The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1888-02-22
MIR. BLAINE DECLINES.
Ho Does Not Want to be President, but
Thinks His Party VIII Win.

National Committee-Sir: wish through
you to state to the members of the Re,
publican party that my name will not be
presented to tho 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
considerations entirely personal to my
self, of which you were advised more
than year ago. But | can't make the
announcement without giving express
sion to my deep sense of gratitude to
many thousands Of my country men who
have sustained me SO long and SO cor
daily that their feeling has seemed to 20
beyond ordinary political adherence of
follow partisans, and to partako some
what of the nature of personal attach
ment. 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 / refrain from congratulating
the Republican party upon tho cheering
prospects which distinguish the opening
of the national contest of 1883 as com
pared 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
Democrats, either by majorities or plu-
ralltics. Tho Republican loss in North
ern elections compared with the pre-
ceding national election, exceeded half u
million votes, and the electoral votes of
tho Union, divided on the basis of the
result of 1852, gave to tho Democrats
over 300 electoral votes out Of n total of
1Ol. There was a partial reaction in
favor OF the republicans in the elections
OF 1888, but the Democrats still had pos
session of seven Northern States, and on
the basis OF the years contest could
show moro 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 Repub-
llcan party in the national contest of
1881 rose high, and the Republican
masses entered into the campaign with
such energy that the final result de-
pended on the vote of single State. and
that State was carried by the Democratic
party by plurality SO small that it rep
resented less than one-clcventh of one
per cent. OF the entire vote. The change
of single vote in every two thousand of
the total poll would have given the State
to the Republicans, though only two
years before the Democratic plurality
exceeded one hundred and ninc-two
thousand.
The elections of 1856 and 1887 have
demonstrated the growing strength in
the Republican ranks. Seldom in our
political history has Il party defca ed in n
national election rallied Immediately
with such vigor as have the Republicans
since 1854 No comparison is possible
between the spirit Of the party in 1882 50
and its spirit in 1856 81. The two
periods present simply contrast-the
one of general depression, the other of
enthusiastic revival. Should the party
gain III the results of 1883 over those of
lSSG-S7 in anything like the proportions
OF gain of 1854 over 1882 So it would
secure one OF the most remarkable victo-
ries of it's entire existence. But victory
doesn't depend on so large ratio of in
crease. The party has only to maintain
relatively its prestige of 1886 81 to give
to its national candidate every Northern
State but one, with fur better prospects
of carrying that one than it has had for
the past six years.
Another feature Of the political situa-
tion should Inspire the Republicans with
irresistible strength. The present Ma
tlonal Administration was elected with,
if not upon, repeated assertions of its
Leading supporters in every protection
State that no issue on the tariff was in
volved. However earnestly the Rcpub-
licans urged that question as one of con
trolling Importance in the campaign,
they were met by Democratic leaders
and journals with persistent evasion, CON
cealment and denial. That resource the
Presldert las fortunately removed. The
issue which Republicans maintained and
Democrats avoided in 1881 has been
prominently and specifically brought
forward by the Democratic President
and cannot DO hidden out of sight in
1888. The country is now in the enjoy
ment of an industrial system which in n
quarter of century has assured larger
national growth, more rapid accumula-
ton and broader distribution Cf wealth
than were ever before known to history.
The American people will now be openly
and formally asked to decide whether
this system shall be recklessly abandon
ed and new trial be made made of an
old experiment, which has uniformly
led to national embarrassment and wide
spread individual distress. On the re-
suit of such an issue fairly presented to
the popular Judgment there is no room
for doubt One thing only is necessary
to assure 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 devotion to tho
party whose record and whose aims are
alike great, but it is one dema ded by
the instinct of self-intcrest, and by the
still higher promptings of patriotism. A
closer observation of the conditions Of
life among older nations gives one n
more intcrse desire that the American
people shall make no mistake in choosing
n 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, L shall devote my