Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-08-23
MIR. BLAINE'S CRAFTSMANSHIP.
lFrom the New York Herald.l

MR. BLAlNES OLA ,omaNoAA
IFrom the New York Herald.l
Some of the Blaine organs begin
again to talk of Mr.. Blaine as states.
man of experience and knowledge,
who. they think, ought to be trusted
with the chief executive office IN pre-
ference to a man like Governor Cleve-
land, who, they say, has but small
perience of public life. ,
If ia not unfair to ask Mr.. Blaine's
supporters to give the public some de-
| tails of Mr.. Blaine's statesmanlike acts
and qualities. 1t is true that he has
been in public life a good many more
wears than Governor Cleveland. tie
has therefore had many more and larger
opportunities to show what statesman
| shin he possessed and to use his abll-
ties to serve his country. Leaving aside
his service in the Maine legislature, we
believe he was elected to congress III
| 1868, and he served continuously n
or the other house of congress ther eat
ter until, in 1881, he became secretary
of state. 800,
Mi. Blaine's supporters would do
well to tell the public some OF M re,
suits of this long public life. What qua
Mr.. Blaine accomplish in the house
in the senate with his "leng expert
ence" and his craftsmanship lie
entered congress before the close Of the
war; he became very soon, as his
friends say, d man of large Influence.
| Will any Of them furnish the public a
catalogue of the important public
measures which he %OriginatedP We arc
so unfortunate as not to remember ever
one. Will Mr.. Blaine's friends name
one or two or half a dozen public meas
ures, wise, statesmanlike, useful to the
country, which had their origin in
him2
By the time Mr.. Blaine was at home
in the national house of representa-
tives the war Was coming to a close,
and a great many extremely important
public questions arose, concerning the
wise pa~cifcation of the sections, the re-
establishment of law and orderly con-
stitutional government in the lately In
surrectionary states and regions; the
reduction of the governments expen-
ditures from q war to an economical
and honest peace basis, the publication
of the administration in it's various
branches, the reform of the currency, |
and 10 forth.
There never was greater opportunity
than during the sixteen years between
the close of the war and the time when
Mr.. Blaine left congress to become
secretary of state for the exhibition of
wise, prudent, able craftsmanship.
There never was greater need i'll o II
gress for such craftsmanship.
What, then, can MIR. Blaine's friends
point to in all that period us his states
manlikc contributions to legislation
We arc asking the question seriously.
Governor Cleveland has not had near
ly so long a term of public life as Mr..
Blaine, no perhaps on SO broad a field,
though the governOrship of tho great
state of New York is a place of i'm
portance and responsibility second only
to thatofthe presidency oftheUni n and
in our judgment a better preparation
for the duties of the presidency, and us
severe a test of ability and character
as the place of a representative or
senator in congress-. Mr.. Cleveland, us
mayor of Buffalo and as governor of
the state, has shown very uncommon
capacity. His friends and supporters
have reason for their pride in him and
confidence in his intelligence, faithful
ness to public trusts, unfaltering firm
ness and thorough comprehension of
great public questions. They do not
: boast vaguely of his ''brilliant states
!, manship," but they have much better,
for they have printed a detailed state
ment of his public acts, every one of
. of which is creditablc to his wisdom
and courage, and proof OF his unwaver-
ing fidelity to public trusts, and the
, sum OF which shows him u maj safely
!, to be trusted with the Presidency.
N 1t is undoubtedly true that Mr..
, Blaine has had far greater opportuni-
I ties than Mr.. Cleveland, and, as we
have said, OH n wider field for the dis
play of Craftsmanship" The qucs-
, ton is, what use has he made of these
: opportunities? With what great and
bencficent public measures or policies
| is his name connected? 10 what do
his friends point proudly as the proofs
of his Craftsmanship"
a The plain truth about Mr.. Blaine is,
q that he is not q statesman in any prop
q er sense. There is no evidence III all
his career that he has ever made a
careful study of any important public
!, question. lie has not been a general,
y but all active leader of skirlnishcrs.
That was his place during all his con.
gressiOnal career. He knew how to
r trip up all unwary antagonist; he knew
how to lay II trap for some poor south.
ern man, as when he demolished Mr..
= Hill, of Georgia. There is going the
rounds of the press now a aroll story
of how he disappointed and cvadcd
General Butler. There are dozens Of
+ stories Of luis a%droitmess, his skill OF
fence, his genius as a party skirmishcr,
q his ability to "get the laugh on the
other side" But of his craftsmanship
!, the public has no knowledge.
Mi. Cleveland would bring to that
I office the very valuable experience
!. gained i'll two important executive Of
tices-the mayeralty OLA great city and
the g%Ovcrnorship Of a great state. Elk.
: cept his service at tho head of the state
l department, where he made all absurd
y muddle of it and showed an amazing
mixture of ignorance and recklesslcss,
!, Mr.. Blaine has had no experience at all
, OF executive duties or responsibilities.
Certainly his course rs secretary OF
. state showed no craftsmanship, His
career there is so ~indefcnsible that none
OF his supporters vcnturcd to dc*emd it
Mt the time OF offer to defend it now.
III Our objection to Mr.. Blaine for the
presidency rests upon the fact that we
> do not believe Mr.. Blaine can be safely
trusted with the responsibilities of nj
executive office, and least OF all with
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