The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-07-24
viii lie Take the Stump!

The more sanctlmOnIOuS Republican:
will quake with anxiety when they hear
that Brother Blaine may yet decide tC
take the stump. Such 4 violation Of
the proprieties which make up the ira
diuonal etiquette to which candidate:
for the Presidency are for some mys-
ferrous reason supposed to stick, seems
q terrible thing TO these proper and sol
emn old fogies. They will hold down
Brother Blaine by his coat-tails if they
can, and pin him fast TO the sterotvped
ways of politics. but perhaps Brother
Blaine will get away, bound upon the
stump, bid defiance to the old fogies,
and wake everybody up.
For, thank fortune, there is nothing
of the solemn ass and not very much oil
the hypocrite about this magnetic car.
pet-bagger from Pennsylvania. The
time has gone by when it was for his
interest to be represented as wholly
given up to historical literature, and at
present he is a candidate who is as
Was. Why. then, shouldn't he take
the stump just as he would if he were
running for Congressman, or Cover
nor, or member of the Maine Legislature?
DIR. Greeley did it, and why should
it be regarded as derogatory to the
dignity OF the great Office TO which Mr..
Blaine has so long aspired 10 come be
fore the people and recommend himsel!
and his party to them, just as cand;-
dates for less important Offices do? Il
seems to us that the assumption that a
candidate for the Presidency lowers
himself or abates from the respect that
should properly attach to that place by
going about and addressing in his own
behalf various paris of the great con-
stituency, the people. to which he looks
for support, is an offensive and undem-
ocratic assumption. As well say that
Mr.. Gladstone lowered him self and the
dignity of the Prime Minister by his
wonderful stump speeches in 1880.
Why should a candidate who is eager
to be elected, and whom everybody
knows TO be eager to be elected, be re-
quired to pretend that he has no inter
est in the matter? Why should he vino
has the greatest personal interest in
the result of his canvass not take, in
every honorable way which his tims
will admit. direct personal charge of
ii? There is no divinity that doth hedge
the person of a candidate for the Presi-
dency, and the Presidency does not
differ save in degree from any other
elective office.
But, dignity or no dignity, Brother
Blaine is not the man to sit like Bump
pc on a log through close campaign.
If he wants to take the stump, he will,
and the prayers of the old fogies won
make him change his mind. We hope
he will take the stump. He is a good
speaker and can not fail to draw bio
crowd. and what he will say nobody
knows. Perhaps he will read in its
proper sequence, and without omission,
the interesting correspondence which
he failed to return to Mulligan. Per-
haps he will relate in burning words the
history of that ingenious claim which
he tried to saddle upon Chilis settle
ment with Peru. Perhaps he will de-
clare in favor of the annexation of
Greenland or of the Peruvian guano
beds. Perhaps he will propose some
new scheme for dividing up the surplus.
provided the pension steals leave any
surplus to divide. But his remarks
will always be smart, and may be sur
priSing.
And if he will only take with him the
eXuberant Logan, what an oratorical
team they will make, Let the eagle
scream, and particularly the Black Ia
gle.--N. Y. SUn.