The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-01-30
BLAINE AGAIN.

Strong Feeling tor tho MAiuO stRtesmau
His Nomination aud Election Predicted.
". Y;IorTChiciNndi Enquirer
When Stephen b. EIkins ia asked who
Ia to ba the nominee OF the Republican
party in 1883, tho big man who manipu
lated james G. BIaiue's nomination, and
nearly succeeded in eleCLing him, returns
an evasIve reply. But there is a danger
GUS twinkle in his eye when Blaine'i
name is mentioned, and he is absorbed IN
attention on moments n0tice to any in.
formation that indicates tho Plumed
Knights continued power over the masGes
Of his party.
Some of Blaines younger leutenants
are no. 80 reticent rs Elking. ran across
Sam Fessendon, Of Connect cut, on Broad.
way to-day. He swings along with the
gait Of an old tar, owing to a slightly de-
isCtive limb. as Secretary Of the Repub.
lican National Committee no had aud his
tho confidence Of Blaine, Elkins, Wm.
Walter Phelps and others Of that ilk.
"Who is to lead the Republican column
in lSSS?' asked FeHsenden.
James q, Blaine, OF Maine" was the
prompt and ringing response.
"You don't mean i" said.
"ln dead earnest" hO replied. "There
isn't Blaine man OF all the hosts who
were in Chicago in 1854 who Is not q
Blaine man to-day. A few men who were
for him for policy then are ostensibly
against him now; but they will be for him
again Tor tho same reason as Ia 1854. You
can mark it down on piece Of paper in
indelible ink that Blaine will be renOmi-
mated in 1888, US certainly as lie lives and
tho convention shall meet. What Is more,
he will DO elected"
There Ia more than q little OF this kind
Of talk to DO heard among Republicans.
The friends Of other candidates like Shor-
man and Logan affect to pooh pooh the
idea that Blaine Is to BIO to the front, but
the old Blaine following Is stronger In Its
belief in the man and his destiny than
ever before. met II. 9. Parsons, OF
Natural Bridge, Va, tonight and asked
him the same question | had propounded
to Fessenden. He replied:
III Mr.. Blaine wants to be renominated
he can have the solid vote Of the South in
the next convention. The darkies do not
know any ono but Blaine to-day. They
were held for Arthur two years ago by the
force OF patronage and the power the
olliCe.holders Enthusiastically held. The
state Of Virginia was fierce hotbed Of
the Administration. A member OF our
State Committee, who holds bis place by
virtue Of his old friendship, told me with'
in few days that every man in the COM
miltee 10 in favor Of the old ticket for 1883.
The fact Is that since Grants death
Blaine's name Ia the only one which Ia
prominently before tho Republicans Of
the South. They admire the pluck with
which he made the last canvas. Then,
too, ia Mr.. Blalne's case the doubtful fac.
tors are all known. That is great advan.
tage In a political contest. Take West
Virginia, for instance. We know that
there is margin OF only three
thousand votes to be overcome.
There is among ex.Oonlederate soldiers
quite strong Blaine following, and this
element Is becoming q leading factor in
Southern politics. In Kanawha county,
where the ThAyers and other ex. Conieder-
ates supported Blaine In 1884, the county
has changed from /, 200 DemoCratiCt 10 600
Republican. 1t would do better for Blaine
another time. 1t would not do as well for
any other Republican, because the break
was due to Blaine's personality. The
same thing Is true OF the Irish vote, The
Irighmen who voted for Blaine can not ex-
plain the exact grounds on which they
did 80, but having once voted for Blaine,
having once engaged In a scrlmmage on
his account they would fight with him
at any time. In another contest Blaine
would get twice as many votes Rs the last
time. There Is no doubt about the
fact that he is the popular idol Of bis
party to-day, aB he has been for sixteen
years. It'll only question OF whether
he desires denomination that will de.
termine whether he will receive II"
Joseph Jorgenson was a Congressman
from Virginia during the period when
Malone, by the aid Of President Arthur,
was dominating that State, has become q
resident Of Washington Territory, and
expects 10 grow up with the country,
until 1t Is admitted az State. In chat
to-day he said to me: "Blaine has lust as
large hold on tho Pacific Coast as ever
| would not favor his denomination.
believe the party would do better with
other men. But II beats all what hold
blaine retains on the masses. My ticket
would be Sherman aud Lincoln, or II a
younger man Ia 10 DO taken up, Lincoln
would be available. There is sentiment
In his name that would be worth tiGy
thousand votes In the State Of New York.
Sherman would be the strongest Of the old