Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-05-11
James G. Blaine.
THE MAN WHO LET GO TO GET BET
TER HOLD.

THE MAN WHO LET GO TO GET A BET
| TER HOLD.
Asa New York Times dispatch of
the 4th instant, gives what seems to be
reliable information that the friends of
Blaine have received direct from him
his assent to an aggressive movement
for his denomination for President, and
assurance that if nominated, in the
face of the Florence letter of declina-
ton, he would not feel at liberty to re-
fuse becoming the candidate of the
party, everything relating to his life
history possesses II renewed and alb
sorbing interest. The portrait We present
in this issue will give the reader some
idea of the man who possesses in such
remarkable degree the confidence and,
| affection Of the masses of his party.
1t would be hard to analyze this popu-
larity of Mr.. Blaine, yet, it is conceded
that his brilliancy, ability, and above
all, that almost undeiinable quality,
called magnetism, has much to do
with 1t: but more than all these, it is
the sc"ling in every Americans heart
that Ii..ine is indistinctively and radi-
cally an American, that he is opposed
to any and all aggression on the part
OF European nations, that he empha-
sizes the Monroe doctrine of America
for America, that he is so venerated
by his partisans.
James G. Blaine Was born in West
Brownsville, Pa, January 3lst, 1880.
The Blaine family distinguished itself
in the Revolution, and Colonel Ephri-
am Blaine, the grandfather of the sub
ject of this sketch, was an officer of
the Pennsylvania Line, as we'll as
Commissary General of the Depart
ment. The family had been well-to-
do, but at the time of James birth,
was neither rich nor poor. The boy
attended Washington College, entering
it in lS43, and although not a sedu-
lOus student, ranked well in his stud
les; but most of all, he was the idol of
his school-fellows, just as lie is of his
partisans to-day. A few months after
graduation, he went to Kentucky and
there taught school at the Western
Military Institute at Blue Lick Springs.
Whilst in Kentucky, he wooed and
won his present wife, then Miss Harri-
ct Stanwood, Il native of Maine, who
was being educated at Millersburg
Ky. Returning, with his young wife
to Pennsylvania he studied law, but
was forced by necessity to accept po-
sition as tutor in the Pennsylvania
Institute for the instruction of the
Blind, in Philadelphia. Here he re-
mained from 1852 to 1854, when he
went to Maine to assume editorial
charge Of the .Kennebec Journal. The
moribund condition of the old Wing
party, and the rapid growth of the
Republican organization gave him an
opportunity that he made the most Of |
He was elected to the State Legisla-
ture in 1858, and in 1860, gave up his |
position rs journalist. He served for
four years in the Legislature, and dur
ins his last term was Speaker In
1862, he was sent to Congress as Rep
resentative. He soon became prof.
Gent rs parliamentarian. He was re-
elected 10 each succeeding Congress
until 1876, when he was made Senator |
to succeed Lot M. Morrill,. In 1869, |
he WIS made Speaker of the House,
and held the position for six years,
when the mutations of politics placed |
his party in the minority. When the |
Mains Lerishture met, it made him |
Senatorfor the term, ending in 1888. |
He, however, did not serve his full
term, for in 1880, he accepted the po-
sition of Secretary of State, under Gar
field. After the latter's death, he sent
in his resignation to President Arthur.
Ever since 1876 Mr.. Blaine has been
a prominent candidate for the Presi-
dency. In 1876 he was placed in
nomination ut the Cincinnati Conven-
ton by Col. r. Ingersoll in speech
of great eloquence. The first ballot
resulted in 2S5 votes for Blaine; I25
for Morton; l13, Bristow; 81, Hayes
SO, Conklng, and others scattering
Blaine's forces steadily augmented, he
having 30S votes on the sixth ballot;
his opponents seeing that he would
be nominated, threw their votes to
Hayes who was accordingly nominated.
In 1850, the great fight OF the Conk-
ling-Grant faction took place. Blaine
had 2S4 votes on the first ballot and
these stuck to him with slight varia-
tons through the eighteen succeeding
ballots. when he had 279. At the
thirty-fourth ballot he had 275, Grant,
3l2, Garfield, 13; seeing, that the
only way to defeat the third-term
scheme was to throw Blainc's weight
to a dark horse on the thirty-ffth
ballot the Blaine force focked to
Garfield who was nominated on the
thirty-sixth ballot, receiving 399 votes
In 1884, Judge West, the blind orator
nominated Mr.. Blaine amidst the
scene of the widest enthusiasm. On
the first ballot he received 334t votes,
Arthur having 27S. The number
necessary to choice was All. The
second cast gave Blaine S49. the third
SIS. His opponents seeing that be
would Be nominated, moved recess,