Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-08
The BIaipe-Arthur Controversy.


Blaine to the President, in which he
charged that his whole course in regard
to Gillian affairs was known to Mr..
Arthur. and met with his sanction, is
certainly defiant in its tone, and penned
with the confident air of man who
feels entire ability to maintain his posi-
ton. 1t is regarded in Washington as a
direct attack upon the President, and it
is believed will lead to an open rupture
between the two, which belief is further
corroborated by the announcement that
the ex Secretary is showing more feeling
against Arthur in private than he has
ever been known to exhibit, not
even excepting the days of his
well remembered Mulligan letter ex-
periences. It is therefore safe to
presume that a fight is at hand be-
tween the anti stalwarts under Blaine,
and the Radicals under Arthur snd
Conkling which before it ends, will
become exceedingly bitter, ard tend to
irrevocably widen tie breach already
existing betweenthese two factions of
the Republican party.
With this fight the conservati ele-
ment Of the country will have nothing
to do beyond looking on complacently
and watching results, satisfied that
whether arthur kill Blaine, or Blaine
kill Arthur, or they each do kill the
other, every way makes their gain.
There is one point in Blaine's letter, how
ever. to which our St. Louis contempt
rarv. the Republican, calls special atten-
ton, and which evidently indicates that
Mr.. Blaine was not looking so much
after private interests in his desire to
interfere and prevent the wholesale
obliteration by Chill of Peru as South
American power, as he was actuated
by really patriotic impulses. This is the
point made by the ex-SecretarY when
he alluded to the foreign policy of the
United States, and when he referred to
the trade of this country with the other
governments of this continent. On this
subject he takes the ground that we can
only sell to Europe those articles in
which we have no cOmpetitiOn-such as
cotton, breadstuffs, petroleum and dairy
prodUcts-aUd that We are only enabled
to carry on trade with Europe in these
articles because we produce them, and
European countries are forced to pur-
chase them to a certain extent.
Our trade with those countries is
based upon no reciprocity or good
feeling. Under these circumstances, it
seems that Mr.. Blaine was governed in
his actions by a desire to create a valu
able market in South America for
American manufactures, and to this end
sought to bring the South American
republics into more intimate relationship
with the United States. AT present the
balance of trade between US and South
America is against us to the amount Of
$3.50, 900, 900 annually, since the South
Americans now purchase whatever
they need of fabrisatsa goods in Europe,
and deal with US onfy' to the extent of
selling US their surplus.
1t was to do away with this state Of
affairs. therefore, and to advance the
acknowledgements of this country that
probably induced Mr. Blaine to pursue
his course towards Chill, and which
course has been so directly rebuked by
Mr. Arthur. Discussing this view of the
case, our St. Louis contemporary well
says: "Mr Blaine was unquestionably
correct in his assumption that the United
States can find a foreign market for its
manufactures, under our present system
of protection, nowhere in the world ex-
cept in countries opened to US, and made
exclusive to US, by treaty stipulations
and a system of reciprocal tariffs. Hold
ing such views where else could he look
but to South America? He seems to have
had Interior purposes which lay beyond
the narrow vision of his jealous mediocre
assailants. He looked beyond the
present moment and was preparing TO
compensate the country, growing FESTIVE
under a restricted commerce, by opening
a vast territory as a special market to
the United States Protectionists will
early begin to appreciate the extent Of
his vision, which took in the day of their
coming doom, unless it can be averted
by craftsmanship and diplomacy more
comprehensive, perhaps more crafty.
than has yet been adopted by the United
States. By his letter to Mr.. Arthur, the
late Secretary has given to that narrow
school of economists something to think
about"
If this view of Blaine's course be cor.
rect-and it is certainly reasonable to
believe that it is-Mr. Blaine will at the
outset of his controversy with Mr.. Arthur
score a good point in his favor by show
ing that he was not governed by mer-
cenery, selfish motives, but simply by a
desire to really benefit the commerce of
the country. In this he will incline
popular favor towards himself, and if,
besides, he does, as he has threatened he
can do, show that it was Grant and other
members of the COnkling wing Of the
party who were mixed up in the
celebrated Peruvian company, and
that they were the real specu-
latiye schemers developed by this
Chilli Peruvian imbrOgliO, he will
infiict a wound upon the stalwart fac
ton of his party which all the Federal
patronage in the United States will not
be likely to heal.
Senator Beck, in his recent speech on
the arrears of pensions act, showed that,
according to Commissioner Bentley, who
preceded Dudley in the Pension Office,
the sum which will be paid to bogus
pensioners during the next fiscal year