Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-11-17
Boston Traveller.
Mr.. Blaine's Canvass-A Retro
sDect.

To those who, in this hour of suspense and
threatened defeat, are inclined to say that
under another leader the republican host
might have done better, il Is in order to
recall few features Of the political situation
last June. which they seem to have forgotten
At that time, as every republican of any
foresight admitted, and as every democratic
leader very fairly claimed, the chances of
success 10 the then pending national struggle
were heavily. very heavily against the
republican party; no matter whom they
nominated, nor with what prudence their
platform was constructed What were the
main outlines of the contest as il then SHAPED
itself? Twenty-Five out of the thirty eight
States had gone against the republican party
in the last preceding State elections, and were
under democratic governors. That IL to say,
the local administrations 10 two-thirds of the
States, including the great States of New
York, New Jersey. Connecticut, Pennsylva-
MA Ohio. Michigan. Kansas, California,
Nevada aud Colorado. were all democratic
when the presidential canvas of 1884 opened
Three out Of every four States that gave
JAMES A. Garfield their votes. including his
own STATE of Ohio, had passed into democrat
ic hands and there remained. at the moment
the republican national standard was placed
in the hands Of James g Blaine. Never in
its history had the republican party faced
such tremendous odds. The South was
hopelessly solid an impregnable fortress
that could not by any means be forced
The same independents who desert
ed the republican party in this crisis
and fought il from without, had hrst
dealt IL a staggering blow from within
by insisting upon the abandonment OF all
attempts to secure the freedman's ballot and
protect him in it, exercise. Thus l53 electoral
votes were made solid and sure for the dem
ocratic nominees by long series Of shameful
frauds and diabolic deeds of violence, murder
and outrage. which the colOred republicans
IF the South were made powerless longer to
resist. by reason OF the withdrawal or all
federal protection TO their rights as citizens
"A withdrawal consummated, IN obedience
to independent clamor, in 1870 TO 1876. With
the 1913 votes of the South pre-assured and
practically placed beyond controversy before
the canvass opened. and every debatable State
of the North-Ohio, Indiana. New York,
Connecticut and New Jersey-snbmerged
under the tidal wave Of 1882, with democratic
governors elected by strong and in some cases
phenomenallv large. maJorities, Mr.. Blaine
was called upon to enter the lists aud lead
the remnant of the victorious host that fol-
lowed Garfield, a defeated and discouraged
minority, 10 victory. We repeat, 1t was
combat against fearful odds
What has Mr. Blaine done? 1t is still pos
sble that he has snatched victory from the
very Jaws of defeat, and re-established the as
tendency of party whose doom, in June
last. was apparently sealed. But at any rate
he has come within few hundred votes of
doing It. and the democratic organs concede
that but for the insane babbling of Burchard
on the very eve of the election he would have
been thousands ahead of his competitor in his
own State of New York, the State which only
two wears before had recorded a democratic
majority in favor of this same candidate of
nearly 200, 900. Ohio, Michigan. Wisconsin,
Kansas, Colorado, Nevada, and California
have all been redeemed from the democratic
tidal wave which swamped them at their last
preceding State elections, and no man be
lieves that, without Mr.. Blaine's apirited and
tacttul personal leadership, Ohio would have
been counted in the republican column either
in October or November. Michigan en-
gulphed in 1882 by a democratic majority of
10000, is again a republican State, and the
New England and New York, are enormously
increased; Pennsylvania giving $4,000, Kan
sas 90, 900, Minnesota 5000, Nebraska and
Iowa still heavier, while Oregon trebles her
Garfield plurality, and California records the
largest republican majority in her history.
And in New York the result, under all the
circumstances, is an even stronger tribute TO
Mr. Blaine's strength ~ leader The En-
pire State gave Garfield $50 900 votes it has
Just given Blaine 55S 900, 4 gain of 3000
notw outstanding that over %, 900 republicans
have thrown away their ballots on St. John,
while $4,000 independent republicans who
voted for Garfield claim to have now voted
against Blaine, and several thousand more
republicans have done likewise to crafty
COnkling's spleen On the whole we think
the run made by Mr.. Blaine in New York is
the most marvellous feature of the entire
election. Where is the next republican leader
who could have spared over 100000 of the
votes cast for Garfield and still have made
New York State so close that ten days after
the balloting it would have been moot
question on which side the plurality rested
We know of but one, and the action of the
Independents made his nomination impossi-
Bile.
No. let us hear no more uugenerous retleC-
tons upon the great leader who has made
this splendid contest. 1t is not a republican
defeat, we care not how the final footing in
New York stands. On the contrary, the re-
publican party has grandly retrieved the dis
asters of 1852. recovered almost if not quite
all the ground it then lost, redressed the bal
ance of control in the States, secured the
next national Senate, and cut down by a half
the democratic majority in the next rs com
pared with the current Congress. We say
this is not defeat; il is victory. And let re-
pubicans give, not Rrudgngly, but heartily,
as they ought to do, the lions share of the
credit for the vast Improvement which, view
ed as whole, has been effected by the recent
elections in the national status of the repub
| licsn party, to James G. Blaine of Maine
| the gallant leader of what seemed at the start
a forlorn hope. and at the finish is glorious,
| il not a complete, triumph. Honor to whom
honor is due"