New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-07
THE CANDIDATES.
JAMES G.. BLAINE.

waa horn January 81, 1880. in Union township
Washington County, Pennsylvania no oo.oo
from the noted Scotch-IrIsh Stock MS ancestors
having been among the pioneers WHO cenCuiy
ard half ago ascended the great limestone valley
;r which Carlisle is situated and founded the VII
,aga The stone PRESBYTERIAN church. whch Tue
second generation built is still standing anu near
nv is the old fashioned house where MI Blame
qrandfather, Colonel Ephraim Blaine, hVeo for
many wears This officer was originally colonel
of the Pennsylvania Line. but during the last
to,,r ,oors of the yReyolution he was Commssary-
General of the Northern Department, and during
the terrible winter at Valley Forge did his best to
Laan the wolf of famine and restitution from the
American CAMP Colonel Ephraim Blane's son,
nSouire Blaine as he was known in the COM
nunity was married to Miss Gillespie, devouI
member of the Roman Catholic Church, but their
seven children-five boys and two giris-adhereu
20 the traditional faith of the Blanes The second
of these FIVE sons was the subject of this sketch'
James Gillespie Blaine.
Concerning the religious faith of his family and
his own attitude in religious matters, Mr. Blame
wrote in later lfe-March 10. 1s76-as follows:
NV ancestors on nv fathers side were, as you Know
al~3ys identhed with the Presbyterian Church, ana
they prominent and honorcu III tne St Ol,c
declaration upon the subject and for two reasons
because abhor the introduction OF anytnns ena1 ,
ne eSfec freedom of conscience Is the brthrght of
every citizen and second because my mother WA ge
speak disrespectiul word of my mother a
pressure will draw me into any aEow e eI receyed
aud do not expect any political support from the'
The Kennetec Journal augusta, Me- about this
time said on the same subject that Mr.. Blame mas
been for nearly twenty years consistent mem per
of the Orthodox Congregational Church IN thls' the
city of his home. Orthodox Congregatonallsm IN
Maine is precisely the same creed as presbyterian
ism in Pennsylvania"
STUDENT AND TEACHER.
James entered Washington College in 1913, beng
then thirteen years of age, and became at once
prominent as a scholar among the two or three
hundred other lads from all parts OF the country
and because of his splendid physique he was also
leader in all manly athletic sports. lie was not
bookworm, or burner of midnight Oil put he
was close student and possessed the happy
faeultv of assimilating knowledge from books and
tutors far more easily and quickly than most OF
his fellows. In debating societies he held his own
we'll and was conspicuous by his ability to control
and direct others
In his own classes he was always foremost rs
scholar and personally very popular To the new
scholars who entered In succeeding classes he was
bero-uniformly kind TO them, ready to give as
sjstance and advice sand eager to make pleasant
their path in college life. His handsome person
and neat attire his ready sympathy and prompt
assistance his frank, generous nature and his
brave manly bearing. made him the best known
the best loved and the most popular boy at college
He was the arbiter among younger boys IN all Their
disputes and the authority with those of his own
age on all questions. He was always Tor the
@under dog in the fight" And at the end OF the
usual four years course at college he was grad
uated in 1S47, with the most distinguished honors
~,.,u11f 90 oil
fitted in requirements and training to deal with its
problems and bearing as a crown OF youtnful
honor the affection and esteem of all his associates
From his alma mater young Blaine went to Blue
Lick Springs Kentucky and became a professor
in the Western Military Institute, in which there
were about 40 boys. A retired officer who was
student there at the time relates that Professor
Blame was a thin. handsome, earnest young man,
with the same fascinating manners he has now
He was popular with the boys, who trusted him
and made friends with him from the first. lie
knew the given names Of every one, and he knew
their shortcomings and their strong points. lie
was a man of great personal courage and during
a fight between the faculty of the school and the
owners of the springs, involving some questions
about the removal of the school, he behaved in the
bravest manner. fighting hard but keeping cool.
Reyolyers and knives were freely used but
Blaine only used his we-dIscplned muscle. Col
onel Thornton f. johnson was the principal of the
school. and his wife had young ladies' school at
Nillersburg twenty miles distant. 1t was at this
Mace that Mr. Blaine met Miss Stanwood, who
belonged to an excellent family IN MASSACHUSETTS,
and she afterward became his wife.
After few years work as teacher Mr. Blaine re-
turned TO Pennsylvania and began studying law
He read law carefully. and obtained thorough
knowledge of its principles, but never presented
himself as a candidate for admission to the Bar
EDITOR AND STATE POLITICAL LEADER.
Miss Stanwood was a native of Maine. and after
her marriage to Mr. Blaine anxious for him TO
make that State his home. This he determined 10
do and in 1893 the young couple removed 10
Augusta, where they have ever since made their
home In the following year Mr.. Blame entered
into partnership with Joseph Baker. prominent
LAWYER of that town, and the two purchased The
Heanebec Journal of which Mr.. Blaine at once be.
came Editor. The Journal was a weekly paper, one
of the organs of the Wing party, and exercised
considerable political influence. In 1857 Mr..
Blaine disposed Of his interest in this paper and
became Editor of The Portland Daily 4dCetiscr. In
the campaign of 1860 he returned temporarily to
his old post on The henaebec Journal on account OF
the illness of its Editor His career in journalism
lasted only six years, but was marked throughout
b. ability and success, and it served TO give him a
good introduction 10 the world of politics and
craftsmanship.
When the old Wing party went to pieces Mr..
Blaine Joined hands with Governor Arson p.
Morrill, in organizing the Republican party in the
Pine Tree State. His vigorous attacks upon the
Buchanan Administration made him power.m the
new organization. In 1853, when he was in his
twenty-nInth year, he elected to the LegIsa-
ture He served two years the floor of the
Lower House and two years in the chair where he
displayed the qualities of parliamentary leadership
and control that afterward gave him such re-
nown in the National Legislature at Washington
II is also worthy of mention that he took active