The Portland daily press., 1888-01-07
MR.. BLAiNE's CANDIDACY.
His Friends to be Guided by the
Party's General Sentiment.
The Views of Charles Emory Smith
of Philadelphia.
He Would Leave the Question to the
Doubtful States.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 5.-The Evening
Call prints the following: The following in
terview concerning the outlook of the Re-
publican party, between Charles Emory
Smith, the editor of the Press, and the pro-
prietor of this paper will prove of more than
ordinary interest to our readers, and will be
eagerly read by thousands of Republicans
everywhere throughout the country.
''What is the attitude Of Mr.. Blaine's
friends concerning his candidacy" was the
first question asked.
Their attitude" replied Mr.. Smith, sis
one of waiting and watching. They are not
making canvass and are not pushing Mr..
Blaine. They don't want Mr.. Blaine nomi-
mated unless it is clear he is the strongest
possible candidate, and unless it is equally
clear that the general sentiment of the party
demands his nomination. There is no call
for a struggle now The situation is very
different from what it was in 1884. Then
there was Republican President with full
control of the power and patronage of the
government which carried Imost of the
Southern delegates and some Northern dele
gates without regard to the sentiment of the
pdlbys OHuCl SuCl d COutcol
was necessary. Now all these influences are
gone. No candidate can be forced, and the
nomination will be the absolutely free choice
of the party Mr. Elaine will be nominated
with practical unanimity, or he will not be
nominated at ALL"
''Do you think the conditions are favorable
to Mr.. Bfaine's candidacy"
"For my part am willing to leave that
question to the Republicans of the States
where the battle is to be fought. 1t takes
201 electoral votes to elect. The Republi-
more to succeed. The doubtful States are
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Indi-
ana. and the Pacific Coast States-California
Oregon and Nevada. So far as Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Massachusetts and other States are
concerned, it makes no difference who is the
Republican candidate. But it is vital ques-
tion in the doubtful States. If the Republi-
cans of these doubtful States say that Blaine
is the strongest candidate for them, / take it
that everybody win recognize the wisdom of
his nomination"
"Well, how do the States regard Blaine?"
''As the matter stands today more than
three-fonrths of their delegates will be for
Blane.'
When questioned as to the effect of the OPP
position of certain Republican newspapers
to Mr.. Blaine's nomination, Mr.. Smith
thought it would not be strong enough to de-
feat him.
"How strong an objection to Mr.. Blaine's
candidacy is his former defeat?"
sour political history shows that it is an
objection without force. Andrew jackson
first ran for the Presidency in 1924 against
John Quincy Adams and was beaten; BE
elected. Van Buren and Harrison were the
opposing candidates in 1886, and Van Buren
was elected. Four years later, in 1S4o, the
same candidates ran against each other and
is said of Henry Clay's defeat. Clay was
never fairly candidate before the people
but once, in 1874, and then he was defeated
by nearly 5000 votes in New York, and only
because of letter written by himself on the
he had no personal objection to the annex
alton and which declaration alienated the
Abolitionists, who went to BirRey. Had
Clay been nominated in 184o he would have
been elected as decisively as Harrison was.
have been elected as Taylor was, and even
more decisively, for the Wings were very
much dissatisfied with Taylor's equivocal at
titude, and he was only saved by the Demo-
cratic division in New York. Here you have
ing defeated, and Clay only defeated be-
cause he ran at the wrong time and because
of his own utterances These facts show
that it is the surrounding conditions as much
as the mans. personality which determine
do you thinklNew York State can be won
by the Republicans?"
81 do, with the right kind of fight. If
the Republicans will make battle for pro-
lection in New York city, and begin it now,
do not believe there can be any doubt of
the result. We are accustomed to think of
Philadelphia as the largest manufacturing
city in the country, and so it is in great spec
ial industries. But in the amount of capital
dustries, New York I is the largest manufac-
turing city,"
"There are those who have apprehensions
Mr.. Blaine's foreign policy if he
were President. Is there any ground for fear
en- this scorer"
mot at all. On the contrary, his foreign
policy would be source of strength with all
business elements, for it is conceived in their
interests. What his foreign policy is Mr..
Blaine made clear when he was Secretary of
State. It aimed at two objects. The first
throughout this continent. The second was
to cultivate close commercial relations and
expand our trade with all the countries of
North and South America. The first was
to promote it Mr.. Blaine proposed the Peace
Congress. This proposal was received with
great favor by the other governments of this
continent and accepted by all but two; and
had Mr.. Blaine continued as Secretary it
would have been carried through success
a population of 50O00,000. We import from
them hundred million dollars worth year
more than we export to them. What Mr..
Blaine aimed at was that they should do their
buying here instead of In Europe. Is there
ANYTHING IN that for business interests to be
But what about differences with Great
Britan?"
'sThe only issue Mr. Blaine raised with
Great Britain was in objecting to the politi-
cal control of the Panama Canal by Europe
an powers, and in asserting the paramount
the United States had a supreme interest in
watching over the highway between the At
lantic and Pacific coasts, and could not per
nit its superior rights to be superseded by
any foreign power. Will any American
challenge that position? As to the pending
Blaine were President or Secretary of State.
he would save our country from being
tricked into any false and one-sided treaty
as 1T was in 1854, and again in 1871, which
gave up our markets to Canada, and got
nothing in return, and that he would protect
the interests of our citizens, but he would do
it by an intelligent and firm assertion OF
their rights, and it would involve no conflict.
In short, Mr.. Blaine's foreign policy is sim
ply one of American manhood and American
and business growth under statesmanlike di-
rection instead of continued agitation and
disturbance"
"Then you think Mr.. Blaine will be nomi-
nated?"
Il think he will be If he concludes to yield !
to the prevailing voice OF the party. It Will
any band of supporters, but by the general
judgmenG of Republicans that, surveying
the whole field, it is the strongest thing the