The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-02-15
Mr.. Blaine Not a Candidate.

Jnt lOllOWlnR. MI. ID. II. jules, chairman
of the national republican committee, has
received a letter from Mr.. Blaine declining
to allow his name to be presented to the ma
tional republican convention as a candidate
for the presidential nomination. Mr..
Jones, when asked whether Mr. Blaine's
declination would prevent his friends
from nominating him anyhow, said AS
am chairman of the committee, | do not
think it would be proper for me to have any
thing to say on that subject Do you
think Mr.. Blaine would accept the nomna-
ton if rendered him2' Il have no author
thy to talk for Mr. Blaine, and / have no
conjectures to offer on the subject; the let
ter speaks for itself and 1 must decline to
be interviewed on this question The fol-
lowing is Mr.. Baine's letter in full
"' FLORENCE, Italy, January %, 1888.
"'B. +. Jones, Esq, Chairman Of the Re
publican National Committee: SIR:--I wish
through you to state to the members of the
republican party that my name will not be
presented to the national convention called
to assemble in Chicago in June next for the
nomination of candidates for president and
vice-president of the United States. | am
constrained to this decision by considera-
tons entirely personal to myself, of which
you were advised more than year ago.
But | cannot make the announcement with
out giving expression to my deep sense of
gratitude to the many thousands of my
countrymen who have sustained me so long
and so cordially that their feeling has
seemed to go beyond the ordinary poll teal
adherence of fellow partisans and to par
take somewhat of the nature of personal
attachment For this most generous loyalty
of friendship | can make no adequate re-
turn, but | shall carry the memory of it
while life lasts. Nor can l refrain from
congratulating 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 disastrous defeat. Ten states that
had supported Garfield and Arthur in the
election of 1880 were carried by the demo-
Gratis, either by majorities or pluraities.
The republican loss in the northern elections
compared with the preceding national cleo
tions exceeded half million votes, and the
electoral votes of the Union, divided on the
basis of the result of 1882, gave the demo-
Gratis over three hundred electors out of
total of four hundred one. There was a
partial reaction in favor of the republicans in
the elections of 1888, but the democrats still
held possession of seven Northern States
and on the basis of the years contest, could
show more than one hundred majority in
the electoral colleges of 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 misses entered into the cam
paign 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 it repre-
sented less than one-eleventh of one per
cent of the entire vote. The change of
single vote in every 1000 of the total poll
would have given the state to the republic
cans, though only two years before the
democratic plurality exceeded 900. The
elections of 1886 and 1887 have demonstrated
growing strength in the republican ranks
Seldom in our political history has party,
| defeated in n national alpctiOn ra1lipI i'm.
mediately with such vigor as have the re-
publicans since 1884. No comparison is
possible between the spirit of the party in
1898 and its spirit in 1861. The
two periods present simply contrast
the one of general depression, the
other of enthusiastic revival Should the
party gain in the results of 1888 over
those of 1886 and 1887 in anything like the
proportion of the gain of 1884 over 1882 and
1888, it would secure one OF the most remark
able victories of its entire existence. But
victory does not depend on so large a ratio
of increase. The party has only to retain
relatively its prestige of 1856 and 1887 togive
its national candidate every Northern State
but one, with far better prospect of carry
ing that one than there has been for the
! past six years. Another feature OF the
political situation should inspire republi-
cans with irresistible strength. The pres
ent national ADMINISTRATION was elected with,
if not upon, the repeated assertions of the
ledulnR supporters III every prOltCJlOu
state that no issue on the tariff was in
volved. However earnestly republicans
urged that question as one of controlling
Importance in the campaign, they were met
by the democratic leaders and journals with
persistent evasion, concealment and denial
That resource the president has fortunately
removed. The issue which the republicans
maintained and the democrats avoided in
| 1884 has been prominently and specially
brought forward by the democratic presi-
| dent and cannot be hidden out of sight in
! 1888. The country is now in the enjoyment
of an industrial system which in a quarter
! of a century has assured larger national
! growth, more rapid accumulation and
| broader distribution of wealth than We're
! ever before known to history. The Ameri-
can people will now be openly and formally
asked to decide whether this system shall
be recklessly abandoned and new trial be
| made of an old experiment which has
uniformly led to national embarrassment
and widespread individual distress On the
result of such an ISSUE fairly presented to
the popular judgment, there is no room for
doubt. One thing only is necessary to as
sure success-complete harmony and cordial
cooperation on the part of all republicans
on the part both of those who aspire to lead
and of those who are eager to follow The
duty is not one merely of honorable de-
votion TO the party whose record and whose
aims are alike great, but it is one demanded
by the instinct of self-interest and by the
still higher promptings OF patriotism a
closer observation of the conditions of life
among the older nations gives one more
intense desire that the American people
shall make no mistake in choosing the policy
which inspires labor with hope and crowns
it with dignity, which gives safety to capital
and protects its increase, which secures
political power to every citizen, comfort
and culture TO every home. To this end not
less earnestly and more directly as private
citizen than as public candidate, shall
devote myself, with the confident belief that
the administration of the government will
be restored to the party which has demon
strated the purpose and the power to WELD
it for the unity and the honor of the re-
public, for the prosperity and progress of the
people. / am, very sincerely yours,
JAMES G. BLAINE"