Wichita eagle., 1888-05-09
us BLAINE A CANDIDATE?"
70 the Editor Of the Eagle.

10 the ECitOr OF TIE Eagie.
When James A. Garfield poured oil
on the troubled waters at Chicago in 1880
by his matchless eloquencein nominating
John Sherman, he appealed to the calm,
sober Judgment of the delegates intrusted
with the important responsibility of Sc
Letting a standard bearer in language
which is peculiarly applicable to the situa-
ton now. He said, 1T is from the calm
level OF the sea from which all heights
and depths are measured" This last
story about Blaine being still in the field
brings the utterance 10 mind. Mr..
Blaine's would-be frinds are doing him
an injury that is greater than they seem
to imagine. He never had more de-
voted, enthusiastic admirer than the
writer, and because we admire him
we can not impute to him motives and
methods for the accomplishment of n
purpose so palpably inconsistent and
questionable as the course of his over
jealous friends seems to indicate. 1t
was conceded on all sides that Mr.
Blaine could have had the nomination
even without the asking. In the absence
of any positive declaration from him it
was a foregone conclusion. No one
knew this better than Mr. Blaine. Know
ing this, for reasons of his own, he de-
cllned, and he went just as far in his
defamation as it was possible to go and
still preserve his self-respect. 1t was a
very delicate matter to decline a nomi-
nation that had not yet been rendered
him; yet he was equal to
the delicate task, and it is
doubtful if any other man living could
have performed the task without having
laid himself open to the charge of big
otry in thus declining nomination that
had not yet been rendered him. So sue
cessfully did he dispose of the matter
that even his most bitter enemy could
not accuse him of insincerity. But into
what sort of perdicament does this last
scheme to nominate him place himl II
simply accuses him Of resorting to the
dark-lantern methods Of the pot.bouse
politician to accomplish an end that
would have inevitably followed by his
simply remaining quietly in the hands of
his friends. Not only this, but they
make it appear that this resort
to trickery and chicanery is the
deliberate choice of the man. If Mr.
Blaine was sincere then it is rank injus-
tice to him to pursue course that inn
peaches his honesty and integrity. We
think too much Of Mr.. Blaine TO question
his honesty and sincerity in a matter
where both are at stake. This las: story
IS open TO grave suspicion from the
source whence 1t emanates.
We are told the Philadelphia Times and
the New York World both endorse the
story as coming from reliably authentic
source. But who will vouch for the
Times and World: These two papers
bitterly opposed Mr. Blaine in 1884 and
are anxious 70 do it again if he shall be
nominated in 1855. Its strange that our
most important party secrets should have
TO be made known 70 the country through
the columns of two hostile Democratic
sheets. To believe this story coming
from such source, is TO believe thar /
Mr.. Blaine is utterly destitute of politi- /
cal sense. Think of Mr.. Blaine confd- /
ing his most important secrets and plans /
Of operation to the New York World: or /
the Philadelphia Times, which would be /
equally as bad. Then TO secure noni- /
nation by the means proposed would 4
dampen the enthusiasm Of the friends Of l
the other candidates. for they would /
hardly throw their bats as high in the
air for a man who had secured his NOM
nation by a trick when he might have
had it without asking. as they would for
the man who had gone into the con-
vention ard secured the prize
by straightforward honorable
fight for it.
There was thousand times
more honor n Grants defea; at Chicago
N 1880, than there would have been IN a
victory secured by questionable methods.
Great and brilliant leaders hike Mr..
Blaine are easily nominated, but. from
some strange and inexplicabls reason,
hey are hard TO elect. No statesman Of
modern times knows more Of the pecul-
arities Of our political system than Mr.
Blaine, and II l. highly probable that be
vas prompted to voluntarily take him
elf out Of the race On account OF this |
strange, yet insurmountsble obstacle
hat has thwarted the efforts Of 80 MANY
yTeat leaders in their attempt 20 resch
he presidency. There Il nothing thai
would CRAFTY al overs Aeimlng |
majority OF tie Republican party