the Re-
. bellion," which Mr.. Watt has cited for
the great attention and warm cOmmen-
dation it received It's value lay not
alone in its timeliness, for after its first
wide circulation it was reprinted as a
campaign document in the Presidential
campaign Of 1864.
1t was the delivery of this speech
and some discussions which took place
shortly after that caused Thaddeus
Stevens to say that Blaine Of Maine
had shown as great aptitude and abil-
ity for the higher walks of public life
- mn, man thot bod onnne IN CouUrpoS