The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-05-02
CHE 9ntflliaftlfer.
once Nos. IS and ~ FouTteepth Street.
Mr.. BLAINE AND WEST VIRGINIA.

/
MIR. BLAINE AND WEST VIRGINIA.
Was His Letter Meant to BIO Road Between
tho LInes-A Correspondents View.
10 Tx Editor Of ne IHteiiig0,oT:
srR:-In the Pittsburgh Commercial
Ga.ette of the SOth of April appeared {
dispatch from Parkersburg in which oc
ours the following paragraph:
"The Blaine admirers, who have fought io
him In every campaign since 1876, were stunned
for the moment by his letter, and his mos
ardent followers Ellked, but th0y soon caught
| their second wind when they read between thu
lines Of his letter and thought they SaW no POSI-
tive withdrawal By tho Maine statesman. They
buckled TO at once, and have been doing Trojan
work for their fayorite ever Since"
The intimation contained in tho above
paragraph is unmistakable, and is OF
such character as to certainly call for
regret and reprobation on the part Of
every judicious friend OF Mr.. Blaine.
It presents Mr.. Blaine in the role OF q
trickster and juggler; in the character Of
double dealer; in the light OF man
who wrote with intent to deceive the
plain people who interpreted his letter
to mean one thing while it conveyed a
hidden cryptogram or cipher meaning
between the lines to the initiated.
II this intimation could by any posi-
bility be accepted as correct 1t would
simply stamp the letter rs fraud and as
q piece OF cunningly devised deception,
got up to achieve his object by indirec-
ton and insincerity, and therefore un-
worthy Of the respect OF the American
people.
Let us see Just what Mr.. Blaine said in
his letter to Chairman Jones, OF the 25th
Of January last. He set out by declar-
ing us follows:
~ wish through you to state to tho members
Of the Republican party that my name irtl not b
pr,sertoi TO the National Convention called to
assemble in Chicago in June next"
Now it is not necessary to say how, by
one ingenuity and another, such Ian
guage us this might be interpreted. The
question is, how was it intended to be
construed by tho author? This is the
essential point. To say that Mr.. Blaine
intended to reserve all his chances for
the nomination by employing language
that admits OF more than one meaning is
simply to confirm the most uncom-
plimentary and insulting comments
made upon his letter by sneering pc.
litical foes at the time OF its publication.
There were n number of these, in and
out Of Congress, who predicted at that
time that this letter would be found to
be, when tho convention assembled,
simply u Blaine trick, and that It's real
object was meanwhile only to allay
antagonism and excite sympathy and
spontaneity, and thus promote the very
end which he affected to not desire and
TO resolutely decline in his letter-viz-
denomination.
Now comes this Parkersburg dispatch,
purpOrting to speak not locally but gen.
orally, and says that after all it is true
that this letter OF Mr.. Blaine's was in
tended to BIO read just as his enemies
have charged, between the lines" and
that West Virginia Republicans having
so deCipheredit, will send "asolid Repub-
lican delegation from West Virginia" TO
Chicago for Mr.. Blaine.
Did the author OF this dispatch stop to
ask himself as to the consequences OF
thus confirming the worst things that
have been said about Mr.. Blaine's letter
by his enemies? AS u supposed friend
OF Mr.. Blaine he certainly ought not to
lose sight OF so important a point. To
show to this gentleman, whoever he
may be, Just how Mr.. Blaine would
stand affected before the country by
such an Interpretation rs he puts on his
letter we beg to submit to him tho fol-
lowing remarks Of tho Philadelphia
American OF April %;
'Lctus look at this subject moment with en-.
tire GOODNESS and perfect candor. Is there really
any question as TO Mr.. BAInes pOslllOn7 For
ourselves We declare there Is not Ills letter was
such az he could not write and still remain In
the field. To assume that he Oonld Is 10 charge
him with double'dealing and dishonesty. lie
need not have written II at all, II he desired, or
even seemed willing, TO be again candidate
There Is no other conclusion possible, consistent
with Il decent estimate OF him, than that he
wrote II for the reason aud To the purpose OK.
pressed upon It's face. And so 1t has been taken.
With scarcely. m exception, the leaders and
leading men Of the Republican party have said
At one time or another, that the letter Onded Mr.
Blnine's candidacy. We may cite, as an example
OF such expressions, that Of Mr.. ClarkSon, OF
Iowa, on Wednesday OF the present week. Mr.,
ClarksOn Is one OF the hAlfscorc OF close friends
Of Mr. Blaine who managed the contest for him,
in 1851, both at Chicago and later. Yet he now
Sys that he Is out Of the mCc by his own motion,
that for him TO change from the position as
sumod IN the letter would be fatal TO his rcputa.
ton, mud would not secure his election, and that
Iowa, always his stauuch supporter. has left him
for MI. Allison, with no reservation Of support
IL is this certainty, shown by Mr.. Garrison,
that Il Is not now possible for Mr.. Blaine TO re.
verse himself and yet command the respect and
support OF the American people, which cOnstl.
tuies the final and conclusive factor In the case
Even II Mr. Blainp's l0tt0r was insincere-whlch
we deny-ltwas ilnal."
We commend this intelligent Repub-
can view Of the situation brought about,
as respects the coming Chicago conven-
ton, by Mr.. Blaine's letter, to the au-
thor OF the Parkersburg dispatch. 1t
becomes him, as il becomes all the
friends OF Mr.. Blaine, to look the situa,
ton squarely in the face. For, us the
paper we have quoted further observes,
1.-THE situation Is not one Of Imagination, but
OF simple facts. Mr.. Blalne's candidacy is now
morally impossible. The effect Of his own act
has been that w'hlrh he presented rs It's pur.
pose aud any one who thinks that the American
people fail 10 sec this, or that they would lower
themselves AMI their country In u movement
which could put truth md honor TO shame in
suits uS vol as miSundcnlands them. They
would not elect Mr., blaine now"
Now, Mr.. Editor, in conclusion, I VEN
ture TO add to what is above said the fol-
lowing remark: Mr.. Blaine will, il
necessary, protect his own reputation
from destruction by his superservicea-
BILE friends. He will never permit him
self to be placed by them in false posi-
ton at Chicago. He will add to his let
ter to Chairman Jones and his subse-
quent confrmatory interview with the
correspondent Of the New York World,
cablegram, il necessary, at the Inst mo-
ment, forbidding any such immolation
OF his standing before the world rs
would be involved by his acceptance Of
nomination ut the hands Of that con-
vention after what he has affirmed and
reailirmed in regard thereto. He will
prove to the Parkersburg man, and to
all whom it may concern, that lie did
not write letter to be read "between
the lines" REPUBLICAN.