The Portland daily press., 1888-02-27
MR.. RLAINE's LETTER.
Ne States Positively that He Meant
Every Word Of 1t.
Confident Of Republican Success In
the Coming Campaign.
He VIII Not Return Until the Nomin
alton Is Made.

He Will Not Return Until the Nomih
alton Is Made.
NEW YORK, Feb. 25.-The World to-day
prints an interview by MI. t. G. Crawford,
of that papers editorial staff, with Mr. Blaine,
in Florence. The following are the principal
portions Of the interview:
l asked Mr. Blaine the direct question
whether he would, under any circumstances,
permit his name to be used again as a candi-
date. He replied in a
MOST EMPHATIC NEGATIVE.
But then added Il do not wish to make any
new affirmations upon the subject. have
said all that wish to say upon this subject
in that letter. The letter, you must know,
was not hap-hazard, off-hand affar. 1t was
the result of much dellberation and careful
thought. You will remember that told you
in Paris last December that had no inten-
tion of being a candidate again, and that L
had practically made uD my mind at THAT
time to forbid the use of my name in the /ap-
preaching convention"
Mr. Blaine then said, in speaking Of his
withdrawal, that he had been urged to more
speedy action on account OF the candidacy OF
OTHER PROMINENT REPUBLICANS.
If there had been no other candidates in the
field at this time he might have delayed it
little; but he wished to leave the field clear
for other candidates now in the field. 1t
could not be said that he was deserting the
party in any way, as there were now num-
Der of good candidates in the running, and
that upon his return home he would work to
the extent Of his ability for the success OF
any candidate nominated by his party.
Growing more explicit, he said:
81 hold that / have no right to be a candi-
date again. A man who has once been
candidate of his party and been defeated,
owes il to his party to withdraw and not be
a candidate second time. More than this"
he added, there is another plain reasons Tor
my withdrawing. / could not go through
the burden and fatigue OF another Presl-
Dental canvas, such one as the last cam
paign. To accept a nomination and DO less
than before would be impossible. Itwould
look as If l had no faith in myself or In the
success Of the party"
Mr.. Blaine talked easily, and with without
the slightest apparent feeling. He is out OF
politics, something that his enemies will find
very hard to believe. No one who knows
Mr.. Blaine can question his sincerity. l saw
him nearly every day during the last Presi-
Dental campaign, and know Just how muen
of a burden he carried then.
Mr.. Blaine is enjoying his visit in mod
crate degree, but it is inferred from his con-
yersation that he would prefer to be at
home. His two daughters are getting so
much good from their visit, and have so
much enjoyment in it that he has
YIELDED HIS PERSONAL WISHES
in the matter. He does not expect to return
to the United States until after the Republi-
can Convention in June. He wishes to
avoid the slightest criticism directed
against him as desiring to influence in the
remotest degree the action of the Chicago
Convention.
| asked Mr.. Blaine the direct question
whether he had withdrawn in favor Of any
one. He replied:
81 have not. have expressed no opinion
on the subject to any one, and do not intend
to do so. If were to make the slightest
suggestions in any way, it would merely af-
ford people an opportunity of saying that
was desirous of continuing to gain power
In politics through indirect means 1t would
certainly impugn the good faith Of my with
drawal."
Mr. Blaine was asked when he had posi-;
lively determined to wlthdray. de SAID
that he had made up his mind long ago not
ag through another political campaign. His
attitude in the spring OF 1884 was one OF aD-
sOlute indifference and reluctance. Ills
friends all remember that he then positively
refused to lift his finger in any way to per-
sonally influence the result.
/ called Mr.. Blaine's attention to the con-
versation which had with him in house his
in Washington just before the Chicago con-
ventiOn of 1884. AT that time he clearly for
saw the campaign. He said then that he.felt
perfectly confident the Republican party was
going to be defeated in other words, he felt
that the odds were all against the party. and
that it had an uphill fight before it. he had
at that time had enough OF politics, ana
would have been perfectly willing to with
draw then. Mr.. Blaine said he remembered
distinctly this conversation. lie dld not De-
lieve, in the spring of 1884, that the Repub-
lican party could win. The defeats OF lSS2
and 1888, and the dissatisfaction evident
throughout the country. made him believe
that the Republican party was doomed 10
defeat in that year. 1t was with the greatest
reluctance that he saw the tendency at Chi
cago to renominate him. Today the situa-
tion is different. He now believes that the
REPUBLICAN PARTY WILL WIN
in the coming campaign, if upon no other is
sue than upon that of the tariff. Buthe has,
in spite of that belief, passed beyond the
position of reluctance to one of absolute de-
termination to never enter the political field
again as presidential candidate. He said
upon this head:
81 could not go through another contest
with the certainty of the presidency at the
end of it. The struggle is too great, and
there is nothing in life worth such a con-
test"
l said to Mr.. Blaine, that when he pub
lished from Paris his criticism of the Presi-
dents tariff message, people in the United
States generally regarded this as his formal
temperance in the campaign as a candidate.
Mr.. Blaine replied that ne had understood
this was the impression. At the tim) of
permitting that interview to be published he
was fresh from reading the message. and he
saw in it an opportunity for his party. He
became convinced at cnce that it could win
this year upon the issue made by the Presi-
dent. What he said then was for the purpose
Of bringing out and making clear the possi-
bilities of victory indicated by the message.
At the time of his talk with the Republican
correspondent at Paris, he was as fully de-
cided upon his letter of withdrawal as upon
the day of publication.