Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-19
JAMES G. BLAINE.
The Star Of slippery JIM
Sinking.
DIsTRUsTRD By THE PEOPLE.
IAo Politicians are Now Leaving
His Banner-SO0n There Will
be None so Poor as to do
Him Reverence.


Him Reverence.
The political life Of Mr.. James G..
Blaine is . startling and instructive
commentary upon the great truth
that talents the most brilliant, re-
sources the readiest, skill the most
expert, and ability in general, the
most striking are yet but feathers
weight against the opposing claims
of An upright and honorable charac-
ter. Not more surely does sloth
cause the fleet-footed hare to lose the
race with the creeping tortoise than
does intellect without principle,
backed though it may be by the most
auspicious opportunities, by the
sublimest audacity, by the fascination
of personal courtesy and agreeability,
fail in the competition with honesty.
This is q truism. It has been OBJ
served and commented on for ages.
One of the most admirable works OF
the Feudal ages-a monument of
truth and art-that will live as
long in the minds of men as the
Niebelunger Lied or the best roman
ces in the Arthurian Cycles, is the
chronicle Of "Reynard, the Fox" 1t
is q satire upon human nature-yet
more properly speaking it is history
II human nature depicted with Shaks-
perian genius. When we read it now,
In the fercs light of analogy poured
upon its pages by the political life Of
James g. Blaine, it is hard to realize
that we are not perusing thiuly-dis-
guised record Of the Maine politicians q
public career. Reynard, full of au-
1acious and subtle resources, address
and ingenuity, proudly reliant upon
his intellectual powers, starts out
among the beasts with the avowed
purpose Of aggrandizing Reynard'e 4
fortune and brimming Reynard's cup
Of pleasure to the brim. Brilliant,
audacious, and marvellouslv subtle,
for while the most dazzling success,
crowns his efforts and the halo OF
splendid triumph surrounds his brows,
attracting to him the weak and un-
principled, dismaying the doubtful
and disheartening all but the indom-
itably strong. We all know the result
however. The honest and faithful
dog. devoid OF brilliancy; devoid OF
subtlety, incapable Of perceiving the
faliaoy of the many tricks so dazzing-
ly pat forth by Reynard, but strong
in his simple hearted loyalty to truth
and right, comes out at the end tri-
umphant and victorious, while the
end of Reynard is the dreary fastness
of his prison home of Malspart. So
with Mr. Blaine. He has had his day
Of brilliancy, his hour Of triumph,
bat the inevitable fate Of insincerity
has overtaken him and he must retire
now to the dreary Businesses of q
political Malspart. Integrity of char
Acter, sincerity of purpose, fidelity Of
deed are worth thousand fold the
most brilliant intellect, the most dar.
ing audacity, the most fascinating
magnetism, If with these qualities
are united duplicity and want Of faith.
BaFoRs THR CONVENTION.
For many years Mr.. Blaine has been
the leading politician OF the Republi-
can party. Statesman he was not, nor
was he SO considered, except by the
~; pollos, to whom words are simply
terms devoid Of signification and who
do not know the difference between
Statesmanship and soap bubbles. As q
D0litician. however. Blaine has had
few equals in this country. In his
own epoch, perhaps, the marvellous
Qld paralytic Of Graystone, Samuel ]
1iiden, was his only superior. He
was unequalled in his party as an or
ganizer, q manipulation of the INA
chine" puller Of wires, log roller
His capabilities for success in thii
direction amounted to genius. Hard
and cold as a granite boulder by ths
banks Of the river whereon he lives
he yet had the art to wreathe tina
granite with the flowers and graceful
vines Of affected warmth and courtesy
60 as, in their blossoming season, t.
deceive the masses into the belief h,
was naturally genial and cordial. Th'
summer season of his affections i
over, however, and whitening vine
show through their leafess stems, tn,
hard, cold granite Of his nature. Th,
glamour Of bis pretense has exhausted
It's spells. He stands to-day befor
the American people in his prope
hight, the incarnation of selfishness
Of hardness, coldness, and defective
principle. His race is run.
Nor am led to make this predic
ton from any personal ill-feelint
towards Mr.. Blaine, much less from
any ill-considered judgment of hi
standing with the people. 1 woult
NOS vote for him for any Office. We're
he . candidate for pubic favor in any
place where I was stationed | should
fake . decided and aggressive stanC
against him. But would not do thi.
from any personal considerations. ]
oppose him on the ground that he il
an insincere, selfish, Enthusiastically
nlan. / IPredict his defeat before the
convention from Q knowledge of the
tact that the sentiments of a vast nun
ber Of the Republican party mum
ber that is daily adding to it,
~ Cukbns AVN AOACAy w d6noI
chat Mr.. Blaine will not be nomi
aated by the Republican Nationa
Convention, but I make the state
ment broadly and emphatically tha
before the assemb ing of that body
he will formally announce his with
drswal ~ . candidate.
NJ SOURCES OF MToRxATIoN.
Such statement, if supporte,
merely by assertion, would depend 70
It's value simply upon the validi y Q
the judgment Of its author. 1t woul,
~ worth only what the mere opinion
q any individual would be, neithe
aAore nor less. / will advance tn
reasons Of nay making it 80 as TO shov
It's true value. II is not the bare as
eertion Of an individual, but the we'll
Aatured judgment Of q man of tn
Werld after consultation with the mos
anost sagacious and best informed o
"a l0ad0ra Of the Republican partv