The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-18


anyhow, said: LAS / am Chairman
of the National Committee. l 70 not
think it would be proper for ne to
have ANYTHING to say on tina sub.
iect."
'Do you think Mr.. Blaine would
accept the nomination if tendeted to
him ?"
81 have no authority to speak for
Mr.. Blaine and have no conjectures
to offer on the subject. The latter
speaks for itself and | must decline
to be interviewed on this question:"
BLAINE'S ULTIMATUM.
FLORENCE, ITALY, Jan. %. 1888.
3. f. Jones, Esq, ChaHmanof the
Republican National Committee:
SIR.-I wish through you to state
to the members of the Republican
party that my name will not be pre-
sented to the National Conwntion
called to assemble in Chicago June
next for the nomination of candidates
for President and Vice President of
the United States. | am constrained
to this decision by considerations en-.
tirely personal to myself. ofwhich
you were advised more tkant,rHear
ago, But 1 cannot make the an
nouncement without giving express
sion to my deep sense of gratitude to
the many thousands of by country.
men who have sustained me so long
and so cordially that their feeling has
seemed to go beyond the ordinary
political adherence of fellow parti-
sans and to partake somewhat of the
nature Of personal attachment. For
this most generous byalty of friend
ship | can make no adequate return,
but L shall carry he memory of it
while life lasts. Nor can 1 refrain
from congratulathg the Republican
party upon the cheering prospects
which distinguish the opening of the
National contest of 1888, as compared
with that of 1884.
In 1882 the Republican party
throughout the Union met with a
disastrous defeat. Ten States that
had supported Garfield and Arthur
in the election of 1880 were carried
by the Democrats either by MAORI
ties or pluralities. The Republican
loss in the Northern elections, COM
pared with the preceding National
election, exceeded half a million
votes, and the electoral votes of the
Union, divided on the basis of the
result of 1882. gave the Democrats
oyer three hundred electors out of a
total Of four hundred and one. There
was a partial reaction in favor of the
Republicans in the elections of 1888
but the Democrats still held posses
sion of seven Northern States. and
on the basis of the years contest
could show more then.la re hp.3Seg
TnrrJorIry III Cne electoral colleges o.
the whole country. But against the
encouragement naturally following
the adverse elections of these two
years the spirit Of the Republican
party in the National contest of 1884
rose high, and the Republican masses
entered into the campaign with such
energy that the final result depended
on The vote of single state, and that
state was carried by the Democratic
party by plurality so small that il
represented less than one-eleventh OF
one per cent. of the entire vote, The
change in a single vote of every
(2,O00) two thousand Of the total poll
would have given the State to the
Republicans, though only two years
before, the Democratic plurality ex.
ceeped (192, 000) one hundred and
ninety-tWo thousand. The elections
of 1886 and 1887 have demonstrated
growing strength in the Republican
ranks. Seldom in our political his
tory has party, defeated in a Ma
tional election, rallied Immediately
with such yigOr, as have the Repub-
licans since 1884.
No comparison is possible between
the spirit of the party in 1928 and
its spirit in 1887. The two periods
present simply contrast, the one of
general depression, the other of en-
thusiastic revival. Should the party
gain, in the results of 1888, over those
of 1861, in anything like the pro.
portion of the gain of 1884 over 1923
it would secure one of the most re-
markable victories of its entire ex-
istence. But victory does not depend
on so large ratio of increase the
party has only to maintain relatively
its prestige of 1867 to give its Ma
tional candidate every Northern
State but one, with far better pros
pect of carrying that one than it has
had for the past six years.
Another feature of the political sit
uation should inspire Republicans