The daily critic., 1890-06-26
BLAINE s AMBITION.
HIS PET SCHEME has NO ATTRACTIONS
FOR REPUBLICANS.
But, Nevertheless, He DESIRES to LINK
His Name with Great and BeneH-
cent Policy-wn1 re Succeed?

The trouble with Mr.. Blaine IS that
he does not understand that freedom Of
trade Is fatal to protection. He has
been al his life in profession a pro
tectionist, but. as political professions
are apt to be in his eyes means and not
an end, he has failed TO perceive the
logical operation Of protection The
old. fashioned statesman who regarded
principles as the end and parties as the
means, and who adopted the latter 10
promote the former and did not choose
the former 10 suit the latter, would not
have fallen into this particular error.
Mr. Blaine's way has its advantages.
10 keeps the political leader In light
marching order and enables him to
change his route, and even his destina-
ton, with greater ease, as Mr.. Blaine
has shown
But, on the other hand, this view Of
the relation Of parties to principles i'm
poses serious limitations The man
who is guided by Il seldom attaias a
very high position or any very perma-
nent success, as has also been shown BY
Mr.. Blaine In his ripe age it has oC.
CURED TO the Secretary Of State that he
would like to link his name with
GREAT AND BENEFICENT POLICY:
that he would like to extend the area Of
his country's influence, 10 give 20 its
expansion and prosperity q field rs wide
as the continents Of the Western Hemis
phere in which they could develop for
generations after he was laid in an hon
ored grave.
But Just at this point he discovers that
TO do this he must undo all that he has
spent his life In accomplishing. The
effect Of the discovery upon his mind is
interesting; in some respects It Is
amusing, in others not without touch
of pathos. The helplessness Of the poll
ticians intellect in dealing with pro-
blems of craftsmanship presents an
aspect of the ridiculous, but, on the
other hand, the spectacle Of a man in
high place aspiring to accomplish a
great work on broad scale, and utterly
tangled in the meshes of his previous
petty and false methods, Is melancholy.
That Is Mr.. Blaine's case today. He
comes before the members Of his party
10 Congress and proposes inter. Amer
can reciprocity. He has done his best
10 prepare for II by securing in advance
THE FORMAL CO. OPERATION
Of such Of the other republics on this
continent as he could persuade 20 agree
with him. lie has made. In all, three
suggestions to the legislative branch OF
the Government The first was 10 put
a tax on hides; the second was 10 retain
the tax on raw sugar; the third was to
nut into the hands of the Executive the
| right TO repeal the tariff duties NJ dis
| cretion, whenever what were deemed
/ sufficient concessions could be obtained
| from other American governments. lie
| has failed entirely In the first. He Is
| not likely 10 succeed In the second.
| The third, so far as present indications
| 60, will not be seriously considered.
| or the real causes for these failures he
! does not seem 10 have the faintest con,
/ Ception.
| Mr.. Blaine's arguments In behalf OF
| his pet policy, and of the methods by
| which he seeks TO carry Il out are char
uotuiisiic ana not particularly credit
! able, He approaches the subject from
what may be called the Chatham street
| point Of view. He says 10 Congress
IF we hope TO drive good trade with
the South Americans, We must mark
up our goods. We are literally giving
| away this choice lot Of bargains In
hides; you are Offering 10 do the same
as 10 sugar. There Is really nothing
| desirable left on the shelves but wools
You ought to put a good figure on all
these, and then leave me, as chief sales
man, 10 see what / can do with these
| South American customers And he
cannot comprehend why his friends and
| partners In Congress do not see the
BEATTY OF THIS PLAN.
If he will read the Tribune Of yes
terday he will perhaps get some light
/ on the subject The real reason foI
/ the hopeless difference of opinion be-
tween the Republicans In Congress and
Mr.. Blaine Is that they continue to be
/ protectionisis, while be is compelled, in
| his new role, er q teFmiHi, TO become a
free-trader. They will not give him
terms on which TO trade with the South
/ American republics, because they don't
want 10 trade on any terms. They will
| not let him dickeT about free wool from
/ South America, because they dom
/ wish free wool from anywhere; nor fOI
/ free sugar from Brazil, because theiI
bargain with their Sugar Trust calls for
free sugar generally.
AS for hides, they would have
| yielded on that, because hides are not
taxed now, but they could not stand the
storm that was raised by the PROPOSE.
lion The fact is that bIr Blaine
| Pan American Conference and the
fanciful scheme Of which il was a part
| never had any attractions for the Re
publican leaders except as a device for
| promoting subsidies Ii may be thai
after awhile this fact will penetrate tC
| lr. Blaine's consciousness. When i
does he will have TO give up the one
really worthy policy he ever originated
and accept the penalty Of his lifelong
subseTyience TO petty and iguoble pur
poses.
It beats an other beers Robert Portuer
I Vienna Cabinet Beer
Burglar Alarms, Speaking Tubes j n