, 1884-03-21
The Democratic Leader.
FRIDAY, MARCH 81, 1884,
THE BLAINE BOOM.

NAV NtIsdllt anu htl-DuoNtu NOllC-
spondent Gath" George Alfred Town
send,) in a letter to the Cincinnati Enqui-
rer last Saturday makes the startling rev
elation that Grant, Conkling and Blaine
are now united to makethe latter the next
President The following extracts from
the letter give the story without its en-
b~ellishments:
One of the most curious things said to
me in Washington was by a former friend
of Senator Conkling, who Is posted as to
his relations and feelings. Said | to this
man: DO you observe in Washington a
strong undercurrent toward Blaine for
President 2
'Yes. He will be nominated amid an
excitement that you have hardly ever seen
in convention, said this man.
The remark excited me again because
this man had always been an opponent Of
Blaine and an adherent of COnkling and the
Stalwart faction, Said [: Il see that
Grant is reported ut Fortress Monroe as
saying that either Blaine or Arthur will
be the Republican candidate. Why
should Grant have something to say in
favor of Blaine2"
IF you do not mention my name. -
said my informant, II will give you some
information that you will find TO come out
straight Both Grant and COnkling are
in favor of Blaine's nomination.
How did that come about p
''It was the work of mutual friends
with whom Blaine and Conkling have bus
mess relations. Conkling is employed by
some strong corporations, aud is making
money very fast and in almost uneXam-
pied sums even for IN American lawyer.
He is making money rs Jere Black used
to do, having the biggest kind Of clscs
and getting the biggest kind of pay,
This has put him in a better temper with
his times. Blaine is also in large enter
prises to make money, requiring the co
operation Of men and capital. Grant is a
banker whose banking house is making
money, and his son are DONG well. So
they all feel good together.
"Have Conkling and Blaine been
drawn together personally p
IF | would speak as to that ] might
give myself away" said my informant,
but you can rely upon it they have q
good understanding. 1t was long the de-
sire to reconcile Conkling to Blaine, al
though from Conkling's experience with
other politicians like Arthur he had
learned to havc respect for Blaine's integ-
rity as n politician. Blaine and Conkling
never disagreed materially about Hayes
administration. The men in Garfield
cabinet who were most hostile TO Conk-
ling, like Wayne Mac Veagh and James,
were also hostile to Blaine, and have ever
since been pursuing him with little innu-
endoes, trying to implicate him in scan
dals because some of his friends had bus
mess interests just sufficiently near these
scandals 70 allow n mean man to say 4
mean thing. Blaine has always given
credit to Conkling for the possession of
honesty and of fairness between men.
They have never crossed each Others path
since their juvenile days in the House of
Representatives. For a good while Conk-
ling persuaded himself to oppose Blaine
in all his Presidential aspirations. To
that end Conkling himself ran in 1876,
and his friends assisted to beat Blaine
with HAYES. In 1880 Grant was revived.
But the convention and its consequences
almost in me lately cured the hostility of
the two mel. Conkling expressed him
self on his return from Chicago as sorry
that Blaine had not got the nomination.
He said that Blaine would keep his word,
and be equal and fair among the politicians
of his party, but that Garfield was no pol
%itician, and not TO be relied upon in the
division of patronage. Blaine went into
Garfield's Cabinet, but his friends protest
that he never took one step against COnk-
ling. The nomination of James TO be
Postmaster General was suggested from
New York City. Robertson was taken
care of as an old friend of Garfield.
There were a good many things to explain
TO bring Conkling and Blaine into accord,
but Conkling would rather forgive a per
sonal opponent than TO subscribe to n
weak friend. He has seen Arthur come
into the Presidency and show less back
bone and personal fidelity than either
Hayes or Garfield did.
Where does this leave John Logan p
said /.
logan il on the outside fighting for
himself, with very slight chances of a.
complishing anything. He seems to have
in his favor Joe Chaifee and Don Cam
eron. Chaiiee was an old Blaine u
Cameron rather likes the rough quality of
Logan. But Logan lost the confidence Of
the Grant and Conkling men after Gen
iral Garfield became President and the
rupture happened with Conkling and
Plat. Logan began to talk out West
against Conkling, saying that in some re-
spects he had no sense, etc. The Logan
boom. therefore, does not go further east
than Pennsylvania, where a small portion
of the old Cameron contingent would like
to have Logan President in order that he
might not give the Offices to any college
men or respccters of public opinion. 10
gan thought he had a strong point with
the soldiers in the Eitz John Porter case,
but since the definite settlement of that
question by the vote of Congress, and the
decided attitude of General Grant i'll ia
vor of Porter the Logan boom is not very
strong, even in the army posts. Grant
has the confidence of the soldiers more
than Logan, and he has been emphatic in
his endorsement of Porter. as have been
a good many other Republicans, The ar
mngements regarding the Presidency are
so far made that l myself have no doubt
whatever of Blaine nomination, unless
he should die in the meantime. Blaine
and Conkling both had to retire from pub
lie life about the same time. Both were
in the maturity Of their powers. CoBk-
ling never had the popular following of
Blaine; but he has been content with the
fact that the business classes respect him,
and seek to employ his talents and remu-
nerate him well. He has been led by the
falling off of many of his old friends, like
Cornell and Arthur, to say that it IL best
to put II trust in your equals, and not
in your interiors. As far as Blaine is con
cerned, he is always more than half way
in making forgiving advances to any man
whose ability he respects
'yrhe simple fact that Blaine has large
business interests which brought him into
association with the wealthiest class of
men in the country, or rather a class of
men who are in warfare with another rich
class. The Adams Express Company for
example, is in immediate association
with the Pennsylvania Railroad On
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