St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-13
BLAINE'S DECLINATION.

BLAINE'S DECLINATION.
For ways that are dark and for tricks
that are vain Mr.. BLAINE has so long
been peculiar, the public will be dis
posed to take his declination to stand as
presidential candidate this year with
a good many grains of salt i'll it. The
GLOBE, however, does not take that
view of it. We believe that if ever Mr..
BLAINE was in earnest and honest in
his life, it was when he sent that letter
from Florence, Italy, Jan. 25, to
Chairman JONES, of the national Repub-
lican committee, positively declining to
permit the use of his name before the
next Republican nominating conven-
ton. 1t was the holy Sabbath day, and,
no doubt, while wrapt in pious medita-
ton, Mr.. BLAINE came to the con-
cluSion that it was his duty to disclose
himself honestly with regard to his
presidential candidacy; and i'll order to
relieve his friends of further embarrass-
ment and to give other aspiring Repub-
lican leaders chance to harvest in bar
rem fields. he made up his mind to step
down and out. 1t was not because Mr..
BLAINE could not have the Republican
nomination that he declined. He held
the nomination IN the hollow of his
hand and no man could take
1t from his grasp. The declina-
ton came simply because he knew he
could not be elected if he was nOmi-
mated. The personal reasons which
he speaks of were nothing more or less
than his knowledge of the fact that
neither he, nor any other man could
afford to 60 before the country in op-
position to GROVER CLEVELAND On the
tariff issue as laid down and defined by
the president in his last annual mes
sage. That's all there is in MI.
BLAINE's declinatiOn.
Now that Mr.. BLAINE is clearly and
Enthusiastically off the track as presi-
dental candidate, public interest will
be next excited to learn who is most
likely to wear his cast-off shoes. There
is no denying the fact that Mr.. BLAINE's
unexpected declinaiiOn will have de-
moralizing effect in the Republican
camp. Everything will be at odds and
ends for awhile, and from the immedi-
ate chaotic condition that will ensue. it
will be somewhat difficult to gather up
enough material, as even a basis for
a reasonable guess as to who will
be the Republican nominee. If Mr..
BLAINE'S individual decentralization
on the tariff question should not
permeate the party, and the Republi-
can leaders remain steadfast in their
faith in the ability of the corporations
to elect their candidate. then it may be
stated with reasonable certainty that
Mr.. BLAINE'S declination opens the
door to JOHN SHERMAN's nomination.
Next to the "Man from Maine" JOHN
SHERMAN is recognized as the most
prominent representative of monopoly
and corporate power in American pollt
ical life, and thus he would become
Mr.. BLAINE'S legitimate successor as a
presidential candidate On the Republi-
can ticket. If, however, Mr.. BLAINE's
own decentralization should extend to the
leadership of his party, then Mr.. SHER-
MANS cake will be all dough. If the
leaders believe with Mr.. BLAINE that
the party cannot afford to take issue with
Mr.. CLEVELAND on the tariff question,
the next resort will be to trOt out q
military candidate and run him on his
war record. In such an event Gen.
PHIL SHERIDAN would probably be the
nominee. If, however, they should con-
clude that the country is too far re-
moved from the war period, and the
glamour of military deeds would fail
to have the effect it did in
Gen. GRANTS time the dark horse
would be the nominee to be turned into
the canvass like blind pig in stubble
field, and told to root hog OF die" with
all the chances of death before him.
1t is hardly worth while speculating
on the probable nominee of party
whose most brilliant chieftain and
ablest leader has hoisted the white
flag before the first bugle notes of
the conflict have been sounded. If
BLAINE cannot hold the flag up it
makes but little difference who else
goes through the farce of attempting it.
Mr. BLAINE'S letter of declination is
the certificate of CLEvELAND's elec-
ton. More than that, it is the death
knell of the protection idea in this
country. The war taxes must 60. The
deluge Of tariff reform is about to be
poured out, and Mr.. BLAINE was smart
enough to step in out of the weather.
AS To AnC