The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-23
The Two Biaines.

The American people are presented
with two portraits of the Republican
candidate. Look here upon this pict-
ure and on this"
The one Blaine is 81 plumed knight"
without fear and without reproach, the
typical and grand American, the eX-
FOUNDER of great issues, the defender OF
the Republican faith His words are
strictly true, his methods fair and oDen
as the day. his acts honorable to HIM
self and 10 others. To him the OPP
pressed of all nations are to look "a their
tower of strength, and under the magic
OF his power the American flag is 10 fly
again upon all seas and be respected in
all lands. He wieldS success. he is rich:
he is smart; he is the pattern for Ameri-
can youth. He is the worthy heir OF
Garfield, the fit successor OF Washington
and Lincoln.
This is the Blaine for whom honest
minded and patriotic Republicans de-
sire to vote. They can not. He does
not exist. Hers visible only to he shut
eyes aud violent self-deceit of those who
having ears will not hear and having
eyes will not see.
The real Bla ne is of another pattern.
He spells Nation with big n, but
Blaine with a bigger B. His principles
are in his pocket. He appears first on
the National stage, when the Nation is
fighting for its life, as lobbyist filling
his pockets. There is no speculation
which he can resist; but, rich as he is,
he has never earned money by any Wis
ible business or pro ,ession. His polit-
zeal and business methods are the
same which have wrecked banks,
robbed honest men of their savings,
defrauded women and children, sent
men to the jail or to their graves, and
lured youth to ruin. This man is a
coward; he writhes, and winces, and
bewails the "agonies" and 'bitter hui
Mutations of his financial crooked
ness: he receives insult without word,
and still writes to his dear Fisher with
kind regards. Forced by threats of po-
litical ruin to make good the valueless
stock he has loaded upon those who
trusted him, he boasts his generous self
sacrifice for his friends. lie tells lies;
he contradicts HIMSELF he asks others
to lie that he may pose as an injured
/ innocent: he takes ''forty-four millions
of people into his confidence with the
usual e:fronterv of the confidence man.
At last he has it explained to the Amer
lean people that he is not smart, after
all: he has been the easy victim OF
petty sharpers. His plume is the white
feather.
! As statesman he has done nothing
/ that makes leadership. He stabs honest
. in, ha bocl- nv In y Z
/ gold resumption is impracticable he
/ aces his best against civil-service reform
| by appointing a hostile committee.
! When public opinion shows its drift he
| turns with the current-too late. He
will keep the people burdaned with a
needless hundred millions of war taxes,
and rid us of the surplus by turning
over to States which pay little, like
Maine, the proceeds from States which
/ pay much, to the utter destruction of
( local responsibility for local govern
ment. When the people prick this
| sham he lets it 90. He allies himself
with population in Virginia, and takes
pa ms in his history to tell West Virginia
! and Virginia alike how they may evade
, their debt Secretary of State, his pol
lev is buncombe He can not spare
( time to care for an Irish-American in an
English Jail. but he can protect the
! guano CLAIMS of newly naturaliZed
Frenchman by bulldozing a broken
power into recognizing a President who
will favor his friends. He DULLES Mex
! leo only to pocket the insult when she
quietly pockets his clustering letters
without reply. He has not the respect
even of his own Ministers. This great
American makes America by-word
| among the nations.
AS candidate lie is all things to all
men. At county fairs or railroad sta
tons he has abundant and particular
sweetness for every place and or all
people: he advertises his affiliations
with all religious sects which have
votes, and every political question
which he dares not face he lodges as a
/ local issue He denies to nature the
credit of her bounty and to labor the
credit of its toll and skill that he may
claim for party and Il policy the wei
to be. ruined by all the mistakes OF poll
ticians. Around him flock the worst
men of both parties. Finally. 10 quote
| MS own organ on MIS-. .MauueIbdutn.
the noted fence. he adopts "a line OF de-
Tense always in great favor at the
TombS. That is. not to establish one
own innocence. but to prove some one
else's guilt
This is the real Blaine Blaine as
drawn by himself, in his own words
and acts. He is all of piece. His
letters are only the typical confession
of an unworthy career. He is the worst
possible ideal for the rising generation
OF America. 1t is for this man that
self-respecting Republicans are asked
for the sake of the party's past, to vote.
Can they do it?
Men do not change in day. This is
the Blaine who. if elected, would be the
head of this great Nation. But he will
not be elected. The tide is rising
against him. There is amoral sense il
the American people which, in its sober
second thought. sees through sham and
pretense, and which will see 50 that no
tricks are played upon Justice. IN.
y. Times.
Mir st. John thinks that this is