The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-16
THE BLA1NEs AND LoGANs.
Something About the Wives and Children of
the Candidates.


st. Louis Spectator.
The wives of both the nominees on the Re
publican ticket are women of unusual in
tellectual force and both have decided personal
characteristics. Mrs. Logan is better known
and perhaps better liked than Mrs. Blaine, not
because she is a more estimable woman, how
ever but because she has more of a disposition
for mixing up with her husbands public affairs.
Mrs. Blaine is Of very retiring nature and has
the name in Washington of being somewhat
naughty, but this is an ill-founded prejudice
She is simply reserved while Mrs Logan is en-
tirely frank and cordial, but not a woman of
the real culture of Mrs. Blaine. Mrs.
Blaine is about as far ahead of Mrs.
Logan in the refinement that genuine education
gives as Mr.. Blaine is ahead of General Logan
in scholarly polish. Mrs. Logan is an excellent
woman, kind hearted, socable, devoted to her
husband, his helpmeet in all things and well
fitted to make him friends as well as friends for
herself among the Masses and if General Logan
had been nominated for President instead of
Vice-president, and were to be elected, she would
be the most popular lady installed there since
Harriet Lane, the niece of James Buchanan
Republican Presidents have not been distin-
guished for the popularity of their wives. Poor
Mrs. Lincoln the first one, was never fitted by
nature or education for the place. and it was
great torture for her to be there. Mrs. Grant,
woman of plain manners and good common sense,
followed her, but she could never make the
White House a fashionable place, and perhaps
never wanted to do so. Mrs Hayes had the dis
advantage of being the wife of man whom few
people felt had right to the place he filled, and
while she is estimable lady and worthy of all
respect, she took such an extreme position,
right or wrong am not here saying, on the tenn
perance question that she was held by society to
be sort of fanatic. Mrs. Garfield, like Mrs
Lincoln, was oppressed almost to the point of
distraction with the duties that fell to her as the
wife of President, and the election of her hus
band to that high office was a misfortune to her
IN more ways than one. President Arthur
was some years ago bereft of a wife who would
have added to the social brillancy of his
administration. Should Mrs. Logan ever be
installed in the place twice occupied by Martha
Washington she would not fail to attract good
share of public attention, but her warmest ad-
mirers and best friends would not be the die
tantte nor the ultra-fashionables, but the peo-
pie of the great middle section. Mrs Blaine is
used to highly intellectual and literary at
mosphere, Just what Mrs. Logan knows very
little about, and she is worthy in every way of
her most dashing and brilliant husband If she
goes into the White House she will be found to
be very positive quantity and will give dignity
and character to the social side of Mr.. Blaine's
administration. She was not overhopeful of his
nomination, and both he and she went away
from Washington to Augusta, week before last,
not looking for the result which followed. He had
been twice defeated and believed the independ-
ents would combine upon an opposition candi-
date. Two months ago, when the news first be-
gan to come to Washington about the growing
Blaine movement all over the country, we'll
known st. Louis gentleman, who is on conf
Dental terms with the Blaines met Mrs. Blaine
on the street and at once congratulated her on
what he believed to be the certainty of her huS-
bands election With a very considerable sigh
Mrs. Blaine said: mo, it will be with us as it
has been twice before. Mr.. Blaine will come
near enough the nomination to put us all in
fever of anxiety, but do not expect his sue
cess nor does he; but it does seem shame that
we should have this trial thrust upon us every
four years" For the once Mrs B. was mis-
taken.
The newspapers will have no trouble in getting
photographs of Mrs. Logan from which to make
cuts, for her pictures are publicly exposed for
sale at half dozen places in Washington. [
happen to know that Mrs. Blaines photograph
is not only not for sale, but that she never had
one taken. 1t is altogether probable that her
picture will not be seen at all during the cam
paign. She is not handsome by any means,
though she has strengthening face. Her three
daughters are also quite plain in appearance,
but they are well educated and have ample fit
ness in this line for the position they may be
called on to occupy
In this connection I can not fail to call to
mind an incident that happened in Washington
last winter, one of the Misses Blaine being con
cerned. She was in the House listening to the
debate one day in company with some friends,
and, happening to recognize a member on the
floor who was an old friend of her family, she
playfully shook her fan at him and gave her
head a sort of twist characteristic of women on
such occasions. Of course there was a smile and
bow of recognition from the member, who
soon made it convenient to slip up to the gallery
and pay his compliments just as he ought to
have done newspaper correspondent
sitting up in the reporters gallery happened
to see the whole harmless TRANSACTION
and forthwith sent message to his journal to
the effect that Miss Blaine had b, gun to dis
tinguish herself by visiting the House and open
ly and indelicately flirting with members, giving
then the details of the incident 1 have related,
supplying the essential cooring.
General Logan has one son and one daughter
The son is a youth of sixteen eighteen, and is
at West Point though his father was not favor
able to his having a military training He is
said to be quite a we'll behaved, sprightly young
man. The daughter is married and her husband
is in business at Santa Fe, N NJ. She was with
her parents much of the time last winter and is
most affectonately devoted to them. She still
pets her father and fondles with him with
childish playfulness. Her education was had at
the convent in Georgetown, and one or two
young ladies of st. Louis were her classmates.
Her complexion is dark and her hair very black
so that in these two particulars she resembles
her father She is of slender build, and is
rather pretty, but is as simple and unpretentous
in her manner as child Mr.. Blaine has three
sons; the eldest a graduate of Yale, and the sec
ond graduate of Cam bridge and the third a
very bad boy and two or three times expelled
from colleges where he had been placed He is
James e., ir, and looks very much like mis-
father In Washington he loafs about the bill
lard halls, and can drink ike fish, Though
not over seventeen or eighteen years old, he
turns up glass of bourbon straight" like an
old timer" He is about past the point of re-
demption, and is the one source of domestic
infelicty to the otherwise very happy Blaine