The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-10
TAKING BLAINE'S SCALP.
Cutting Language by Gen. Harrison
Organ

Cutting Language by Gen. Harrison's
Organ.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. Dec. THE tongues
of republican politicians in Indianapolis are
wagging tonight over the leading editorial
in the Ne,Os. Its editor, John H. Halliday
is a personal friend of Gen. Harrison, who
in spite of his tariff reform predictions,
stood by Gen. Harrison all through the
Presidential campaign, and did more than
any other influence to attract the mug
wumps of Indiana to the republican side of
national politics. 1t is acknowledged here
that he is nearer to Gen Harrison than any
man in the state, and that his paper is the
most likely to indicate his views correctly.
Hence the language of its leading editorial
this afternoon in regard to Mr.. Blaine's
cabinet aspirations is very significant.
Its title is blaine Buster" This is its
text: 1.-The narrowness of the Maine yam
kee has rarely been more strikingly dis
played than in the interviews concerning
Mr. Blaine which were reported of several
of the Maine congressman and senators in
yesterdays NelCS. Congressman Boutelle's
expression is a sample. Mr.. Blaine he
said, will be offered the secretarvship of
state. OF this | am confident, though of
course have received no such iutimation
from Gen. Harrison. Mr.. Blaine is a big
brunt of the battle. He would get no more
than his deserts should he be given the state
portfolio The assumption of that is in
sufferable.
"As to the fact of Mr. Blaine bearing the
brunt of the battle, few who watched the
campaign with unprecedented eyes are
aware Of it. The Blaineites intended that he
should. With their cut-and-dried reception
and their ignoring of Harrison, these gentry
intended to give Mr.. Blaine 'send-off' that
should carry him through the campaign as
the central figure To the extent that they
succeeded, to that extent the republicans
were handicapped, and it was the growing
weight of the conviction of Harrison's
strength and masterfulness as he i'm
pressed himself upon the country as
the campaign progressed that counter
preston and brought victory to the
republicans. Take counsel of the enemy.
If Blaine was such tower of strength, why
was the democratic campaign so system
atically bent to highten and extend that
impression? One great, general feature of
democratic tactics was TO assert that Blaine
was the central figure; that he would be
virtual President; that Harrison was fig
ure merely, and feeble one at that.
Doesn't this show that the Blaine idea was
a republican weakness? Where was his
strengths Not here. He failed to carry
Indiana four years ago, and his mere pres
ence here this year was damper that only
Harrison's steady popularity overcame.
Blaine certainly isn't popular in New
York, where if the very idea that his fol-
lowers are now instigating, namely, that he
was the great figure, had prevailed, would
have surely lost Harrison the state Blaine
is thoroughly distrusted and feared as
corrupt and unsafe man by one-half the
people of the country, and he has lost the con-
fidence and consideration of the thinking
element of his own party. He is the idol
of the 'hurrah boys and the unthinking
element Of his own party, that is all; and
he occupies no enviable position to-day as
the subject of such persistent and provincial
electioneering as the dead set of the Maine
man is giving him."