The Portland daily press., 1884-06-17
What Democrats Think of 1t.

1t suits the purpose of the Democratic or |
gan in this city to represent that Mr.. Blaine |
is weak candidate, that he is likely to be |
beaten out of sight, and the Argus takes de- |
light in parading the discouraged express |
ions of Republican papers and speakers that |
are disappointed by his nomination and de-
sire his defeat. But the sober minded Dem |
ocrats are not deceived by these appear
ances. From one end of the land to the
other they recognize that it is a strong and
popular nomination and that their chance OF
defeating the Republican candidate is very
slim one. With one accord they declare that
the Republican position with Mr.. Blaine as
a candidate is not one to be scorned; but
one which will challenge all their skill and
all their energy. They are too honest to at
tempt to deceive their readers by cheap and
empty boasting. They see that the Chicago
Republican convention has made their hopes
desperate and they say so in manly fashion.
In proof of this the following extracts from
Democratic journals, and the Philadelphia
Times, an independent paper unfriendly to
Mr.. Blaine, are convincing.
From the Philadelphia Tsmes Qnd)
Blaine will be the master SPIRIT the leader of
leaders in his campaign. The party will follow
him with the devotion and enthusiasm of the army
that bore the eagle of France when Napoleon
marched for Moscow, and even in defeat he would
be worshipped by the rank and file as the man of
destiny after Russia and Elba. He will start the
contest of 1884 with spontaneous energy in every
section of the country He will carry Ohio in Oc-
tober, even with German prejudices against him.
He will disturb Democratic confidence in West
Virginia, the other impor taut October State and
he will be likely to recall California and Nevada
from their Democratic div ersion of 1880, to join
Oregon in solid Republican electoral vote on the
golden slope of the Pacific.
From the Galveston News Dem)
The nomination of james G. Blaine by the Repub-
can party creates no surp RISE His canvass for the
nomination was ably planned, ably executed and
backed by the life and spirit of the Republican
party His nomination is in a sense an honest ex-
preston OF the Repn blican wishes, 1t was de-
manded by the sentimental partisanship of the
party eight years ago, but defeated by questiona-
BILE methods in the conventions of 1876 and 1880.
Blaine is representative Republican and will
make plucky campaign. He is full of ability, au-
dacity dash and enterprise. He has been long in
the public service, has host of public friends nu-
merous admirers and more devoted followers per-
haps than any prominent and aspiring politician in
the United States.
From the Houston, Texas, Post. (Dem)
The Democratic party must be aware that by
nominating Mr.. Blame the Republicans have exhib-
tied the finest trump card in their deck 1t is of no
use to disguise the fact; Blaine is very strong
man, difficult to beat. He has the magnetism of the
few select, who stand head and shoulders above
their fellowmen, his private record is pure one
to the best of our knowledge and his ability has
been tested hundred times and not been found
wanting. The Democracy should not underate their
enemy. No use to make fun of Blaine's book. That
book will turn out to be the most efficient document
of the season. The Republican managers will send
hundreds of thousands of copies of that book
through the South and other Democratic strongholds
and seek to convert Democrats by the charm and
the eloquence of Blaine's "Twenty Years in Con-
gress." We have read that book. 1t is written in
the style of an approved master and it will catch
the unwary by its fine phrases and its show of i'm
partiality. Blaine is the man of all men who will
give the Democrats hard battle for the presidency
The Post, in noting the nomination of the Maine
statesman, considers it a duty to warn the Democ-
racy that the Republican nominee is a formidable
enemy, who is not to be tried with 1t is for that
reason that we present him as he is, and not from
partisan standpoint. While we 1ope TO assist in de-
feating Blaine must caution the Democracy that
the time for vacillation is past