The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-02-15

received letter from Mr.. Blaine
declining to allow his name to be
presented to the Nationa Republic
can Convention as candidate for
the Presidential nomination.
The following is Mr.. Blaine's lets
ter in full:
FLORENCE, ITALY,
January %. 1885, !
To B. F. Jones Esq, Chairman of the
Republican Nationa! 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 conven-
ton called, to assemble in Chicago
in June next for the nomination of
candidates for President and Vice
President of the United States. l
am constrained to this decision by
considerations entirely personal to
myself, of which you were advised
mere than year ago; but l cannot
make the announcement without
giving expression to my deep sense
of gratitude to many thousands OF
my countrymen who have sustained
me SO long and so cordially that
their feeling has seemed to go be-
yond ordinary political adherence
of fellow partisans and to partake
somewhat OF the nature of personal
attachment. For this most generN
Gus loyalty of friendship | can
make no adequate return, but |
shall carry the memory Of it while
life lasts.
Nor can | refrain from congratu-
lating the Republican party upon
the cheering prospects which dis
tinguish the opening of the national
contest of 1888 compared 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 1880 were carried by the
democrats either by pluralities or
maiorities. The Republican loss in
the northern elections compared
with the preceding national elec-
ton exceeded half A million votes,
and the electoral 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 partiai
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 coun-
try.
But, against the discouragement
naturally following the ad verse
election Of these two years, the spir-
it of the republican party in the ma
tional 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 carried by the democratic party
by plurality SO small that il rcp-
resented less than One~eleycnth of
per cent. of the entire vote. The
change of a single vote in every
1000 of the total poll would have
given it to the republicans, though
only two years before the democrat
ic plurality exceeded 192,OOO The
elections of 1886 and 1887 have de-
mOnstrated the growing strength in
the republican ranks. Seldom in
our political history has y party,
defeated in a national election, ral>
lied Immediately With such vigor rs
have the republicans since 1854. No
comparison is possible between tie
spirit of the party ia 1882 3 and its
spirit in 1867. The two periods
present simplya contrast-;he one
of general depression, the other OF
enthusiastic revival. Should the
party gain in results of 1888 over
those of 1886 7, in anything like the
proportion of its gain of 1884 over
1882 3, it would secure one OF the
most remarkable victories of its en-
tire existence. But victory does not
depend on so large q ratio of in
crease, the party has only to main
tain relatively its prestige of 1867
to give to its national candidate
every Northern State but one, but
with far better prospect OF carrying
that one than it has had for the
past six years.
Another feature of the political
situation should inspire republicans
with irresistible strength The pres
ent national administration was
elected with, if not upon, repeated
assertions of its leading supporters
in every protection State that no L.
sue on the tariff was involved
However earnestly republicans urg,
ed that question as one of controll-
ing Importance in the campaign
they were met by the democratic
leaders and journals with persistent
evasion, concealment and denial.
That resource the President has
Fortunately removed. The issue
which the republicans maintained
and democrats avoided IN 1884 has
been prominently brought forward
| by the democratic President and
cannot be hidden out of sight ii
1883. The country is now in the
enjoyment of an industrial system
which in a quarter of a century has
assure ! large national growth, more
rapid accumulation and broader