Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-25
A Bioody.shtrt Campaign.
PHILADELPHIA Times.l

Mr.. Blaine has been thrown entirely of
his balsnce by the result Of the October
elections, and has lost either his temper or
his sense. or both. There are two expla-
nations possible OF bis extraordinary speech
ut Fort Wayne. One Is that, irritated by
the interruptions OF an unsymPathetic
crowd, he lost bis head and bIurted out
foolish TRADE that was not premeditated.
The other 10 that the failure to carry West
Virginia or TO hold the party majority il
Ohio had reodered the candidate desperate
and he had determined upon change OF
base. dropping The tariff and taking up the
bloody shirt. Either supposltion is equally
discreditable, not only TO Mr.. Blaine's sup
posed craftsmanship, but to his pretension'
to political sagacity.
The October elections, he said, had "put
q new phase on the national contest" The
Democratic party bad the "solid South J"
AGAIN and hoped, with New York and In
diana added, to seize" the Government OF
the nation. And Mr. Blaine then went on,
in a STYLE OF sectional bitterness that has
not bern heard for several years from the
mouth Of any sane man, to talk about " CALI
ing into the administration OF the Govern
ment men who organized the great rebel
lion" and so on. 1t was such speech as
might have been heard from some narrow
partisan bigot dozen years age, when the
men whs organized the great rebellion
were still In active life and before the most
prominent and least reputable OF their sur
vivOrs had been received into the Republic
can party. As s declaration from a presi-
DENTAL candidate In this year OF grace 1894,
it con only be accounted for on the sup
position that the candidate has lost his
head.
Is would he easy, we're ii necessary, to
tear in shreds the whole flimsy structure OF
this foolish speech. But Dir. Blains's hear
ers ale less ignorant than he supposes them
to be. They know, II he has forgotten, that
IL all the southern Suites were left out OF
account entirely the prepOnderancs OF Ro-
publican votes In the northern States at the
last presidential election was scarcely more
than 200, 900 in total Of more than 0,000,-
600. and they understand how silly II Is 10
speak OF . majority OF all the voters elect
ing President OF their choice as ian in
tention to seize the government Of the
Union" Pray, what's the prculiar right
Of the Republican party organization to
control these United States that II can only
be displaced by "seizing" the Govern
ment! Mr.. Blaine certainly must know
that be 10 not talking sense.
five regard this Fort Wayne speech
simply as the foolish vsporing OF panic
stricken candidate, we have only to say
that a man whs il liable to sush aberra-
tons OF temper had best remain in private
life. II, on the other hand, This is a DELHI
crate attempt to change the plan Of cam
paign, II is not only confession OF defeat
and failure, but il is confession that the
campaign Is waged without principle and
without other purpose than to distract at
tention from living issues, and by any Or
every means 10 "seize" a majority Of cleo
tsral votes. We "cannot believe" to
quote another Of Dir. Blaine's express
sions, that the people Of Indiana,
land most Of all that the soldiers OF
Indiana can be put to that use" We do
not believe that the people Of the United
States are going TO be turned aside from
their demand for honest government by
any foolish, WORKOUT appeal to the passions
and animosities Of the past The bloody
shirt has served its turn and has been dis
carded. 1t is no longer possible TO rally
even one psrty in the northern States
around it, and Mr.. Blaine's unworthy
effort to divert attention from his con-
spicuous faults by an appeal to sectional
passion can but recoil upon himself. We
believe that Mr.. Blaine is beaten.