New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-25

mast. VIC appreciate the fact that IL cannot so V"
'a,aeni,.Iv fcbtinp its battles over dead issues
The war Is ended slavery is abolished anu ."o
questions growing out of tho war anu inc apoi''oH
Of slaverv are settled We all of us feel that '.o
t;r,e has come when the old should be denhi'ciy
mt behind u.s. when reconstruction ana the hcR.U
question. and the bloody shirt" should oe ia'u
aside and new and living issues having 10 90 W."
thu present and the future, shOuid DC oIouEn. ~
ward In the nomination OF Blaine INC h'Pu'' y"
nortv firms IFS face TO the future. He, more than
any other living statesman represents tno sf.i,Y
National propress. Already the infusion oil that
spirit into the canvass is manifest In tho chaheeo
nature Of the discussions and as it goes on the aot
that there has been "new departure" VIII De
,ro aud ,rorc rlaiu The contest tins year is not
coinc to he fought upon any Of the old Issues. IL
;s not oven going 10 turn only upon protection
INIT r. will be upon the greater development Oh the
fundamental idea which underheS protection INC
idea of making American interests the supreme
object of Governmental policy. MI Blame NOM
;no+o, IA a stem forward in the line of this
nolIcv II commits the party at once to iour great
nolitical purposes; the rebuilding OF the American
Navy; the restoration Of the American nag upon
the sea the development and extension "i AM T.
can trade. and the supremacy OF American l'o'S
upon this continent
shin and the highest patriotism. In considering
them we can for the first time interest the Whoie
country with equal claim Heretofore the Southern
horn white man has been impeiled by hls Drelu-
dircs his education his traditions and his personal
fcelngs to take sides against us, aud those Two
hateful barriers MASON and Dxon's line and the
"color line have stood insurmountaDle III our
wav Upon questions such "a these he IS ready W
take stand with 49, They have no talnt ot sec
tonalism or remniscencc of past antagonists clllH
inc TO them and when they come to I've understoou
and discussed those barriers will vanish. ana we
NAV once more he one people with common heri-
taqe united feeling and single am. can I'M
acine no proposition in politics winch presents
higher claim for Independent support than TINS tn
mt away the hostilites and iealouses of race aud
section. and unite the people of the whole Union
once more i'm effort for the general welfare.
THE QUESTION uF CHARACTER
There remains one other powerful reason why
honorable mon should support James q.
nlainc. refer to tho attacks upon
bia character All that could he
said apangt Inn was said and rrfuted to tho sniA-
faction of reasonable vclra age. II tho lot oi
nllouta,c,t stato.men obc slandetcd aud thov may
lao called tn stnndupnn thoitdolrncc oncc but WHOM
acquitted Il cauuut he necessary to repeat tn" de'
fenea AZ nitrn Asupattupuouu dofamota may choose
a. tcsun,itato tho chatgra In Mt lHinoacaa" tho
very evidence brought against hun dArtoNen tho
accusations, They ATE not merely unsupported
The, arc shown 10 bo impossible. And his repeated
reelection to Congress hy hisneghbor' who know
him best his choice as enator by ha slata, his Sc
lection a, the head of tho Cabinet by the amented
Garfield, who had every possible opportunity To
know the truth concerning him, his support by so
erre and respectable portion OF the party for tho
Presidency in 1876 and 1850, and finally his nomi-
nation bv an unquestOned majority of the Repub-
N,an- of tho whole country AZ their candidate, set
Ties the question OF his character. No other man
La, stood so long and so cOnspcuOusly IN the keen
bTi .ht sunlight of publicity" To suppose that the
Rcpnblicau party does not know James q. Blaine
is to impeach its intelligence To suppose that with
ifs knowledr- it would choose him If there were
any doubt of ais integrity, is to insult personally
its entire membership.
Mr. Blaine nee Is no defence, but tho people have
an account to settle with his There Is no
sourcc Of decentralization so great or so dangerous
as the current abuse of pubio men, and
mo- evil that cal more loudly for the indignant 10
buke and firm opposition OF the true retormer.
Some men seem to have forgotten that the same law
which commands. Thou shalt not steal" com
mdnds also, hon shalt not bear Ial-s Wines
AGAINST thy nelghbOr." lie VINO uses omclaI posi-
fiou for his own emOiumsut, or VINO brings coIFup-
tion INTO the administration Of government, or WHO
rob4 the treasury, Is BASE and well deserves our
les. injury to the body pOliuc On N he Who attacks
the reputation Of our statesmen without cause.
do not think you appreciate the 1eeing OF intense
INDIGNATION with which tho body OF Republicans
regard those who have thus Nentured u a,SHll win
INSTRUMENTATION, pcrverslOn and falSehood so
grand and noble man as James &. blame. In
their eyes, and IN mine, tAcrc IS no more Pressing
patriotic duty involved in the present canvass than
that Of putting down his infamous dctractors and
making them feel the "eiSHt o. emphatic popular
And thu, feeling is made the greater when We
compare him with his opponent Inc one IS great
Statesman. the impress of whose master mind Is
uponthe Nations progress tor quarter of century.
The Otnpr is q mere aCCluental product OF hepubl-
can dissatisfaction. The one ia the embodiment and
representative of Republican Thought and purpose.
The other Is a DcmOcI&t-nOth lug more. The one
has been forcmoS IN advocating all the benciceHt
measures to which you and aud all of ia have
given our assent, and Tor which we have been promo
TO labor as opportunity has come 10 u.s. The Otuer
is without experience without record. without
known opinions on any subject OF National policy.
And when il comes to that moral issue which
yOu tell us Is 10 be paramount, there Is no
| need to discuss recent revelations. The
relations of the Democratic candidate with
Commissioners Thompson and Sheriff Davidson,
and his acceptance Of nomination at
the hands of men against whom charges were
actually pending before himself. and upon whose
alleged nsdeeds lie must shortly SIT as judge,
50 much more repfehenelbo than anything that
has ever been alleged against Mir Blaine that they
| ought alone to decide the matter. / can under
stand how Democrat. blinded by devotion "a
party can prefer Cleveland; but how any sage man
who has had the advantage of Republican enight-
enment can do So passes comprehension II can
only he possible by imputlng 10 MIR. Blame faults
which he has never committed, and investing Mr..
Cleveland with imaginary virtues which ho never
dreamed of claiming. We may not doubt the sim
ccrity Of the very respectable gentlemen who have
done this. but the process uf reasoning hv which
they convince themselves that it is the result and
evidence of superior wisdom and virtue Is too dccp
and intricate tor ordinary understanding. II seems
10 me like The apothcosis of idiocy.
I'm short every reason given for opposing Mr.
HlAincs election lcspycg itself into AN additional
reason for supporting him. The Republican party
has never before, but once when Abraham Lincoln
I WIS nominated the second umcl presented can
ddntc ~ hu had au strung caim upuu the votes of
! honest. high-mindrd. ndcuendcnt citizens. Mud
| am reminded of the strong sirilluty between the
! bolt now being engineered Nv Yourself and that
which upttaiu equally honest. but miaauId,d. mcn
Il |. !. L l. LII L IL. L