Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-05-10
A POLITICAL TRrcKsrER.
Mr.. Blaine and the Republican Nominee.
Judge Tourree In The Continent

Judge rourgee in The Continent
1.-THE Republican party seeks 10
commit hari-kari, the quickest aud
surest method for II to do so is by
the nomination Of James q. Blaine
for the Presidency, and the next
most speedy and effective method
Is to select some man whom he
may name as a figure head Of Gn
administration he. shall in effect
control. Some months ago Il was
given out as coming officially from
MIR. Blaine that he would not be
candidate. Nobody attached any
credenee to the story. The only
question of difference was as 10
what the report was intended TO COW
er up. Some thought it meant one
of those struggles for the Presi-
dency which his Democratic coun-
terpart, Mr.. Tilden, has made
famous under the name OF a
"still hunt" Others thought he
had desired to wait until the other
candidates had gotten each other
by the ears and then appear sud-
denly on the scene as a white-plum-
ed messenger of peace. The result
has showed that both these esti-
mates of his intention were true,
and that in both respects he has
been to very great degree disap-
pointed. No one believed in his
distaste for the place he had so long
been fighting for, and.no other can
didates seemed inclined TO get up n
Kilkenny cat fight for his benefit.
So, even with all his shrewd PLAN
ming, he is the first man TO set his
squadrons In the field and begin the
fight. His followers have respon-
ded to the call with wonderful
readiness, considering their previ-
GUS disappointments, and the fact
that, even if he were nominated,
his election would be as hopeless
an undertaking as an attempt to
batter down the walls of Gibraltar
with green peas. His DISABILITIES as
a candidate are radical and incur
able.
In the first place he is the incar-
nation OF all the reprehesible ele-
ments of the Republican party. He
is politician in the low sense in
which the term Is used. To his
mind craftsmanship is synonymous
with trickery, While this charac-
teristic gives him great strength
with the "heelers" and strikers
who manipulate conventions, II Is
a source OF incalculable weakness
with the people, especially in
struggle so close and doubtful as the
present one. If he were nominated.
thegreat part of the liberal element
of the party Except such portions of
it as the Cornell faction of New York
whose sole object is the defeat OF
Of President Arthur would swing
over to the Democracy should they
happen to make fair selection for
a candidate.
In the second place il should be
that Mr.. Blaine has
nothing of substantial strength in
his own record with which to rally
the disaffected or pathetic even OF
his own party. He was one Of tho
few young men Of his own party
who,at the very climax Of his nIau-
hood, while enjoying the most ro-
bust physical health, was able To
resist the infectious glow of patriot
ism during the nations great or
deal. During that time, even when
the plowhandles burned the clod-
hopper's hands so that he was per-
force compelled To drop them and
catch up the mllsket. Mr., Blaln
withstood the tempta-
tion to serve his Country in the field,
resisted the example Of SO many of
his associates in the halls Of Con-
gress, and sedulously kept soft
seat warm and filed his purse by
the opportunities which period Of
war always offers TO men Of thrift,
GOODNESS and sagaclty.
In the third place IL shonld rot
be forgotten that the legislative
record Is of that questionable char
acter which is the hardest Of all
things successfully to justify or de-
fend. "Not proven" is unquestion-
able the public verdict In regard 10
the charges that have been made
against him. Further than that no
one can go. Even charity can offer
no more tenable hypothesis In re-
gard to them. Such a record IL a
poor bait TO catch voters with, es-
at time when so many of
The most sincere aud reliable OF
those of his his own party are nau-
seated at the alarming prevalence
Of disgusting political trickery- 1t
Is this fact, no doubt, that has made
his workers so very anxious to asso-
ciate Mr.. Lincoln's name with that
Of the Maine statesman as the can
didate for Vice President. The
fair, clean record Of Robert Lincoln,
united with his fathers deathless
I'm ftsat
cloak with which to hide the mfr
mites or the head Of the ticket.
The idea Is a splendid one and en-
tirely worthy OF the mind OF Mr..
Blaine, certainly one Of the keenest
and subtlest ofthe age.s
FOurthly. the man who clamors
Tor Mr.. Blaine's nomination, even
IN the face OF assured defeat, should
not forget that the qualities OF his
mind, even admitting the imfnacu-
ateness of his Intentions, are the
very ones best calculated to encour-
lge doubt and uncertainty in regard
% an administration controlled and
directed by him. AS one OF tho
eading business men OF this city, a
/ Republican of the most hOnora-
Die record, recently said OF him:
'One might as well attempt TO call
:ulate the course of a sky rocket"
That he would do brilliant things
here is no room 10 doubt. His
whole career has been pyrotechnic
n its character. His chief object
eems to have been to produce as
onishment la the beholder. In
his he has very generally succeed
ID. Even thOSe who were unable
o perceive any reason for the dis
)lay have been compelled TO admit
he brilliancy OF the coruScsliOns
Intending the cliuIacteric, The
attack upon the rebel brigadieTS wis
even exrelled in brilliancy by the
audacity displayed be-
ore the Mulligan Committee, and
he celebrated South American poll
cy was itself fairly put in the shade
Dy the series of veraciOus tclegrnm5
rom tn. bedside OF the stricken
President. All these things, and
many other events of his liie, Ar', of
Drilliancy /; but, uhl"r-
unately, they are not the material
,ut Of which the fabric Of confidence
3 woven. Under Mr.. Blaine's CON
rol the government would, no doubt
AVE policy, but 1t would be
,Olicy which no one could FORECAST
nd Of which every one would Rsk,