Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-04-24
Why the Gazette Has Reason to Be-
IieyeMr. Blaine Was in Earnest
a. N His Letter of Withdrawal.
Some Alleged Friends Say He Seeks the
Nomination, and That the Flor
ence Letter is q Bid for Votes.
Careful Estimate OF the Probable
Strength Of the Real Candidates
Before the Chicago Convention.
TN KxruBL1cAx NOMINATION.

brief review of the field and of the
candidates will doubtless prove of pecu-
liar interest to the readers of TIL
GAZETTE in connection with the conven-
ton now in progress in this city. The
one absorbing question which is heard on
all sides is, Will Blaine be the nominee
Republicans throughout the country
are undoubtedly Of An almost unanimous
opinion that Mr.. Blaine is entitled to the
nomination and can have 1t simply by
letting 1t be known that he desires 1t, but
right there Is the rub. It Is apparent to
every unprejudiced mind after carefully
reading the Florence letter that Mr..
Blaine does not want the nomination and
that he would rather it would 60
TO ONE OF HIS FRIEND.
Many people, especially the army of
would-be Machiavelian politicians that
infest both parties profess to place
another construction upon Mr.. Blaine's
letter of withdrawal. In their overpow-
ering wisdom they see sinister motive
in the letter. All, they say he doesn't mean
1t, and sizing him up by their own small
standard they loudly assert that Blsine's
letter WAS simply vote catching scheme
cunningly planned during the massage
baths at Paris. Even some Of Mr..
Blaine's strongest political supporters
have been carried away by this phase OF
the situstion, blind IN their zeal to the
fact that their cynical attempt to place q
hypocritical construction upon Blaine's
language and motives is most striking
confession Of their own poor estimate
of Mr.. Blaine's character and verscitv.
In the political world 1t has
become the custom for ones enemies to
question the honesty of his motives and
purposes, but into what pitiable condi-
tion has party fallen when 1t discredits
the motives and the honesty
OF ITS OWN LEADERS.
THE GAZETTE will do Mr.. Blaine the
justice to say that 1t believes he meant
what he wrote in his letter from Florence.
He is private citizen travelling abroad
for his health and pleasure. We will not
therefore impugn his motives, especially
as we believe we can perceive good ree-
sons why Mr.. Blaine not only does not
desire the nomination but will decline to
accept it II rendered him.
Mr.. Blsine furnishes the key to this sit
uation when he saJs in his letter Of January
rs from Florence, after declaring that his
mime would not be presented to the con-
vention-"I am constrained to this de-
cision by considerations entirely per-
sonal to myself, of which you were ad-
vised more than year ago." Can any
one who recollects the bitter campaign
Of four years ago doubt the character snd
cause for these Considerations entirely
personal to myself"
Do not the Mulligsn letters, the,Incian-
apolis scandal suit and the H.rpers tat
tooed man involuntarily rise before ones
mental vision when he reads the above
sentence?
Iadeed, 1t is highly creditable to Mr..
Blafne to believe that these things, even
though admittedly false, do
4 HAVE CONSIDERATION AND WEIGHT
with him,-to think otherwise OF him Is
to believe that he Is destitute OF kindly,
humane feelings, lacking in love for his
family and especially destitute of
that holy love for his faithful and
maligned wife which as Americans we sill
cherish. II the personalisms of the last
had no effect upon the mentality
OF Mr.. Blaine and upon his nervous sys-
TEN, then surely be must be q human
without feeling, whose epidermis
is OF the rhinoceros order, rendering him
eager to again rush hesdlong at the mud
batteries and ready to receive in cuti-
Gle the million iavlins directed by malice
and impelled by
HIS OWN STRING OF ERRORS.
And yet IN the face OF all this and of his
plain, msnly letter withdrawing his name,
which was doubtless adjusted by the fur
Their consideration of his failing health,
Mr.. Blsiue's alleged friends are hourly
urging that he Is seeking the nomination,
that he must snd will be nominated, that
ne is the only man In the party that can
win.
After carefully reviewing the senti-
Rents OF the leading Republicans of the
country on this subject, THE GAZETTE
concludes that Blaine is
OUT OF THK RACE
and predicts that if he is NOM
Insted he will decline to accept. We use
the term reluctantly" in candid good
faith, for The Democratic party knows the
strength Of Blaine, knows his weak points
and with the aid of its mugwump allies
It can whip him again with
ease IS compared with
the last struggle, for no ssae man who is
abreast of the times can dispute the fact
tnat cleveland Is stronger and more popu- |
lar now than he was four years ago.
Fears OF defeat are largely engendered by
the unknown strength of our antagonist, |
and in this respect all the other candi- |
dates have an undoubted
ADVANTAGE OVER Mr. BLAINE.
Perhaps the most significant and impor-
tsnt MISUNDERSTANDING Mr.. Blaine's letter |
was made by Senator Leland Stanford, q |
warm personal and political friend of Mr.. |
Blaine, conservative Republican whose |
views, like his wealth, are greatly re-
spected by his party. In recent inter- |
view Senator Stanford said: 81 regard |
Mr. Blaine's letter as honest and sincere, |
and as expressive Of his determination |
not to accept the Republican nomination |
for President. 1 think his explanation |
will be relief to many men /
who would have supported him hsd |
he been candidate for the nomina- |
ton, yet who in their hearts felt that |
there was very grea. possibility of his |
defeat. Mr.. Blaine's letter leaves the |
party In the cool position Of being able |
to select candidate who can poll the |
full party strength. No man that we can
nominate would probably arouse the per-
sonal enthusiasm among the masses of
voters like Mr.. Blaine, but 1t
until fho