The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1888-05-31
AS WAS EXPECTED.

Some time since the HERALD expressed
the belief that Mr.. Blaine would put him.
self of record so pointedly and unequivo-
cally in declining the nomination for the
presidency, that hecould not be misunder-
stood by either friend or foe. The ex-
pected has happened. The New York
Inbuue's editor, Whitelow Reid, has re-
ceived the following letter, which ap-
peared in his paper on Wednesday,;
'Since my return to Paris from south
ern Italy on the 9Th inst, have learned
(what did not before believe) that my
name may yet be presented to the nation
al convention as a candidate for the
presidential nomination of the republican
party. A single phrase of my letter Of
Jan. rs from Florence (which was decis-
i've of everything l had the personal
power to decide) has been treated by
many of my most valued friends as not
absolutely conclusive in ultimate and
possible contingencies. On the other
hand, friends equally devoted and disin-
terested have construed my letter (as it
should be construed) to be an uncondi-
tional withholding of my name from the
national convention. They have in con-
sequence given their support to eminent
gentlemen who are candidates for the
Chicago nomination, some ofwhomwould
not, am sure, have consented to assume
that position, if had desired to repre-
sent the party in the presidential contest
of 1888. i'll should now, by speech or
by silence, by commission or omission,
permit my name in any event, to come
before the convention. should incur the
reproach of being uncandid with those
who have always been candid with me.
l speak, therefore, because l am not will
ling to remain in doubtful attitude. l
am not willing to be the cause of mislead-
ing single man among the millions who
have given me their suffrage and their
fidence. l am not willing that even one
of my faithful supporters in the past
should think me capable of paltering in
double sense with my words. Assuming
that the presidential nomination could
by any possible chance be offered to me,
l could not accept it without leaving in
the minds of thousands of these men the
impression that had not been free from
indirection, and therefore could not &C
cept it at all. The Misrepresentation of
malice have no weight, but the just dis
pleasure of friends l could not patiently
endure. Republican victory, the pros
poets of which grow brighter every day,
can be imperiled only by lack of unity in
council or by acrimonious contest over
men. The issue of protection is incalcul-
ably stronger and greater than any man,
for it concerns the prosperity of the pres
ent and of generations yet to come. Were
it possible for every voter Of the republic
to see for himself the condition and
sc 1o6 @l,a -
of free trade in the United States would
not receive the support of one wage,
worker between the two oceans. 1t may
not be directly in our power as philan-
thropists to elevate the European labor
err, but it will be a lasting stigma upon
our craftsmanship if we permit the
American laborer to be forced down to
the European level, and in the end the
rewards of labor everywhere will be ad-
vanced if we steadily refuse to lower the
standard at home.
Yours very sincerely,
JAMES G. BLAINE.
The Tribune said: eve print else
where letter from Mr.. Blaine, fatty
making an end of any possible consider
alton of his name for the Chicago nomi-
nation. All now know that but for the
Florence letter Mr.. Blaine was sure to be
nominated by reclamation, and equally
sure we think, of an election. Even after
the Florence letter. it was so obviously
the overwhelming desire of republicans
everywhere to make the candidate in
spite of himself that of late there has been
little doubt among either friends or foes
that the nomination would still be ten
dered him. With a full knowledge of this
he makes haste to say that he now con-
siders himself bound by his Florence let
ter to refuse a nomination, even if it
came to him unsought and against his
expressed wishes. This is an act of mag
unanimous selfabnegation, rare in politi-
cal history, and sure to command the
appreciation of his regretful but admir-
ing countrymen. Meantime, the repub-
lican party is confronted with the imme-
date necessity of making another choice.
Unlike the party in power, it thinks it
has many men in its ranks fit for the
highest honors of the country The one
question now as from the beginning is,
which one of them is at once sure of the
republican states and strongest in the
doubtful states?'