Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-06-21

IN American politics Blaine is not IN
average American IN the sense OF
mcdiocrity but II is safe to say that
there is no 80 thoroughly representative
American ON the continent The Cour
aye, the brains, the enterprise, the grlt
that have made the youngest OF the
great nations the peer OF the oldest
arc typi6ed, eNaggarated nay exalted
IN Blaine of Maine.
It was not to bc expected that Blaine
could enter the present canvass and
slence all opposition. II has been a
triumph for his popularity a popular.
,ty that has been growing Tor twenty
years and has never suffered set.
black that he won his nomination on
the fourth ballot, in the face of the
most uncompromising opposition The
nomination of President Arthur was
supported by much OF the power OF the
administration Happily no admin
is,ration in the United States is likely
ever to be solid again. Reform III
the civil service has given all office
holders legal right to assert their IN
dependence. The "brcad and butter
brigade" no longer comes to salute at
the crack OF the party whip. Vet Mr..
Arthur was not head OF the most gigan-
tic political machine IN the world FOR
nothing. He welded an enormous
patronage and undoubtedly played the
game for all il was worth. Federal
patronage was the chief opponent to
the nomination of Blaine. The prin-
cipal remaining opposition came from
most unexpected quarter A knot
of Republican New Workers head what
is selfstyled the independent Re-
publican Party" which is party
within party, wheel within wheel
Its principal leaders are men whose
sincerity no American has right to
question. Horace White, T.. l.. God.
kin, George William Curtis, are men
who have stood in the front rank OF
recent reform whenever and wherever
it has been fought. But, though we
cannot deny their sincerity, we may
question their consistency and their
reasonableness. They have tired James
G.. Blaine by false standard. They
have attempted to fit him to the meas.
ure Of man whose public career had
been merely negative goodness. They
might as well have tried to measure
across Niagara with a skipping rope
For twenty years James &. Blaine has
been a leader of men. He has impress
=
American people. His career has beer
one of incessent work. continuous pol
itical activity and we use the wore
political in that broad sense which
makes ii mdinde craftsmanship A
high above the atmosphere OF the ware
politician as is Diamond Head abov'
the sands of Waikiki, Blaine has neve
committed the objectionable folly o
dwarfing his intellect to the statesman
ship of the closet. Mr. Blaine's states
manship may not always have
been what certain OF his critics tern
practical but it has always beer
broad, sympathetic, and progressive
A deal OF mud has been thrown a
Mr.. Blaine during the past eight weeks
If we expected to influence voters w
should state the charges andrepeat thcl
refutation. An elaborate and, rs w
think, an unanswerable defense OF MI
Blaine appeared in recent number G
the New York Tribune. 1t was writtel
by William Walter Phelps, New Jel
sey congressman, reformer not les
conspicuously upright than are any c
the gentlemen who have attacked Nj
Blaine. In sentence, the charge
imply that Mr. Blaine has corrupt
grown rich through atfiliation with raj
road lobbies, Mr.. Phelps has vel
clearly shown that criticism upon tn
action of Mr.. Blaine might be apple
Just as cogently to like action on tt
part OF the other congressman OF III
blemished reputation. 1t Is the
comparative lack Of prominence whic
secures them immunity from just sue
an attack as has disgraced the recel
warfare upon the reputation OF lam
G. Blaine.
But we Americans VINO are mo
privileged to participate IN the nation
struggle for progressive good govern
ment, who are out OF the mmedla
fight and whose patriotism must etie
yersce in talk or remain close bottled, v
distant Americans have one compeliir
reason to rejoice in the nomination an
probable election of Blaine. And tn
reason is that James G., Blaine is Il
only conspicuous American alive t
day who has 4 definite foreign polio
We all know that policy Its centr
idea is the extension OF United Stat
commerce by fostering reciprocal rel
lions between the great republic an
contiguous or tributary states; It's a
in,ating principle is the Monroe Do
crime. II is true that Nh, Blaine
brief tenure of Office, closed before h
foreign policy, particularly as j, relate
to South America, might fairly be te
ted. His enemies have made conslde
able sport ofthe "guano," policy OF NJ
Blaine. II has been jeeringiy ssa
that his attitude towards Chill, duril
the recent war between that count
and Peru, might have resulted IN W
whereby Chilian ironclads could ha'
laid every Pacific Coast town OF Il
United States under contribution Tn
is very true. Yet no one believes Oh
would have done so; and Blan,
policy was so essentially right that
would undoubtedly have had the MOI
support OF Germany and England
var had really threatened. II Oh
did not recognize that the success
Blaine's policy would have meant d
k>,,.x ,,xn,n>r,,x ,,f all South An,er,.