The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-07-08
BLAINE'S POSITION.
Conditions Under Which He Would
Have Accepted.

have learned during the past few
days the correct story of Mr.. Blaine S
position in connection with the Presi-
dental canvass. When he left for
Europe last year it was for the distinct
and aVoWed purpose of avoiding even
an appearance OF making any contest
for the nomination. To few confident
tial friends he said before his departure
that he could not consent to stand
again unless he were called with practi-
cal unanimity. In 1884 he had been made
chief of his party, end had in his opinion
brought it together and developed the
issue upon which this present cam
paign is to be fought. If this year all
of the candidates had conceded Mr..
Blaiues leadership, so that he could
have stood without opposition, he
would undoubtedly have been willing
to accept, and to have made another
fight. But when he left for Europe he
had heard that there were to be other
candidates in the field, and upon this
belief he then made up his mind to re-
tire. 1t was not, however, until Ohio
had declared for Senator Sherman,
Connecticut for General Hawley, lndi-
ana for General Harrison, and Iowa for
Senator A lison, that the first Florence
letter was written and the posi-
ton of withdrawal determined
upon. Mr.. Blaine felt then
that it would have compromised
his dignity to again enter on contest
for the Republican candidacy against
the others. He did not know then
how strong the tide was i'll his favor,
and that if he had not said one word
he could have had nomination upon
the first ballot. This decision, made in
Florence, was the result of Mr.. Blaine's
own deliberations. Mrs. Blaine has
Dsen falsel" assumed to have favored
this decision. She on the contrary,
was opposed to his withdrawal. She
was willing to sacrifice her own per-
sonal comfort and feelings to have the
campaign Of 1884 fought over again.
But when Mr.. Blaine cnce makes up
his mind he never changes. His
course on this side of the water
has been thoroughly consistent. He
has not intrigued, cabled, or written
letters upon the subject, either before
or since his Paris letter to Mr.. White
law Reid. The conduct of his friends
at home has, however, detraCted from
the consistent appearance of his per-
sonal position. They appeared to not
believe that he was actually out of the
canvass; and if his friends did not be-
lieve it, his enemies could not be ex-
pected to credit 1t. Mr.. Blaine friends
remembered his former declaration be-
fore leaving the United States, and
sought to secure the withdrawal of the
other candidates and his unanimous
This they failed to do, and
as they could not use Mr.. Baine's name
as q candidate all hope of securing
his nomination fell through. If he had
consented at the earlier stages of
the convention to have his name
brought formally forward as a can
didate, he could undoubtedly have
been nominated. But as the only con
dition of his appearing in the canvass
could not be carried out, the Blaine
people turned to General Harrison as
candidate.
l saw Mr.. Blaine in Scotland al diff
ferent times each day from Friday until
late Monday evening, when | handed |
him the dispatch containing the news of |
the nomination of General Harrison. |
He was never under the slightest illu-
sion regarding the convention. He
sa d to me on Sunday at Edin
burgh: There is not the slightest
chance of the nomination coming to
me-" He at that time indicated General
Harrison "a the probable nominee of
the coming Monday. At Linlithgow on
the decisive day of the convention no
dispatches came to Mr.. Blaine from
Chicago. This was easy to be seen, as
all the kilograms received at the little
station were placed on the bulletin
board of the Star and Garter Hotel
hours before the Blaine and Carnegie
party arrived. At Edinburgh, also, the
telegraph officials all said that no mes
sages had come for Mr.. Blaine. Mr.
B;aine will remain in Scotland, at Cluny
Castle, until July 10-London special
to New York World, June 80.