San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-12-27
ghe Daily Eight.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER %, 1889.
BLAINE'S POSITION.

A special telegram to the Galvesto ton
News gives the following as explana.
tory of the position which Mr.. Blaine
takes in regard to the patronage OF his
Office. The matter formed the SUBJ
ject of conversation in a group of
which Steve b. EIkins form one.
According to this correspondent: Mr..
Stephen B. Elkins was In the group.
He said he thought he appreciated
the situation. He advanced his ex-
PLANTATION as theory rather than as a
statement of facts known to him. His
belief was that at the beginning of
this administration Mr.. Blaine had
gone to the president and that the re-
suit of a very frank conversation had
been the establishment of perfect
understanding which still existed and
which accounted for the unbroken ac-
cord between the president and the
secretary. Mr.. Blaine, as Mr.. Elkins
supposed the case, said to the presi-
dent that he had been through one
| presidential campaign and through
| several campaigns for the PRESIDENT al
nomination. In these campaigns
he had incurred obligations and
had made promises. Now that he
was at the head of the state depart
ment he would be called upon to re-
deem those pledges and obligations.
He would feel that he might do some-
thing for those who had been 80
staunchly his friends, and yet he
recognized that these friends of his
in former campaigns had no stronger
claims upon the Harrison administra-
ton than many other and perhaps not
so strong claims. Therefore while as
secretary of state he would make no
recommendations which he did not
honestly believe for the good, and
which were not in good faith, yet he
wanted the president to feel that
whenever it seemed best to set aside
his recommendation there should be
no hesitation about it. Mr.. Blaine
said so far from such action being in
terpreted as snu b or affront he would
consider it entirely proper under the
circumstances, and would expect it, |
His position in the cabinet was differ |
ent from that of other secretaries.
He had been many years in public |
life and had been placed under obli- |
cations to political friends. Those
obligations bore no relation to the |
Harrison administration, and yet he |
could not ignore them. He argued |
that his political circumstances to a
degree disqualified him from dealing
out the patronage Of his department..
The president ought to be governed
less by him in the matter of appoint
ments than by any of the other secra-
taries. Mr.. Blaine meant all this.
The president took him at his word.
Recommendation after recOmmen-
4 d. lns, Ia
serenity was undisturbed. AS he
concluded his explanation, Mr.. FL
kins was careful to say again That
this was theory of the situation.
He did not want his hearers to give
the impression that MIR. Blaine had
used such language to the president,
out with confident smile he asked
them if they did not think that such
an understanding as he had supposed
existed between the president and
Mr.. Blaine would fully account for
the continuance of the pleasant rela-
tions between them, for the freedom
the president had shown in dealing
with Mr.. Blaine's proposed ministers
and consuls, and for the secretary's
matter of course acquiescence. If Mr..
Elkins' theory be we'll founded, and
there seems to be no reason to suppose
it is not, Mr.. Blaine has certainly
been consistent. He even refused to
make an exception in the case of Mr..
Sherman, now consul-general to Liv-
erpool.
Mr.. Sherman was for many years |
Mr.. Blaine's private secretary. He |
deserved his Liverpool appointments,
and Mr.. Blaine recommended him,
but this recommendation was like |
the others. Mr. Blaine did not ask |
the president for Mr.. Sherman's APP |
pointment as a personal favor, nor |
did he insist on it. Mr.. Sherman
found that he was about to be set |
aside as others had been. He APP
pealed to Mr.. Elkins, Mr.. Kerns and |
others, who knew how close his re-
lations had been to Mr.. Blaine. He |
told them that unless they went to
the president for him he would not |
be appointed.
They laughed at him, and declared \
that Mr.. Blaine would certainly Sc
cure him in his desired position. He |
told them that they didn't under
stand the situation, and that he was
gone unless they interceded for him. |
Mr.. Kerns and others went to the |
president and made special plea for |
MIR. Sherman. They explained W hat
Mr.. Sherman had done to Mr.. Blaine,
and the desire of all Mr.. Blaine's |
friends that the young man should |
have the Liverpool appointment.
The president expressed some sur
prise on hearing the facts. He had
learned nothing of the merits of the
case from Mr.. Blaine. Mr.. Sher-
MANS commission was signed imme |