Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-02-14
BLAINE'S LETTER.
Jones' Explanation Of Why
It Was Written.
COMMENTS OF POLITICIANS,
The Document Believed to be Sin.
cere-It has Been Expected
in Many Quarters.
Associated Press Disp atches to the HEnALDi

IN Many quarters.
Associated Press Disp atches to the HERALD
PIrTsBuRa, February 13. Hon. B.
F. Jones, Chairman of the Republican
National Committee, was interviewed
by Chronicle Telegraph reporter this
afternoon on Blaine's letter of decli-
nation. Mr.. Jones states that Blaine
is in the best of health, and it was not
for this reason that he declined the
renominstion. Ellis trip" said he,
"has been wonderfully beneficial. !
have had many letters from him, and
in nearly all of them he has spoken Of
his health ,and said that he was entirely
recovered. No, sir, it. is not health,
nor fear of the result, or worry and
strain of another campaign which has
compelled Mr.. Blaine to write that
letter."
"Will you tell me what Mr.. Blaine's
reasons are ?''
Gas given me at the time to which
Blaine refers, the reasons we've these :
Before the nomination by the Repub-
licans in 1875, Blaine was very anx
ious to obtain the presidency and
worked hard for it W til the aid Of his
friends. He was disappointed when
it went to another man in the man.
ner it did. In 1880 he was still anx-
ious, though in lesser degree, and
his disappointment was less marked.
In 1884, he had, to great extent, lost
the desire for the Office, and now he
withdraws from the contest because
he has no wish to become President.
He takes keen interest in literary
work, and wants rest and quiet. ]
assure you that those are the only rea-
sons for Blaine's letter that are known
to me. Everybody, sooner or later,
loses the desire for something which
they were once anxious to obtain, and
this is entirely true in the case oi
Blaine"
Jones further said "Blaine's friends
had not sought to set up or secure a
single delegate any where. We have
made no concerted action. There has
been no meeting to map out course
favorable to Mr.. Blaine, and what
ever has been done by the admirers
of Blaine, has been done on their own
account, and not at the instance of his
close friends. We have done nothing
to secure q nomination for Blaine,
When people write to me on the sub
ject, l send them in reply the call oi
the convention and some extracts
from the history of the convention o1
1884. I have written no letters in
Blaine's interest,""
GENERAL COMMENTS.
New YoRK, February 13.-Senator
Hawley who is in the city was asked
if he considered Blaine's letter final.
He said: II do most assuredly, and
l think that he means every word he
has written. Circumstances may
arise that will compel his friends to
refuse to accept this as q final answer
from Blaine, but that no one knows
anything about"
Ex-senator Platt said: II believe
that Blaine means every word in the
letter that appeared in the morning
papers. I have bad occasion to know
for some time that such letter was
forthcoming. 1t is a great disappoint-
ment to his friends.
Senator Hale, of Maine, who is now
on his way to Washington said: 81
think Blaine is sincere and means ev-
cry word he has written. l can say
positively that Blaine was not anxious
a. ~.,,, -, 1904 h,,t v,vf,oA fo do co
He certainly will not be candidate
and you can see from his letter that
he does not decline because he thinks
the Republican party would be de-
feated. He will return in June or
July and when the campaign opens
will enter the field and speak for the
ticket"
.ChaunceyM M. Depew said: "Blaine' &
letter was a surprise and disappoint.
ment to me. | feel sure that his
friends will regret the step he has
deemed it wise to take, and that the
majority Of them will not consider il
final. Blaine's declination will moi
necessarily prevent his friends from
nominating him for the presidency
Neither will it prevent him from ac-
cepting the nomination should it be
given him."
Senator Frye said: "I think that
the letter is exactly what it purports
to be, an instruction to Blaine's friendf
not to present his name in the con.
vention. 1t does not debar the con.
vention from selecting him if ii
chooses"
Senator Farwell said: .In reading
between the lines l infer that Blaine
has an eager desire for renominati N.
1t seems to me that if it were Blaine's
sincere intention to decline or refu c
nomination, he would have signed his
name at the end of the first para.
graph"
Senator Chandler, said ."The party
both loses and gains by his with
drawal. 1t loses the effect of his
great popularity on the Pacific coast,
and the thousands of votes which he
alone can gain from the Irish-Ameri-
can Democrats. It loses also the
enthusiasm which his name would
inspire everywhere. The gain
is the support OF the small
percentage OF Republicans who are
hostile to him. These being recon-
ciled to the party it would be COM
pletely united, and the union will
give US Republicans victory. The
free trade message OF Cleveland will
probably result in the defeat OF his
denomination, so we shall pretty
surely have a new ticket on both
Sides"
Senator Quay said that Blaine
would not dare to be candidate after
that letter, because il he was nomi-
mated he would certainly be defeated.
Joseph D. Weeks, financial secre-
tary of the Republican National Com
mittee, said: III think Mr.. Blaine is
sincere, but do not think his with
drawal will prevent his nomination,
or his acceptance of the nomination,
II thrust upon him. He owes toe