The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-01-26
THE REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE

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the next republican candidate for the
presidency is thrusting itself upon the
party, and there is small diversity of
opinion as to the relative strength of the
halfdozen prominent men spoken of in
this connection. There is not shadow
Of doubt but James G. Blaine is now the
choice of a large majority of Minnesota
republicans. They admire him for those
traits of character which have made him
famous and conspicuous in whatever po-
sition he has occupied, and which are as
prominent and distinctive in private as
in public life. His intense patriotism, his
fearlessness Of expression of conviction,
his acknowledged native and acquired
ability, his acuteness in matters political,
his warm-blooded affability, his profound
knowledge of statecraft, his quickness
and briliianey in debate-all these con-
spire to challenge the admiration of his
political friends; and wherever republic
canism is strongest Blaine has the most
enthusiastic and devoted admirers,
But can he be elected? While he will
awaken enthusiasm to a greater degree
than any other candidate, can he draw
sufficient strength from the opposition to
compensate for that disaffected element of
the republican party which will withhold
support from him? The fact is, his
strength is where the republican party
least needs tin states assuredly repub-
lican under all ordinary circumstances.
1t is the doubtful states which elect pres
idents, and it is in the doubtful states the
strongest anti-Blaine feeling exists within
the republican party. The Rock County
Herald, in a well-considered article, has a
printed article on the campaign of 1888,
from which the following is copied:
The Herald comedies that Blaine is the
most brilliant statesman in the country
and would bring greater honor to the
Office of president than the office can con-
fer upon him, but all his claims count for
nothing in the face of the all-too-palpable
possibility that he can not be elected.
Blaine had his chance and failed. The
forces that opposed him in 1884 are still
uncompromisingly hostile to him. There
is apparent now no change ofsuccess that
he did not have in the last campaign, and
many of the disadvantages under which
his opponent labored in 1884 will be sup
planted in the next campaign by positive
strength. Blaine has more enthusiastic
supporters, no doubt, than any other
candidate, but just in proportion as his
friends are the more devoted, his enemies
arc the more bitterly and irreconcilably
hostile. Blaine's strength is good as far
az it goes, but it isn't at all clear that
there is enough it. His very popular
ity IL the source of his weakness. The
things that have aroused for him intense
enthusiasm have occasioned intense hos
tility. No other man, perhaps, can COM
mand such enthusiastic support, but en-
thusiasm failed to win in 1884, and there
is no reason to believe that it will win in
1888. The candidate we want is the
man who can secure the solid republican
vote. With that we can win. The man
against whom no objection can be urged
the man for whom every republican
ought to vote. will secure the united sup
port Of the republican party. We have
such men and plenty Of them. William
Il. Allison is one, and others can be found
in the list of such illustrious men as Haw-
ley, Harrison, Gresham, Sherman and
Lincoln. But whoever the man may be,
the one thing important is to lose sight
of personal preferences and seek the man
who can WIN.