St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-09-11
Blaine's Treachery To Garfield When
He Law DYING.

The Buffalo Daily Courier publishes a dis
patch from Washington, under date Of Sept
3, which sets forth his heartless selishness,
and his unfeeliug, treacherous baseness to-
wards Garfield when he lay wounded and dy-
ing at the White House The dispatch SAYS:
The following story of President Garfield's
sickness, which can be readily established by
several who were parties to it, show that some
of Mr.. Garfeld's most intimate acquaintan-
ces have long known that Blane's claims
to having been one of the murdered Presi-
dents siucerest friends are pretence, and
that in most trying moment he proved al
together unfathful. Blaine, as is known to
all who were about President Garfield after
he was shot, was one of the first to make up
his mind that he would not live. While yet
most of the Cabinet and one of the attend
ing friends believed he might recover, Mr..
Blaine began to look out for his own future.
Accordingly in August, while Garfield was
still lying at the White House, Blaine one
day asked the different members of the Cab
met to meet him for consultation at his
house on an important matter. When they
were assembled he stated to them his opinion
that case Of Presidential inability had arisen
under the Constitution that the President
was seriously disabled and was not likely to
recover for a long time, if ever. He pro-
ceeded and urged therefore that the Cabinet
should agree with him to summon Vice Pres
ident Arthur to Washington 10 administer
the oath of Office to him and install him as
President de facto, as acting President. This
astO txun obarc Of fba
Cabinet vigorously opposed. They declared
that nothing in the circumstances of the
country or in the condition of President Gar
field called for such action.
They urged that the mere knowledge that
the question of deposing him had been even
| considered would, if it should come to Gar
field; ear, do more to dishearten and kill
him than the shot of Guiteau. In spite of
these and other considerations, Blaine per-
sisted in advocating his scheme. Some
strong language was used by those who took
the lead in opposition to Blaine's proposal.
It was even suggested that it would be no
better than an act of treaachery to the woun-
ded president. Secretary Blaine soon found
that he stood alone and was reluctantly
obliged to drop the scheme. There is excel
lent authority for the statement that he took
measures to inform Vice President Arthur
that he had wished and proposed to have him
installed as President but had been prevent
ed by the opposition of the Cabinet. 1t is
also known that at no moment did Mr.. Ar
thur give the slightest favorable response to
any feature of such proposition. This was
the first move in Blaine's game, to make a
friend of Arthur and secure himself a place
in Arthur's Cabinet by offering his support
and services while Garfield was still living
and had hopes of recovery. 1t is also true
that for weeks after Mr., Arthur succeeded to
the Presidency Blaine exhausted all means
in his power to retain the position of Secre-
tary ST state. More than one plain hint wa:
required to make him understand that he
could not remain. He was ready to make
any promises Of fidelity to the new chief, but
Mr.. Arthur would not trust him, but, while
very civil to him, even so far as to offer him
a foreign mission, he insisted on his resig.
nation from the Cabinet.