The Wilmingtonian., 1888-02-18
They Brand Themselves.
IThe Press ]

The malignant enmes who have relent-
essly pursued Mr.. Blaine with their venom
nus detractipn now profess to diseredt the
siucerlty Of his withdrawal. They impupn
his motives in this step as they have IN every
other aot of his career. They have always
charged that he was selfish, scheming in
triguer who plotted for his own interests
without regard to the interests of the party
or the country. What such man volun-
tarily aud sincerely withdraw from a Presi
Dental contestl No; such an aesy7of self
abnegation would prove that theseyS Seaalevol-
ent assailants were slanderers, and SO they
must stigmatize it as dishonest and insn-
cere and prompted by some sinister design
This tone furnishes a fair test Of the char.
acter of their whole treatment of MIR. Blaine.
If they are unjust and false in this imputa-
ton, they are in all; and the trrth in this
case is so plain that no candid and intelligent
observer can be blind to it. Why should MIR.
| Blaine write letter of withdrawal if he did
not mean il? Entirely apart from his own
character, the surrounding circumstances
are conclusive. Without saying word oil
moving hand, Mr. Blaine was sure to be
nominated, He almost succeeded in 1876
and 1880 in spite of the powerful GRAM
combination. He did succeed in 1884 witt
all the organized force and patronage of tht
| N tional Administration against him. Thi'
year he had nothing standing in his wa!
except some local candidates who would no
| -. hax tps
He would have been stronger in New Eng
land than ever before He would have hat
three-fourths and probably five. sixths of tn
New York delegation. He would have ha'
New .T.,rs,y, Penn ylvania, and al OF tn
Western States exctp three or four whic
might first have pre- sented local favorites
He would have vided the South with Joh
Sherm IN and have E. cned the PRACTICAL
solid vote of the Southwest and of the P"r
Il. c ast. In short, without dong singl
thing himself he ould ! ave had ihret
fourths Of The Co vention, and his nomin:
tion w'u d have been SO certain that 1T
probable that b. the time the Conventio
met no other namt would have been presen
ed.
Indeed, it was conceded wen by he otht
Republican leaders who have been named s
candidates that, if Mr.. Blaine wanted tt
, nomination, he would have no opposition.
is no secret thai Mr. ) rman repeatedl
said this to Yutual friends. MlssA.AliSnaEa al
II-olhers have said the same thing. certain
] no one who Freteuds to the slightest info
f nation about the political SITUATION wi
, doubt that, if Mr.. Blaine hau chosen
make contest for the nomination, he coul
not have failed to secure it. But it WASH
necessary for him to do that. II WASH
: even for him 0 say that he was a eandidat
, All he had to do was simply to keep st
, and say nothin :, and the nomination W;
inevitably his. With his success thus ce
tain, what possible object could he have ha
in writing letter of withdrawal if he d
not mean itP All the circumstances of Il
} case repel and Tefute this nputnt on Of b
e enemies upon bis sincerity, and they are
con- emptible and false in this aspersion
they have been in all their assaults uLI
him. They are so mean th mselves th
they can not comprehend the spirit OF a ms
who would thrust aside nomination with
; his craps, or the elevation of character al
y patri III IN which, ia carrying out his pc
sonal preference, would also show SUI
earnest devotion to the welfare of the part
;. Mr. Blaine has not only acted on his ov
? personal wish, but he has wanted to free Il
:, party from any implied obligation to hi
The hostile critics WHO discredit the act do
= st mp HIM hut they brand themselves, al
= every fair-minded man will know how
:, .ise them.