The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-31
BIAINE'S GINGO.

BLAINE's GINGO.
Among the scandulous pages Of the
Republican party 5 record IL the story
OF Blaine's attempt to bully Chill after
that country had defeated her neigh
Dor Peru. And, how he failed to do IT
with three Of Boss Chandler old navy
hulks would have been farce, but for
the humiliation that it entailed when
our officers were snubbed by a little
South American State that had modern
ships.
The odor OF a guano speculation has
fingered around Mr.. Blaine, and his un-
fortunate middle initial was used to
represent it when he was candidate
for the Presidency. 1t was said that
this great statesman. who belongs to
the cla OF men made rich without a
method that could be honorably ex-
planned, was interested in certain guano
islands belonging 20 Peru, and hence the
bold policy of the State Department
that might have induced worse fiasco
il the death Of President Garfield had
not made break in the guano diplo-
macy of that time. We certainly do
not mean to as cert that Mr. Blaine de-
sired to acquire a valuable guano island
for Mr.. Blaine by exploiting the honor
OF his country as a speculative medium,
and instItuting a business identity be-
tween the State Department and his
own private exchoquer. But certain 1t
is that the story was told daily, and IL
Illustrated with cartoons weekly, until
the tattooed man became the emblem
OF his party S disaster.
1t has been limited that Mr.. 5 acretary
OF State Blane's present enthusiasm
on the subject of the country's honor
in asserting our rights in the Behring
sea may possibly find some explanation
in an interest in seal catching in those
waters, and as precedent is always the
first argument of diplomacy one can
not but recur to the precedent of the
Peruvian CHILEAN episode and fear that
another false position might be taken,
to the end that Mr.. Blaine might pose
as mighty tail-twister of the British
lion.
From the best authorities it appears
that Behring sea is about a thousand
miles in extent one way, not enclosed
by any islands belonging to this coun-
try, aud that on the north it may be
limited by the pole itself as far as any
body knows. All this will be ascer-
tanned to a certainty before the war
ships of the United States and Great
Britain confront each other in the
noble cause of seal catchers.
1t 10 utterly out of the case that any
war can result from such a difficulty,
because, like the Samoan affair, it will
be settled by. conference that will
consider a simple matter Of fact, viz !.
Whether or not Behring sea is an open
sea or closed one, and taere diplomacy
will be forced TO that standard which,
in the vernacular, il termed "har d
PAN"
IL Mr.. Blaine thinks to catch the
Irish vote by any brilliant and corrus-
eating pyrotechnics it is quite probable
that he can make up story that would
display the lions tail tied in a double
bow knot, and writing in the grip of
the State Department.
But like the Peruvian, story it will
be all the worse when the truth comes
out, and the seal is added to the varie-
gated blazonry that makes Blaine's
career such panoramic view of fraud
and humbug as portrayed by Packs
caricatures over period Of many
changing years.
Mr.. Blaine is not as young man as
he was in the high colored days of
Radical rule. and his jiugo is apt to
have the vanity OF the failing old man
in it. At the inauguration Of Mr.. Har-
TIson he looked like flabby and
paid corpse, with eyes as lustreless as
two key-holes in a deserted house,
and since that time his attempt
to boss the administration is registered
~ most luminous failure with some
perquisitcs only, such as Walker Blaine
In position in his own Office.
All the same, Mr.. Blaine has his eyes
on the nomination for 1892, at the mo-