The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-02-16
THE COMING CONTEST
BEaine's Letter Declining go be q
Presidential Candidate.

Presidential Candidate.
FLORENCE, Italy, Jan. Is.
| B. F. Jones, Esq, Chairman National Repub-
Hcan Committee.
SSIR-1 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
assemble Ia Chicago in June next for
| the nomination of candidates for pres
| ident and vice-pFesident of the United
l States. am constrained to this decis-
| ion by considerations entirely personal
to myself, of which you were advised
more than a year ago. But /
| cannot make the announcement with
out giving expression to my deep sense
/ of gratitude to the many thousands of
my countrymen who have sustained
me so long and so cordially that their
| feeling has seemed to go beyond the
ordinary political adherence of fellow
partisans and to partake somewhat of
| the nature of personal attachment.
| For this most generous loyalty OF
| friendship. can make no adequate re-
turn, but shall carry the memory of
it while life lasts.
''NSr can refrain from congratulate
ing the republican party upon the
cheering prospects which distinguish
the opening of the national contest of
1888 as compared with that of 1854.
1 LII 1907 LILO ACpuOlICdA PcsASy OAAOu5h
out the union met with disastrous
defeat. Ten states that had supported
Garfield and Arthur in the election of
1880 were carried by the democrats,
either by maloritieS or plurallties.
The republican loss in the northern
elections compared with the proceed
ing national election exceeded 500, 900
votes, and the electoral votes of the
union, divided on the basis of the result
| Of 1900 oauo rc tho Hnmo0rafG over 9llfl
electors out of total of 401. There
was a partial 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 col
lege of the whole country.
"But against this encouragement
naturally following the adverse cleo
tionS of those two years, the spirit OF
the republican party in the national
contest of 1884 rose high, and the re-
publican masses entered into the cam
paign with such energy 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-elev-
enth of / per cent. of the entire vote.
The change of single vote in every
two thousand 1900 of the total poll
would have given the state to the re-
publicans, though only two years be-
fore the democratic plurality exceeded
one hundred and ninety-two thousand
| (192 ,U00).
demonstrated growing strength in the
Republican ranks. Seldom in our
political history has party, defeated
in a national election rallied immedl-
. ately, with such VigOr as the Republl-
cans since 1884. No comparison is
possible between the spirit of the party
in 1928 and its spirit in 1867. The
two periods present simply a contrast
the one of general depression. the
other of enthusiastic revival. Should
the party gain, in the results OF 1855
over those of 1857, in anything like
the proportion of the gain of 1884 over
1928, it will secure one of the most
remarkable victories of its remarkable
existence. But victory does not depend
on SO large ratio OF increases; the
party has only to maintain relatively
, its presage of 1867 to give to its
national candidates every Northern
state but one, with a far better pros
pect of carrying that one than it has
had for the past six years.
stAnother feature of the political sit
nation should inspire Republicans with
. irresistible strength. The present
with, if not upon, the repeated asser-
tions of its leading supporters in every
, protection state that no issue on the
, tariff was involved. However earnest
ly Republicans urged that question as
!. the one of controlling 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
the Democrats avoided in 1884, has
been prominently and specifically
brought forward by the Democratic
president. and cannot be hidden out OF
Sight in 1888. The country is now in
the enjoyment of an industrial system
. which in q quarter Of century has as
sured larger national growth, a more
! rapid accumulation and a broader dis
tribution of wealth than were ever be
fore known to history. The American
people will now be openly and formal
ly asked to decide whether this system
shall be recklesslY abandoned and 9
/ new trial made Of an old experiment
! (which has uniformly led to nationa
7 embarrassment and widespread indi
vidual distress. On the result of sucE
: an issue, fairly presented to the popU
! lar judgment, there is no room fol
doubt.
II zone thing only is necessary to as
) sure success-complete harmony and
D cordial cooperation on the part of al
: republicans-on the part both OF those
$ who aspire to lead and of those WHIT
a are eager to follow. The duty is mo-
/. one merely of honorable devotion tt
8 the party whose record and whose AIM
9 are alike great, but it is one demanded
3 by the instinct Of self-interest and b,
e the still higher promptings Of pa
triotism.
"a closer observation of the condi
It tons Of life among the older nation
n gives one a more intense desire tina
:. the American people shall make n
v mistake in choosing the policy whicl
: inspires labor with hope and crowns
e with dignity. which gives safety +
). Icapitai and protects its increase, whic
4 secures political power to every either
!. comfort and culture to every home
e To this end, not less earnestly an
= more directly as private citizen tina
8. as 9 public candidate, l shall deyot
d myself with the confident belief tina
a the administration of the g0Vernmen
i. viii be restored TO the party which Ia
p demonstrated the purpose and tn
ID power to WELD 1t for the unity and til
q honor Of the republic, for the prosper
n | ty and progress OF the people. an
le very sincerely yours,
E JA1lEs c. BLAIsE.''
( POLITICIANS Views Regarding Blaine
ygHEA1E3ygal Rroaa the Race
u COLUMBUS, Ohio. Feb. 13--Joh
B. Sherma8, who is in the city, ON hea
o ing that Mr.. Blaine would not aIlo
Z Z his name to be used before the Co
8 Yention, said that he had been expec
ae ling some such utterance from N
T2lafT,a for soma tiFna He had nHdq
stood thzt it would be forthcomiD
u Mir. blaine was one Of the foremo
q. Americans. when every repubiic<
n. iuv,ns,Id f.uxa ffaIsz,lff1f5 IN Honor and