The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-15
BLAINE WlTHDRAWs.
He Says His ssms viii Not be Presented at
chicaao


National Committee
SIR 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 as
semble in Chicago in June next for
of President and Vice
President of the United States.
/ am constrained to this decision by
considerations emit ely personal to my
self, of which you We're advised more
than year ago. But | cannot make
the announcement without giving ex-
preston TO my deep sense of gratitude
to the many thousands of my country
men who have sustained me so long and
so cordially that their feeling has seemed
to go beyond the ordinary political adj
herence of fellow partisans and to par
take somewhat of the nature of personal
attachment. For this most generous
LOYALTY of friendship / can make no adj
eqaate return, but | shall carry the
memory of it while life lasts.
Nor can | refrain from congratulating
the Republican party upon the cheering
prospects which distinguish the opening
of the national contest of 1888 as com
pared with that of 1884. In 1882 the
Republican party throughout the Union
met with a disastrous defeat. Ten
States that had supported Garfield and
Arthur in the election of 1886 We're car
ried by the Democrats either by ma
lorities or pluralitles. The Republican
loss in the Northern elections compared
with the preceding national election ex-
ceeded half million votes, and the cleo
toral votes of the Union, divided on the
basis of the result of 1882, gave to the
Democrats over three hundred electors
out of total of 401. There was a par
tial reaction in favor of the Republicans
in the elections of 1888, but the Demo-
Gratis still held possession of seven North
ern States, and on the basis of the years
contest could show more than one hun
bred 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 en-
ergy 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 represented
less than one-eleyenth of / per cent of
the entire vote. The change of single
vote in every e, 600 two thousand of the
total poll would have given the State to
the Republicans, though only two years
before the Democratic plurality exceeded
Q92, 000) one hundred and ninety-two
thousand.
The elections of 1886 and 1887 have
demonstrated growing strength in the
Republican ranks. Seldom in our politi-
cal history has a party. defeated in a
national election rallied Immediately
will win how no Il
since 1884 No comparison is possible
between the spirit of the party in 1882 3
and its spirit in 1861. The two periods
present simply contrast-the one of
general depression, the other of enthusi.
astic revival, Should the party gain, in
the results of 1888 over those of 1867
in anything like the proportion of the
gain of 1884 over 1923. it would secure
one of the most remarkable victories of
its entire existence. But victory does
not depend on so large a ratio of in
crease; the party has only to maintain
relatively IFS prestige of 1867 to give to
its national candidate every Northern
State but one, with a far better prospect
of carrying that one than it has had for
the past SIX years.
Another feature of the political situa-
ton should inspire Republicans with
irresistible strength. The present Ma
tional Administration was elected with.
if not upon, the repeated assertions of
its leading supporters in every protection
State that no issue ON the tariff was in
volved. However earnestly Republicans
urged that question as the one of con-
trolling Importance in the campaign,
they were met by the Democratic lead
ers and journals with persistent evasion,
concealment and denial. That resource
the President has fortunately removed.
The issue which the Republicans main
tailied and the Democrats avoided in
1884 has been prominently and
specifically brought forward by the Dem
oclatic President and cannot be hidden
out of sight in 1898. The country is now
in the enjoyment of an industrial sys-
tenn which IN quarter of century has
assured larger national growth, a more
rapid accumulation and broader dis
tribution 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 recklessly abandoned and new
trial be made of an OLD experiment which
has uniformly led to national embarrass-
ment 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 assure
success-complete harmony and cordial
cooperation on the part of all Republi-
cans-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 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
prompting of patriotism.
A closer observation of the conditions
of life among the older nations gives me
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
a private citizen than as a public candi-
date, l shall devote myself, with the con-
fident belief that the administration of
the government will be restored to the
party which has demonstrated the pur-
pose and the power to WELD it for the
unity and the honor of the Republic, for
the prosperity and progress of the peo-
pie. am, very sincerely, yours,
JAMES G. BLAINE.
MIR. JONES WILL NOT TALK
Mr.. Jones, when asked whether Mr..
Blaine's declination would prevent his
friends from nominating him anyhow
said:
s.As am Chairman of the National
Committee, do not think it would be
a.