The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-05-27
aLA,Ne sTlLL BOSS"

BLAINE STILL BOSS"
The Pine Tree State Politician Has His
Grip Yet on the Party His Party,
Howe yer. Not the Country.
According to our Washington dis
patches, some significance is attached
to the organization of the Republican
Congressional Campaign Committee
on what is regarded as a Blaine basis.
The selections of Congressman Golf as
chairman and Edward MCPHERSON as
secretary are looked upon as directly
in the interest of the late candidate
for the Presidency. 1t is asserted that
the efforts they are to make toward
r, st BRING Republican control in the
House 1t the fall elections are to be
coupled with a concerted movement
to keep alive the Blaine sentiment
throughout the country. OF course,
the avowed object of the latter move
ment is the denomination of the Maine
leader as the Republican Presidential
candidate two years hence. The Cos
sip on the subject is an interesting
contribution to current political dis
cussion. To similar outgivings from
other quarters it makes a timely and
suggestive addition. Moreover, it
bears the unmistakable stamp of truth
and indicates correctly the present
condition and tendencies of the Re-
publican organization in the Nation.
Whatever may be thought. of Mr..
Blaine either by critics or adherents.
his strength with his party can neither
be ignored nor denied. As the matter
stands to-day he is, even in nominal
retirement, the most conspicuous Re-
publican in the country. Out of office
his movements are more closely
watched by the politicians of both
parties than any representative of the
minority who occupies official station.
Defeat has not deprived him of the
adhesion of a large body of followers
in every State of the Union. The num-
erous body of partisans of his train do
not necessarily represent the original
Republicanism of the United States.
Of that element much of the best has
already passed over to the Democracy.
A section not so large but still infiu-
entail is irrevocably arrayed in antago-
nism to the Presidential aspirations
of Mr. Blaine. Nevertheless, what re-
mains of the old party stands firmly
committed to his fortunes and looks
upon him as its most capable and in
fluential chieftain. Nor are the mani
festations of sympathy and support
confined to his original followers.
They are as visible among the extremists
of the old Stalwart school as they are
in the circle formerly characterized as
the Half-Breeds. Reverses at the polls
may have impaired his standing with
the multitudes of voters; his relations
to machine men have been strengthened
and solicited by his overthrow. His
position in his party is such that il
must inevitably, unless a complete
change occurs, exert a potent and far
reachign influence on the R~epublican
campaing for 1883.
Undoubtedly, Mr.. Blaine and his ad.
herents are giving careful attention te
the possibilities of 1888. Undoubtedly,
they mean to set him again in the field,
if a reasonable prospect of uccess il
presented. Can he be electedp is the
only question that disturbs or Restraints
them. 1t is the chief consideration
which will govern their future opera.
tons. No Intelligent person believes
for a moment that Mr.. Blaine himself
would hesitate to make the effort, if he
believed the prize within his grasp. L
he conceives the contamination of thu
ambition of his life to be in the range
of the possibilities, he will accept thu
nomination, if rendered. If to hi!
practiced eye Republican triumph ap.
pears out of the question, as now seem.
probable, he will resolutely decline tt
serve as the standard bearer of ar
army doomed in advance to irretriev
able defeat. Mr.. Blaine has Away,
been regarded as a sharp and shrewG
politician. With all his sharpness anC
shrewdness, however, he learned some
valuable lessons in the last campaign
and of these was that a Presidential
candidacy, unless a reasonable chanc,
of success is involved, is not a thing tt
be coveted or willingly accepted.
Meanwhile, the opponents and sup
porters of Mr.. Blaine are not inclined
to permit him to rest, even though HI
were DESTROYS of Withdrawing altogethe
from political association. Discussions
of his availability or unavailability q
forward with increasing earnestnes
and frequency. The Independent Re
publicans who antagonized him in 1S84
announce their readiness to repeat tn
operation in 1888, should he again en-
ter the lists. The Blaine Republican
insist that he would be stronger tw,
years hence than any nominee VIII
could be submitted; that the fire of &C
cusation has been withdrawn, and tina
he can concentrate the party forces AM
attract outside recruits to an extern
that no other Republican could hop
for. That these considerations are t.
be debated for many months to com
is an accepted fact in politics. In tn,
interval of discussion it is not probabl
that MI. Blaine's hold on his part
will be broken or loosened. His con
tinued ascendency renders futile TO
the time being the aspirations of La
gan, Hoar, John Sherman and thei
compatriots. 1t ef~fectually shelves Ed
munds and every other anti-Blaine Re
publican as a Presidential quantity.
will enable Mr.. Blaine to nominal
himself in the next Presidential strug
gle, if he desires the nomination. ]
will, in all human probability, empow
er him to dictate the nomination of hi
favorite candidate, if he does not desir
it for himself. In fact, Mr.. Blaine
obviously the boss Of his party at thi
hour. But his party is not the country
and a nomination, as Mr.. Blaine yer
well knows, is not invariably equivalen
to an election. brooklyn Eagle.
; AN OFFENSIVE PARTISAN.
How the Clerk of q New York FEEDERS
Court Undertook to Facilitate the Mani
facture of Republican Voters.
The account given in another co
t umn of facts brought to light by an e,
animation instituted by the Departmer