The Portland daily press., 1888-02-13
MR.. BLAINE DECLINES.
lie Says that His Name will not be
Presented
To the National Convention in Chicago
Next June.
His Decision the Result Of COnSidera.
tiOnS Entirely Personal.
An Expression Of appreciation Of Re-
publican Friendship.
Bright Prospects Of the Party in the
Coming Campaign.
The Decision Announced in a Letter to
Chairman Jones.
The Decision Announced in a Letter to
Chairman Jones.

PITrsBURe, Pa, Feb 12-The Pittsburg
Commercial Gazette will publish the follow
ing tomorrow:
Mr.. B. f. Jones, Chairman of the National
republican Committee, has received letter
fromlMr. Blaine, declining to allow his name
to be presented to the National Republican
Convention as candidate for the Presiden-
tial nomination. Mr.. Jones, when asked
whether Mr.. Blaine's declination would pre-
vent his friends from nominating him any
how, said GAS am chairman of the Ma
tional Committee, do not think it would be
proper for me to have anything to say on the
subject"
"Do you think, Mr.. Blaine would accept
the nomination if rendered him?"
81 have no iauthority to speak for Mr..
Blaine and have no conjectures to offer on
the subject. The letter speaks for itself and
must decline to be interviewed on the ques-
tion."
The following is Mr.. Baine's letter in full:
FLORENCE, Italy, Jan. %, 1888.
B. r. Jones, Esq, Chairman Of the Republi-
can 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 Unit
ed States.
am constrained to this decision by con-
siderations entirely personal to myself of
which you were advised more than year
ago. But cannot make the announcement
without giving expression to my desp sense
Of gratitude to the many thousands of my
countrymen who have sustained me so lsng
and so 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 attach
ment
For this most generous loyalty and friend
ship, l can make no adequate return but /
shall carry the memory of it while life lasts
Nor can l refrain from congratulatng the
Republican party upon the icheering pros
poets 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 Gar
field and Arthur in the election of 1880 were
carried by the Democrats, either by majori-
ties or pluralities. The Republican loss in
the Northern elections, compared with the
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 Democrats over three hun
dred electors out of total of four hundred
and 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
100 majority in the Electoral Colleges of the
whole country.
But against the discouragement 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 masses 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 10000 two thousand of
the total poll would have given the State to
the Republicans, though only two years be-
fore, the Democratic plurality exceeded
$4,000 one hundred and ninety-two
thousand.
The elections of 1886 and 1887 have DEM
onstrated growing strength in the Republi-
can ranks. Seldom in our political history
has party, defeated in National election
rallied Immediately with such vigor, as have
the Republicans since 1884. No comparison
is possible between the spirit of the party In
1898 and its spirit in 1867. The two peri
ods present simply a scontrast-the one OF
general depression, the other of enthusiastic
revival. 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 its entire existence.
But victory does not depend on so large
ratio Eof increase; the party has only to
maintain relatively its prestige of 1867 to
give to its National candidate every North
ern State but ne.::with far better prospect
past six years.
Another feature of the political situation
should inspire Republicans with irresistible
strength. The present National Administra-
tion was elected with, it not upon, the re-
peated assertions of its leading supporters
in every protection State that no issue on
the tariff was involved However earnestly
Republicans urged that question as the one
of controlling importance in the campaign,
they were met by the Democratic leaders
and journals with persistent evasion, con-
cealment 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 specifically brought for