The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-09-17
Three Months of the Campaign.
Harper'g Weekly.l

Three months of the campaign are past
and only two remain. 1t is now evident that
no serious attempt will be made by the
friends of Mr.. Blaine to remove the wide
spread Republican disafection, and that
they hope TO elect him without even the
form of an adequate explanation of the facts
upon which that disaffection largely rests.
The three months since the nomination have
been largely devoted by the supporters of
Ml. Blaine to misrepresentation Of the
plainly declared reasons of the Republican
protest, and an endeayor by vituperation
and denunciation to crack the party whip so
effectively as to brighten Independent Re-
publicans and drive them to the support of
the candidate. This attempt has utterly
failed, because of the reason of refusal to
support the nomination is one that con Germs
both the national character and the welfare
of the party. The sole way to deal with the
opposition vas obvious from the first 1t
was not to extol the Republican party, nor
to ridicule and revile Independent RepublI-
cans, nor to delounce the Democrats, but to
disprove the charges against Mr.. Blaine.
Not to do this was virtually TO confess that
it could not be done. And what has been
the course? In this part of the country the
campaign opened with ratification meetings
in New York and Boston. In New York
Mr.. Evarts set forth the virtues
of the Republican party and the
vices of the Democratic party,
and essayed to show the inconsistency OF Re-
publicans who declined TO support the nomi-
nations. The drift.of ms remarks was to the
effect that, when candidate is selected by
party delegates fairly elected, every member
OF the party onght to So pport him. But the
one simple question which confronted such
an argument Mr. Evarts declined to meet or
to answer. 1t is this: Ought a man, for the
sake of a party, to vote for candidate Tor
the Presidency who has prostituted his pub
aforrr
is no answer to that question to assert that
a man ought to stand by his party.
On the same evening Sanator Hoar, ex-
Governor Long and Chairman Henry Cabot
Lodge spoke in Boston. Their opinions OF
the fitness of the nomination of Mr.. Blaine
were supposed at least to be well known, as
well as the reasons of their opinions. In
slty of continued Republican ascendency,
and expressed confidence in Mr.. Blame, and
there was great bitterness in some OF the
illusions to Independent Republicans. Like
Evarts, they exalted the party, and like him,
they declined to say whether, in order to
give victory to his party, man ought to
vote foI a candidate who had trafhcked in his
office. The next important event in the
campaign was the speech OF Mr.. Schurz in
Brooklyn. 1t recalled the discussion to the
real question. 1t was a remarkably clear,
powerful and conclusive presentation
of the case against Mr.. Blaine,
which has produced the Republican
revolt, and which Independent Republicans
ask to have explained. 1t was presentation
based wholly upon Mr.. Blaine's own words
and acts. 1t was made without heat OF rhet-
oric and with an evident sincerity OF con-
viction as marked, TO say the least, as that
OF either of the Blaine orators. This strong
and effective speech was followed by one
from Senator Dawes in New Jersey. But to
a 4. 49, DO Bn NJ ina
orator everywhere, fought man to vote for
a candidate whom he believes to have greatly
abused agreat public trnst?' Senator Dawes
replied that he did not think that Mr.. Blaine
was guilty, and that he himself could easily
explain the apparent grounds of suspicion.
But the Senator went no farther.
He did not attempt to explain. He
merely gave his own opinion. at last a
meeting was held in Brooklyn. presump-
lively to dispose Of the whole matter.