Omaha daily bee., 1888-02-15
BLAINE HAS LOST HIS GRIP.
Such Seems the General Sentiment
49,. of the English Press. y.l..'
PRAISED AS A POLITICIAN.
The situation in the United stated as
Viewed by Editors on the
Other Side the
Big Pond. -s
Foreign Comment on B,aine.

tCOprigh 1855 by James Gordon Bcnneu.1 =. .
LONDON, Feb. H. New York Herald Cable
Special to the BEE.l-A few nights ago
Americans at the hotels were asteunded TO
hear the newsboys cry: Here's the arrest
and Imprisonment of Mr.. Blanel" Tie pa
pers were eagerly bought, only to find out
that the cry related TO an Irish Mp, but to-
day the bills at every news stall read: Dec
linaton of Mr. Blaine" and American tour
lists are this evening buying the European
edition Of the Herald, which, in
its special dispatches from New York.
gave the letter in its entirety. The news
paper comment here on it may doubtless
amuse and interest American politicians
Here are extracts from a column leader in the
Times 1.-THE news which reaches us to-day
from the United States will surprise the ma.
iority of European readers, as it has been a
surprise to most Americans. 1t is to the eff
feet that Mr.. Blaine has retired from the
presidential contest There is no denying
that the bold announcement is unexpected.
Everyone in America is asking
what it means. Mr.. Blaine has
achieved across the Atlantic a reputation as
an extraordinarily shrewd politician, and
everything he does is supposed to have deep
significance With an ordinary man we
ohouiu SApCNl OhdC ISuhclucHu WOulu luCuu
one Of two things-either that he was per-
suaded that he could not carry the election,
or that he was himself tired and weary of the
the dsappointments of political life. With
politician so old and experienced as Mr..
Blaine it is hard to suppose that
either of these obvious explanations
will meet the case. So seem to think some
American critics. Mr.. Blaine is universally
ya1 no ba p,,,1o ~
sional politician that has yet been produced
on the American continent and, therefore, in
the world His power of managing con-
gress, a caucus or a local vote is unrivalled.
Assuming that Mr.. Blaine definitely retires,
it remains to ask: Who will be
the republican substituted The party
appears to prefer Mr. John Sherman,
though different districts have men
more or less well known, whom, up to GER
tain extent, they are prepared to push. New
England, says the New York Herald has
Mr.. Hawley, politician and soldier, New
York Mr.. Evarts, the west Mr.. Sherman,
and then there is that energetic little hero,
General Sheridan, the cavalry officer whose
achievements towards the close of the war
marked an epoch in history. OF these it
seems probable that Mr.. Sherman will be
selected unless vox populi, mysteriously
schooled from caucus offices, gives out the
| name of Mr.. Blaine after all. 1t would
| seem, however, if we are to Judge from
the recent state elections, that Mr..
| Cleveland's majority will be maintained and
| it will be difficult to find republican candi-
| date who can carry the presidency against
| him."
This evenings Globe, in long editorial,
says: ''Mr. Biane's letter from Florence
has had bombshell effect among his own
particular following in the press and caucus.
| AT any rate it suits them to say So Whether
| all of them are quite So much startled
| as they profess is open to question.
! The republican leader has the reputation
| OF never acting without intention Nobody
| knows better than this most experienced and
dextrous party manager in the world how
| strong are MIR. Cleveland's prospects for re-
| election, how divided is the republican party,
| how steadily the mugwumps are becoming q
power in the land and how to issue mol
| episcopari in terms of patriotism and self
| sacrifice that draws attention to one's self in
favorable manner and strengthens ones
| hands all round, for there is also another fact
| of which Mr.. Blaine must necessarily be
| perfectly aware-that the mass of the repub-
lican party may and very likely will refuse
| TO take their leader ut his word. Mr.. Blaine
says his name will not be presented as their
candidate at the Chicago convention in June,
but, that is matter over, which he
has not the slightest control, and he
| does not say that, should he be elected II
| spite of himself, he will refuse the election,
the only statement which could have given
his retirement the slightest real practical
value Probably the republicans at large,
| despite the existence ana extension Of Blaine
clubs and other caucuses, are less disposed
| than at any former occasion to rally round
| the name of James C. Blaine. There has
| been an increasing Improvement in the tone
| of American policies of late years. THE
spoils to the victors,' once the guiding star
of craftsmanship, is falling into discredit, and
| Cleveland has done his utmost to counteract
this principle with which the republcanism
| Of Blaine's school has been partic
ularly identified. MIR. Blaine may
have simply performed an act of
loyalty to his party, which will probably an
swer to his touch and take him at his word.
He never, with all his ability proved a can
didate to win with and the solution of the
mystery no doubt is that he appreciates that
fact and perceives more advantage to his
party and 10 himself in declining to be its
figurehead and in continuing to pull its
| wires" ..'. o., ~
| The Pail Mall Gazette observes: "Those
who saw Mr.. James G. Blame when he W as
I IN London last year at the jubilee will not be
surprised at his letter from Florence declin-
ing to be put in nomination as a republican
candidate for American presidency, Mr..
Blaine looked as if he were
utterly exhausted His energy and
magnetic powers seemed to have evaporated.
II is but natural that so old, o man, so worn
and wasted as he, should prefer ithat the
standard Of his party shoulds placed in
younger hands. At the same time it is
worthy.of note that so deeply rsptslsis is the
distrust of this astute and doughty tactician
in dcmocratic ranks that the New York
| Times is certain that his refusal In advance
! of the nomination is but u ruse to render that
nomination dcubly sure" st--f.ta Ia
Even provincial papers chronicle how the
veteran turned up his toes politically. AS an
illustration take the following extract from
this mornings Manchester Guardian:
| u1'his anpareutly modest pronunciation of his