Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1881-12-01

ticians. Put him into any position,
and he will see the immediate relations
with the cleverness of a journalist.
As Garfield was the great school
master of our age, Blaine Is the
great journalist, He edits our
"Times" wherever he happens to be,
standing on his feet, either as congress
man, speaker, senator, or cabinet
officer. The editor, in his continental
capacity, is now generally moralist.
He deals with world which will do its
murderers, treason, robberies, and
jobs. Blaine sits at the centre OF
| telegraphic communication with the
globe, receives the things without
any moral spasms, come to an instant
decision about it, and imparts to the
setting of it the glow Of a strong human
nature, both aggressive and reciPro-
crat. AS an editor is always berated
by critics, however wide his circula-
tons, SO Blaine suffers with his class.
! No enemies, however, can rub out the
fact for period of thirteen years he
has been the most brilliant American,
| though always in stations of useful
ness.
Looking for analogies to him, we
stop some time to place him between
Charles James Fox and Henry Clay
He has had no such enormous alley as
Grant, around whom Conkling has
clutched his inumerable officeholders
like ivy around some military tower.
Blaine has struck for the heart of
the populace like a native democrat,
and has been able to divide large
part of it with Grant, but not
enough to give him the presidency.
During the catastrophe of Garfield s
death Blaine has shown the same jour.
nalistic observation and sound, daily
judgment | have mentioned, until he
has become the great remainder OF
Garfield, and has chosen to retire from
politics for the present to still higher
link his name with the memory ofhis
loving friend.
1t may be possible for President Ar
thur to intimidate that ultra stalwart
element to which he belongs so tar as
to unite in himself the partisans of
both Grant and Blaine, but | do not
see how it is probable. 1t is the gem
eral testimony that Arthur has not had
the least trouble to agree with Mr..
Blaine-to find him genial--in council.
faithful during his remaining services,
and with apparently no reservation be-
tween them.
We are yet to see what kind of "a
man President Arthur is, and whether
he possesses any of the forces of a ma
tional politician. He may go through
this administration as he is at present
modest, firm, courteous, and only
half-revealed to the public. But there
does not appear in sight any new per-
sonality to compare with the three men,
two OF whom were so much at variance
with the other.
The son of Abraham Lincoln seems
to me to have made hardly any impress
sion among Washington forces. There
is no sign anywhere Of his fathers sub
tie power of expression, marvellous cum
ming as politician, and almost poeti-
cal undertone of thought and phi
losophy.
THE sPEAKERsHIP.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-The candi-
dates Tor the elective offices under the
house of representatives, now in the
field, can be summed up as follows
For speaker, Frank Hiscock, New
York; j. A. Kasson, of Iowa; Thomas
Il. Reed, of Maine; j. Warren Keller;
of Ohio; Godlove S. Orth, of Indiana
Mark II. Dunnell, of Minnesota j. G..
Burrows, of Michigan, and Dudley G.
Haskell, of Michigan.
For sergeant-at-arms-M James S.
Davis, of New York; Greenbury l..
Fort, of Illinois; and 5. W. Hooker, of
Vermont.
For the clerkship-Edward Nc
Pherson, Of Pennsylvania, and J. 2.
Rainey, Of South Carolina.
For doorkeeper-Major Brownel
For MISUNDERSTANDING Dalzell, of
Ohio; Capt. II. A. Sherwood, of Michi-
gan, and Walter p Brownlow.
Thus far the west has not combined
upon any single candidate for speaker.
This will initiate against the chances
of western man. The fact, too, Mr..
Reed, of Maine, is candidate that in
earnest will divide the vote of the east.
1t is yet very difficult to make pre-
diction as to the result The tide, how
ever, seems to be drifting in favor of
Mr.. kasson, of Iowa. If he can con-
vince the Pennsylvania delegates that
he is sound On the tariff his chances of
success look decidedly promising.
THE CABINET-RUMORS.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 26.-The arrival
in the city of ex-Attorney General Taft
and General Longstreet revives the ru-
mors which associate their names with
positions in President Arthur's cabinet,
and it is currently reported that both
gentlemen have come to Washington to
consult the president on the subject.
Information also reaches here from
Virginia that a movement has heen
nau gurated there in the interest OF
| Colonal lanes ID Brady chairman of