Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-02-17
BLAINE OUT OF THE RACE,
The Plumed Knight Announces That
He Can Not Accept the Nom
ination.
Mr.. B. F. Jones Chairman. of the Ma
tiOnal Republican Committee,
Makes the Letter Public.
Mr.. Blaine's Letter.

P1rrsBoRG, Pa, Feb. 12-The CONNER
cial Gazette will .publish the following
tomorrow:
Mr.. B.. f. Jones, chairman of the ma
tional republican committee, has received
a letter from Mr.. Blaine declining to allow
his name to be presented TO the national
republican convention as O candidate fol-
the presidency.
Mr.. Jones, when asked whether MIR
Blaine's declinatiou would prevent his
friends from nominating him anyhow
said: "As 1 am chairman of the national
committee, l do not think it would be
proper for me to have anything to say on
the subject"
"Do you think Mr.. Blaine would accep,
the nomination, if tendered?"
81 have no authority to speak for Mr.
Blaine, and have no conjectures to offer
on the subject. The letter speaks for
itself, and l must decline to be interview
ed on the question"
Following is Mr.. Blaine's letter In full
FLORENCE, Italy, Jan. 25.-B. F. Jones,
Esq, Chairman of the Republican Ma
tional Committee.-Sir: l wish through
you to state to the members of the repub
lican party that my name will not be pre-
sented to the national convention called
to assemble in Chicago IN June next for
the nomination of candidates for presi-
dent and vice president of the United
States.
am constrained to this decision by
| considerations entirely personal to my
self of which you were advised more than
a year ago. But l cannot make the an
n0uncement without giving expression to
| my deep sense of gratitude to the many
thousands of my countrymen who have
| sustained me SO long and cordially that
their feeling has seemed to go beyond
the ordinary political adherence of fellow
partisans and to partake somewhat of
the nature of personal attachment. For
this most generous loyalty of friendship,
| | can make no adequate return, but
shall carry the memory of it while life
lasts.
Nor can l refrain from congratulating
the republican party upon the cheering
| prospects which disting guish the opening
of the national contest of 1888 as com
pared with that of 1884. In 1882 the re
publican 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 maiorities or
pluralities. The republican loss in the
| hOi ciSSliOHs COh VIII tH6
preceding national election exceeded
| half million votes, and the electoral
votes of the Union, divided on the basis
of the result of 1882, gave to the demo
Gratis over three hundred electors out of
a total of four hundred and one. There
was partial reaction in favor of the re-
| publlcans 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 100
majority in the electoral colleges of the
whole country.
. But against the encouragement natur-
ally following the adverse elections of
these two years the spirit of the Republi-
can 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 a single State, and that State
was carrisd by the Demo cratic party by
? plurality so small! that it represented
less than e-eieventh of per cent of the
entire vote. The change of single vote
in every (2,000) two thousand of the total
poll would have given toe State to the
Republicans, though only two years be-
fore the Democratic plurality exceeded
| (192,000) one hundred and ninety-two
| thousand.
The elections of 1856 and 1887 have de-
monstrated growing strength in the re-
publican ranks. Seldom in our political
history has party, defeated in nation
al election, rallied Immediately with such
vigor, as have the republicans since 1884.
No comparison is possible between the
spirit of the party in 1928 and its spirit
in 1867. The two periods present
| lof,, 1ln
preston, the other OF enthusiastic re-
vivsl. Should the party gain, in the re-
suits of 1888 over those of 1867, In any
thing like the proportion of the gain of
1884 over 1928, it would secure one of
the most remarkable victories of it's en-
tire existence. But victory does not de-
pend on SO large ratio of increase; the
party has only to maintain relatively its
prestige of 1867 to give to its national
candidate every northern state but one,
with far better prospect of carrying
that one than it has had for six years.
Another feature of the political situa-
tion should inspire republicans with ir
resistible strength. The present n ational
administration was elected with, if not
upon, the repeated assertions of its lead
Ing supporters IN every protection state
that no Issue on the tariff was involved
| However earnestly republicans urged that
| question Rs the one of controlling i'm port
| ance In the cam paign, they were met by
the democratic leaders and journals with
persistent evasion, concealment and de-
| NAL. That resource the president has
fortunately removed. The issue which
the republicans maintained and the dem
oc-ats avoided in 1884 has prominently
and specifically brought forward by the
democratic president and can not be hid
den out of sight In 1883. The country is
now In the enjoyment of an industrial
system which Ia a quarter of century
has assured larger national growth, a
more rapid accumulation and a broader
distribution of wealth than were ever be-
fore known to history. The American
people will now be openly and formally
asked to decide whether this system shall
be recklessiy 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 au issue, fairly pre-
sented to the popular judgment, there is
no room for doubt.
One thing is necessary to assure ucs-
cess-complete harmony and cordial CO.
operation on the part of all Republicans
ON the part both of those who aspire
to lead and of those who are eager to fol-
low. The duty is not one of honorable
devotion 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.
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 Do
litical power to every citizen, comfort
and d.cu!.ure to every home. To this end,
not less earnestly and more directly as 8
private citizen than as a public candidate,
ssali devote myself, with the confden;
belief that the administration of the
government will be restored to the party
which has demonstrated the purpose and
the power TO WELD ii for the unity and
the honor of the Republic, for the pros
perity and progress OF the people. I am
very sincerely yours,
JAMES G. BLAME
CONGRESSIONAL
TUESDAY, FEB.