Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-07-10
MIR. Blaine and His Enemies.
RANK TALK IN DEMOCRATIC JOURNAL.

MIR. Blaine and His Enemies.
FRANK TALK IN DEMOCRATIC JOURNAL.
From the Worlds Washington correspon-
dence.
WAsaIsGTos July If the situation
does not change IL a very marked degree, Mr..
Blaine will be the candidate of the Republican
party in 1888 All the signs and all of the
talk of the leading republicans point that
way. The republicans who do not like him
fear his nomination, and those who like him
devoutly hope as they have never hoped be-
fore. There is absolutely no one in sight on
the republican horizon but Mr. Blaine He
has prominence that 1t would be foolish to
deny or attempt to ignore. AS simple pri
vate citizen of the State of Maine his utter
ances attract now more attention than would
those of any official at Washington, except
perhaps the President. Certainly no MEM
Der of the Cabinet has anything like his com
mand upon the popular attention. No mem
Der of the Senate or of the House is so great
an object of interest. If Mr.. Blaine was to
visit Washington to-day | am certain that his
every movement at the Capital would be as
carefully scrutinized and noted as are Mr..
Cleveland's acts. This enormous interest in
Mr.. Blaine is fact carefully noted by the
politicians. They see that he was
never less out of politics than at
the present time. They every para
graph written about him copied from Maine
to California, and have studied the effect of
the Portland speech OF Citizen Blaine, which
was caDed to the London papers only to be-
come a general topic of European discussion.
They concede that Mr.. Blaine to day is the
maste" of the republican situation. If he is
not renominated in 1888 no one who is OPP
posed TO him can be.
One of the peculiar things to be noted in
this connection Is the unceasln0 activity of
MIR. Blaine's enemies. Now that he is in
private life he is still as much of a target al
most as if he were in public place. If the
weather happens to be bad in Maine the con-
ltion of affairs is credited to the mslign in
huence of Mr.. Blaine. An anti-B Blaine man
never reasons. He just hates and hates on
with an energy and abandon that know no
rest. The abuse of Mr.. Blaine with the anti
Blaine people has descended to a rub-adu
1t has gotten bevond reason into the realm of
mere unreasonlng noise. Those who do not
admire Mr.. Blane's politics and who do not
think he would make good President. need
not feel obliged to continue to throw mud at
one of the most interesting men in politics.
There is so little in politics that is of interest
that every one should pray for long life to
Citizen Blaine, whose mere presence among
the living gives flip TO the consideration
of every political speculation.
A veteran democrat said to me yesterday :
The day of talking scandal about Blaine is
in the past. Everything that can be said
about him has been said, while to day he has
a greater individual hold upon the people
than any man in the country. There
is no use in talking about the dead
matters of the last campaign. The Pan
Electric statesmen have supplied new issues.
The party that supports an administration
that carries Attornev-General Garland and
his staff of Pan-Electric associates need not
ask the people to help it rebuke Baine's can
di iacv." This talk is common among the
better class of democrats. They say that
they honestly advocated reform during the
campaign and made themselves almost i'll in
their enthusiastic description of the reforms
to be brought out by a democratic admins
tration of the affairs of the affairs Of the gov
eminent.
They see now no real change 10 the admin
istration of affairs at Washington They see
the corporation powers which have so long
controlled Washington laying its plans to
have and to hold the new administration.
They see a democratic committee in the
Hous unanimously report stock jobbing
extension bill in the interest of the Pacific
Railroad gang of plunderers, without word
of protest from the administration officials
charged with the supervision of these roads.
They see this swindle of the governments
interest stopped in the House only through
newspaper publicity, and wonder If the Presi
dent could not take his mind from the con-
sderAtion of few petty pension papers 10
see if he could not do something to secure the
l i -.
of the Pacific railroads. now reaching the
colossal height of one hundred odd millions
of dollars. Good work in this direction
would incline the people to look rightly upon
the awful crime of signing unconsdered q
few doubtful pension cases.
number of discouraged democrats who
have been carefully studying the situation at
Washington are beginning to ask themselves
how much worse Oft would they have been
had Mr. Blaine been elected President
They see the departments still under the con
troll of the very elements so denounced by
tn m during the last campaign. They see an
Administration absorbed IN petty details,
having no broad, general policy. They see
the corporations more triumphant than ever.
They see no prospect OF any change or any
outlining of any new general policy.
The Presidents course is the very one to
Hetp Mr. Dtaines prospectus as republican
candidate. The negative course of the Ad.
ministration leaves the opposition party moth
ing to do. There are no aggressions TO re-
resist. The record of republican misdoing
is left undisturbed. On account of this lack
of active discussion there is no chance for the
development of new republican leaders. Mr..
Blaine to-day is the chief of his party. and
will undoubtedly so remain until the next re-
publican campaign. 1t is or account of his
prominence and his leadership that the can
vass in Maine this summer promises to be so
interesting. 1t is not because there will be
any real contest. The interest will arise
who'll, from the fact that all of the prominent
republican leaders have been invited to speak,
with the understanding that the issues made
are to be those of the Presidential campaign
of 1883 T. c. CRAWFORD.