Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-14
THAT LETTER.
POLITICIANS DIscUs'IEG MP. BLAIEE's
Letter or DECLARATION.
What is Thought Of II in Washington
Many Hea Of Many Minds
Ris Friends.
from Our REGULAR correspondentl

WASHINGTON, ID. c., February ID
OF course the letter OF Mr.. Blaine stating
that he will not be candidate for the
presidential nomination * the one topic
of conversation here to-day. Nobody
talks OF anything clee. Opinions are as
diverse AS the men that give them
"many men Of many minds "-but after
an all-day's investigation pushed in all
directions 1t seems to me that Mr..
Blaine is by no means eliminated from
the coming campaign. The substance
Of it all is that Air. Baines friends are
still for Blaine. and think that bus letter
shows a disintercstcd and self-sacrifcing
spirit that will only increase his pOpulan-
ty with the people, while the friends OF
other candidates insist that his letter Is a
final withdrawal from competition for the
presidency, snd are very wiling to bury
and praise him at the same time. Mr..
John Sherman saws ne is not at all sur
priscd at the announcement
Mr.. Allison. another possible AMI pro-
bable candidate, agrees with Mr.. Sher-
man as to the sincerity and patriotism OF
Mr. Blaine's Withdrawal. He says
"there is no doubt that Mr.. Blaine is
ont Of the race unless his party demands
that he shall head the ticket" But that
"U" is large one. II Mr. Blaine s
immediate friends are to be believed his
letter simply means that he does not
propose 10 be a party to a Kilkenny fight
over the nomination. He hes learned
something 10y experience. He is satisfied
that the Democratic party, in the coming
campaign, will present solid front I'M
der Grover Cleveland. To take the
field against it, at the head of divided
party, is simply to invite disastrous de-
feat The Republican party in 1883
without the Offices is certainly no
stronger than 1t was in 1854 with
them. Unless be can be sure
OF the entire vote of his party
in the State Of New York, another can
didacy on his part would only insure
the repetition of the result in 1894. Mr.
Blaine has no ambition 10 be defeated a
second time. The views of the friends
OF the Plumcd Knight We're authorita-
lively expressed by Senator Frye, of
Maine, to-day. "Mr. Blamc's letter, -
said Mr.. Frye, " simpiy takes Mr. Blaine
out OF scramble for the nomination. ii
the Republican party wants Mr. Blaine
for its candidate it viii nominate hiw,
and he will accept. But he is not begging
for it, and If it comes to him at AL, it Will
have to be as the free Gift OF unani-
nous party Nr. blilhben, who repre-
sents Blaine's own district, gave express
sion to similar views, and declared that
in his opinion the letter would not take
him out Of the field. lie soid: q" Mr..
Blaines candidacy is not matter that
he can settle for himself His friends
and the Republican party at large have
something TO say on TINS matter. HIS
letter is a sincere expression of las wishes.
He states expressly TINT he declines the
nomination on pcrsO.dl grounds. But
personal grounds must give place to po-
litical reasons 10 man could have made
the fight in New York in 1884 that
Blaine made. Any other Republican
would have lost the state by $4,000 ma
ioritv. And vet Blaine, as We all know,
would have carried i by at least 10000
votes hut forthc " Rum, Romanis;n, and
Rebellion" episode. Generally Mr..
Blaine's friends refuse to look upon the
letter rs withdrawing him from the
field. On the contrary, they are OF
opinion that it will ultimately result III
his nomination. They say that the re-
suit will be that when the convention
assemblies there will be half dozen
candidates with their respective follow
ing, none of whom viii be able to con
centrate a majority OF the votes. There
will be a bitter fight, which will only
tend to embit;er the candidates. and
finally somebody Will precipltate the
name of laine upon the convention,
and it VIII evoke an enthusiasm that will
swallow up all minor differences. That
seems to he the programme just now
Representative O'Fcrrall said this after
noon he thought this view very reason
able one, and said: at will be some
thing like what occurred in the Virgins
convention that nominated Daniel ion
Governor. He was not candidate.
The friends Of the various candidate:
were pressing them with a zeal that
threatened dlssension, when finally John
Daniels name was sprung upon the con
venuon and swept it like tornado.