The true northerner., 1890-12-17
BLAINE IN 1892.
Minneapolis Tribune. ]

Everything by way of indication grows
stronger, day by day, that Mr.. Blaine
will be the leader of the republican
phalanx in '92, if he but consents. All
other candidates. like Allison, Alger,
and other possibilities, are willing to
step down and out of the race. if by
doing so il will facilitate his nomina-
tion. No one can fail to see this in the
signs of the day. This talk of mug
wump sheets that he is too old and in
firm won't go down. The people know
better. He was born In $780, and his
masterly manner Of handling public
questions and men give the lie to the
last proposition. The fact is, and those
who speak or write TO the contrary have
no personal knowledge of what they
assert, he is looking younger to-day, and
is in better condition physically than he
has been before in the last ten years.
And he is more popular all over the
country than ever. largely be-
cause he has wiped out forever
the idea heretofore entertained
by good many republicans that he was
too much of the lingo" stamp of poll
tican to be a safe leader. All sorts Of
national disasters have been pictured as
To take place il he were ever promoted
to the executive chair of the nation.
Good republicans were afraid he would
get us into trouble with foreign coun-
tries, and set section against section
even in our own country. But the man
who would even intimate such dire con-
sequences to-day as the result o. the
elevation to the presidency of this fore
most of American statesmen, would be
pronounced a knaYe, fool, or fit subject
for the lunatic asylum by nine-tenths Of
the people of the United States regard
less of sex or political affiliations. In
fact, the principal objections to the can
didacy Of Mr.. Blaine heretofore made
by not few honest-mnded republicans,
and so publicly and unscrupulously bla-
zoned To the world by selfish, dishonest
politicians, no longer exist. He has
dispeled and disproyed them himself.
Maj. McKinley's friends concede that
his chances for receiving the next nom
ination are well nigh wiped out, whether
rightfully or not. OF course il is history
that many things said of the law for
which he stands responsible were false;
but, also, many things said of it were
true, and he can never outlive the dis
trust and bad feeling that have gone out
broadcast about him on account OF IL.
Even II before the real time comes to
name the next republican candidate it
shall have become patent that the So
called Mckinley tariff law is a good one
still the leaders and the real mass of
voters in the republican party will not
hazard the intents and success Of party
by nominating him. No, Mckinley, able
and popular as he is, good president as
he would unquestonably make, is not
considered in the race for the '92 nom
ination, except by few warm friends
and personal admirers and IL is doubt
full if he himself has the slightest idea
OF entering it.
Sherman, perhaps, might loom up
again, were il not for the fact that in
terest in the silver question calls up his
record in bringing about the passage of
that 1873 law, demonetizing silver, re-
ferred to elsewhere. That makes him
an impossibility. The great west and
northwest and the Pacific slope demand,
among other things, as one of the requi-
sites in the makeup of the next candi-
date, that he shall not be a man whose
whole financial life has been pitted
against what the silver men believe to be
their interest. This feature of his pub
lie life has never been brought out, as Ii
will be now IL his friends seriously con-
template putting him In the field.
Speaker Reed, also, might have strong
and perhaps irresistible backing to-day
were il not for the almost universal feel
ing that he must share with Mckinley
largely the disfavor and suspicion cast
upon him by the disastrous defeat OF