The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-11-22
BLAINE TELLS WHAT DID 1T.

correspondent of the Roston Journal had a
long interview with Mr.. Blaine, at his home, in
Augusta, Maine, a few days ago. The reporter
said, addressing Mr.. Blaine,
elbow do you account for the closeness of the
result in New York? ?"
"Well, considering the loss by the bolt of the
Independent Repuoli and the far larger loss
from the action of the Republican Prohibtionists,
the wonder at first sight is that the Democrats
did not carry the State by a large majority, as
they confidently expected they would. This re-
suit was prevented by the great accessions to the
Republican ranks Of Irish and Irish American
voters, and workingmen of all classes, who sus-
tanned me because Of my advocacy of protective
tariff They believe, and believe wisely, that free
trade would reduce their wages"
"You really think, then, that you received a
considerable Irish vote in New York ?"
"0h, had thousands upon thousands" re-
sponded Mr.. Blaine, "and should have had many
more but for the intolerant and utterly improper
remark Of DR.. Burchard, which was quoted every
where to my prejudice and in many places at
tributed to me, though it was in the highest de.
gree distasteful and offensive to But lie
you know, travels very fast and there was moi
time before election to overtake and correct thai
one, and so / suffered for it."
"But do you think the Irish American vote
eyes," said Mr.. Blaine, 81 was deeply impress
ed by the ability, the earnestness, and the sincerity
of those whom I met. There, for instance, II
Patrick Ford of the Irish World. Heis man OF
the most unselfsh devotion to any cause he es
pouses, possessing great faculty for organization
with marked ability and untiring energy. Gen
Kerwin of the Tablet has in large degree the same
characteristics, and is a far-sighted and able man
with fine record as a Union soldier. These men
with others whom did not personally meet, have
made a break in the Irish Democratic vote, one
that believe will widen and increased in the future
as the full significance of the attitude OF the
Democratic party on the tariff question become;
understood and appreciated. Our Irish and Irish
American citizens will in time get tired of voting
in accordance with the wishes of the English free
traders"
After discussing the Irish vote in Boston and
the German vote in the West, the conversation
drftei back to New York, and Mr.. Blaine was
asked if he thought the Prohibitonists were honest
in their support of St. John.
"I have never during the campaign said Mr.
Blaine, REFLECTED upon the motives of any man,
and shall not do so. content myself with say
ing that think the Prohibitionists were misled
and that they did not correctly measure the pos
sibe result Of their course l received from many
Of them the assurance that my candidacy made
to vote fo- me, but they seemed to be under the
strange delusion that the temperance cause could
be promoted hy supporting their own Presidential
ticket, and by their course they influenced preju
dicially the national issues which were really al
stake"
"You attribute the close vote in New York
then, Mr.. Blaine. solely to the action of the In
dependents and the Prohibitonists?"
"No, not solely" replied Mr.. Blaine. "Accord
ing to the numerous letters have received from
Central and Western New York, it would seem
that the rainy day essened the Republican vote.
The Democratic maj orites lies in the cities, where
by few minutes walk on good pavement, a
man reaches his polling place. The Republican
majorites are in the country, whore large numbers
live three four and even five miles from the poll
ing places, which election day had to be reach
ed over muddy roads AMI in a rain storm. Had
the day been fair, the Republican majorities in
the rural counties would have been increased, one
good judge writes me, by probably 10000, but all
agree by from three to Ave thousand. The actual
difference between the two parties in the fna
count will perhaps not exceed a thousand, about
one twelfth of one per cent. of the total vote, oil
one vote in every twelve hundred for the entire
State. So if the Democrats have really carried
New York by this small margin, as the latest
news indicates, you see how easily fair day
might have reversed the result. But great politi
cal battles, like military battles, often lost oil
won by apparently trivial incident or accident
which no human foresight can guard against"