The Portland daily press., 1888-06-01
DISCUSSING PROSPECTIVE NOMINEES
Prominent Men Visit New York and
Boom Their Favorites.
Maine congressman on the Effect of
Mr.. BIaine's Withdrawal.
What the World Man Says About the
Letter.

New YORK, May 31.-For two days New
/ York has been full of politicians and publ
men who are interested in the various can
didacies for the Presidential nomination II
the Republican party. They have been her
chiefly to gain a knowledge of the situation
in this State, and to present to the delegate
in the East the advantageous points of thei
favorite sons. In the corridors of the Fiftl
| Avenue Hotel last night three men wer,
seen engaged in earnest conversation, eacl
of whom is in New York for the purpose O
nursing Presidential boom for a favorit,
son. They were j. c. Clarkson of Iowa
Attorney General. t. Michener OF Indiana
and John p Sanborn of Michigan, and ar,
the intimate friends respectively of Senate
Allison, General Harrison and General AL
ger; The largest man of the group was Gen
eral kitchener, who is six footer, broat
shouldered and generously proportioned
He is one of the rising men of his State anC
credited with being the ablest politician o.
the day among the younger generation there
Mr.. Sanborn, Michigan, isow in stature bu
stouty built. He was collector at Port Huror
under General Grant MI. Clarkson, wht
Is the editor cf the Iowa State Register" ii
OF medium height, with plump figure ant
we'll rounded face IL WAS remarked as the,
stood there that If these three men, with tn,
forces behind them, could agree upon .
Presidential candidate they might chang,
the whole complexion of things in the Re
publican National Convention. Their heart:
are so set upon their individual preferences
however, that it is only their heads that arr
likely to come together in conference.
Not far away another group was made uI
of Joseph II. Manley of Maine, Con
gressman G. A. Boutelle of Maine, and S. b
Elkins. Mr.. Manley, who has been over Il
Washington, said that his principle mission
had been to secure speakers for the Maine
campaign, which closes in September
Among others who will go into the State tC
make speeches are Senators Spooner OF
Wisconsin, and Manderson of Nebraska
and ex-Congressman Mckinley Of Ohio
Upon the matter Of Presidential politics al
three of the gentlemen in this group were a;
close mouthed as the sphinx.
George NJ. Pullman of Chicago, who is al
the Victoria, and ex-Congressman John II
Calkins, who is at the Gilsey House, are said
70 De furthering the nomination OF Judge
Gresham. Mr.. Calkins was the Republican
candidate for governor in his State. and was
defeated by Governor Gray. He is not a del
egate to Chicago. Another candidacy which
is receiving some attention in New York is
that of Governor Jerry Rusk of Wisconsin
His name is to be presented to the National
Convention by Senator Spooner, who is here
In connection with the custom house investi.
CATION, and has taken special care TO speak
of the merits of his, favorite. There have
been a number of other prominent politi.
clans in New York, including Senator Haw.
ley and Samuel Fessenden of Connecticut,
Chris Magee of Pennsylvania, Charles En-
ory Smith Of Philadelphia, ex-Collector Rod
ney w. Daniels of Buffalo, and ex-senator
Warner Miller. They have all been discuss.
ing the situation, and endeavoring to come
TO some conclusion as to what ought to be
dOnq a
MIR. ManIey's opinion.
Mr. Joseph H. Manley said that he was
not much surprised at Mr.. Blaine's letter to
Mr.. Reid. 1t simply supplemented his Flor
ence letter. Mr. Manley did not know what
course the Maine delegation would take un-
der the circumstances. There had been no
conference among them since they were
elected by their respective conventions Now
they would probably meet and have a full
consultation as to what was the wisest course
to pursue He thought it was safe to say,
however, that the Maine delegates would be
animated by desire to act in the most cor
dial harmony with the great body of Mr.
Blaine's friends. He thought great defer
ence would be paid to the opinions of the
representatives of the doubtful States.
News From Paris.
The New York Worlds European corre-
spondent cables as follows from London:
"Mr. Blaine did not realize when he first ar
rived in Paris that there was any need for
his making any further declaration than the
one written by him at Florence. For nearly
two months he had seen none of the Ameri-
lean newspapers except odd numbers found
at Italian hotels. He had been out of the
range of letters and kilograms and took it
for granted that his first letter was accepted
In the same good faith that it was written.
When he reached Paris he found great
many letters and kilograms relating to the
political situation in America from his politi-
cal friends Many of them urged him merely
to reconsider his decision. He was told that
his nomination was certain unless he should
make still further declaration upon the
subject Mr.. Blaine was Inclined to be in
credulous, but he soon became convinced
that the situation was such as the dispatches
described. And SO he wrote second letter,
this time to political friend. have no au-
th0rity to quote Mr. Blaine in relation to this
subject, but l am sure that violate no con-
ldence In giving some of the reasons, which
are well known to all of his friends who
have had any opportunity for talking with
him during the year.
He has been candidate before the ma
tional convention upon three separate occa-
sions, and he now feels that he should, in
justice to his Republican associates, remain
outside Of the list OF candidates this year and
give some of the other party leaders q chance.
This withdrawal was also in the interest of
harmony. Republicans who became mug
wumps under fear of Blaine were TO be Civ
en- an opportunity to come back into the par
ty and make good their declaration that
Blaine was not the strongest candidate of
his party: More than this, Mr. Blaine was
thoroughly indisposed to go through the ex-
treme burden and fatigue of another can
vass. He did not care to go through such a
struggle as he has endured in the past,
with even Presidency at the end of
1t. So, when he penned his letter in Flor
ence, he merely put into official form
his determination when he sailed for Europe
After this letter was written it was not pos
sible for him to take any backward step.
Men who had become candidates after his
letter could properly have charged him with
netting in bad faith. To have changed after
that would have given all his enemies un-
usual opportunities to charge that his letter
was a trick unworthy of gentleman of
honor. He was then confronted with the
news of the tide sweeping in his direction in
spite of his Florence letter.
MIR. Blaine is very much pleased with the
great demonstration in his favor, but, while
he has felt the full force of the compliment
paid him by the many delegates elected for
bin, and the natural inclination of an old
political combatant upon the eve of the battle
to go in again, he has never for one moment
changed his mind concerning his course.
feel equally confident that there could be no
situation in America which could influence
Mr.. Blaine to change the decision so ab-
solutely declared in his second letter
'Mr. Blaine is in good health and spirits.
His recent cold in Paris kept him in his
rooms only day or so, and he was out
riding again yesterday 1t can be further
said concerning Mr.. Blaine that he does not
intend to use his influence in the interest of
any particular candidate. Concerning every
Republican candidate he speaks in terms of
cordial praise. He will return to America
in time for the early fall campaign in Maine,
and will by speech and personal effort try to
secure the election of the Chicago nominee. y
Maine's Congressional Delegation.
WASHINGTON, May 31.-The members OF
the MaineCongressional delegation. while ac-
cepting Mr. Blaine's Paris letter as ending all
hopes of his candidacy, have not yet settled
upon a second choice.
SenatorFrye, who lef .tfor Maine this morn.
ing, said that the letter places Mr. Blaine
entirely out of the presidential race and his
friends must now cast their futunes with
some other candidate. While not commit.
ting himself to any candidate, Senator Frye
is of the opinion that Gresham is one of the
strongest men named, and his nomi
nation would be satisfactory to him.