The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-03-09

lUU41U@E*W
"Your candidateI can not be. said
Horatio seymour In 1868. yet he was
the candidate.
Two days before the assembling ~
the Cincinnati convention In 1850 Mr.
Tildcn. universally credited with un-
common astutcness as . politician.
wrote a letter 10 the New York delega'
ton. wherein. having reviewed the post
election proceedings Of 1876. he said:
Ihave steadfastly cndeavored 70 preserve y
the Democratic party OF the United states tho
supreme issue before the people for their 40
cision next November. whether there sham %
u government ny the sovereign people through
| elections. or y government by discarded ser
yants. holding over by force and fraud. and ]
have withheld no sacrince and neglected no OPP
| portuniiy 70 uphold. organize and consolidate
against the enemies OF republican Institutions
the great ,arty watch alone, under God. can
cfcctually res - their overthrow.
But he protested that he desired
nothing 50 much rs an honorable dis
charge from leadership which had left
its scars upon HIM. and the convention
took hin at his word. It preserved in
its platform rebuke for the fraud
which had defeated Tilden In 1876. and
met defeat under another candidate
1t will be q moot question always
whether or not Mr.. Tilden's declina-
tion was unaltcrable. Il is certain,
however, that by the assumption that
under 10 circumstances would he be q
/ candidate the convention Of the party
threw away an opportunity Of triumph
as full as that enjoyed by Jackson's
friends in 1928.
Mr.. Blaine's letter from Florence
declining to have his name presented
| to the Chicago convention may or
may not be sincere. The bitter ex-
| pcriences Of 1884 would justify the
| declaration Of withdrawal Let the
: best possible showing be made for the
candidate in that campaign-and no
one could have presented it nor
F, deity than the candidate himself-it
remains the fact that Blaine was dis
tinctly repudiated BY the American
people because of a lack Of confidence
in the integrity Of his character rs an
official. The vast Irish vote sum-
moncd to his aid upon the suppositicn
Of his deep-scated prejudice against
the Government OF Great Britain could
not save him. He would be a bold
man who. having no new evidence to
present, would venture a new trial be-
fore twelve million American electors
and hope for ~vindication. But au-
dacity Is one Of Mr.. Blaine's marked
characteristics. This was shown In
the swiftness with which the lndian-
apolis suit Tor libel was instituted. and
the readiness with which. the cam
paign being over. it was withdrawn.
upon the allegation that an impartial
jury could not be impaneled in Ind
ana to try such an issue.
To be in the attitude Of having 4
nomination forced upon him would suit
Mr.. Blaine's purposes II he still feel
that he must have q chance At the Pres
idcncy. but such a letter as that from
Florence Is a dangerous expedient i
releases every politician from all sense
OF personal obligation to Blaine and
sets him searching for and making in
tercst with n new leader. So far a
expression has been heard from tht
Republican press upon the Florence
declaration the willingness TO let Blain'
60 in peace must prove hum' ating Z
a man looking for protests against TN
course he indicates as personally nee
essary and desirable.
Whether Mr.. Blaine write an oper
letter for general reading or a privat'
letter. which he insists shall be burned
his reputation makes his effort unfort
unate. No n who knows him vii
incline 70 the opinion that he dismisse
the ambition Of fifteen years thus read
lily. The general inclination will be :
await the progress Of vents. But tn
shrewd. it may be the super-smart oh
server. will hatter himself with the no
ton that the letter was designed !
raise up a colony Of rival claimants 70
the nomination in order that their col
tention may create Blaine's oppol
! tunify.
Nj. Blaine knows that the America
people look upon the Pr sidency rs
great prize. and will not readily b
lieve that any man having even n
mere chance Of grasping it will perm
the opportunity to escape him. Nj
Blaine has not stated that he woul
under all circumstance res decline a non
nation. And he will be regarded
therefore. as still a possibility.-G