Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-08-12
Looks Bad for Mckinley


There is serious slarm in the Mckinley
camp in Ohio. 1t is about the report
which comes well verified concerning Mr..
Blsine's desire to see Mckinley defeated
and this is the reason: Mckinley en-
bodies the protection principle more fully
than any other American, and in Blaine
the reciprocity idea finds its strongest and
most intelligent advocate. Mr.. Blaine is
bitterly antagonistic to the protective idea
as it is in the Mckinley tariff law. All
this recalls the story of Blaine's action in
the senate committee room in June, 1890
Senator Blackburn tells the tale, and it
has never been contrsdicted. This is
what he says:
Secretary Blaine called at the appro-
priations committee room of the senate
June 10, 1890. to discuss with Messrs.
Allison, Hale, and Blackburn the expendi.
lures of his department for the following
fiscal year. The tariff bill had passed the
house few weeks previously and was
then un7er discussion in the senate. To
the surprise of his auditors Mr. Blaine
vigorously denounced the measure. de
characterized it as infamous and said that
if he had been q member of the house he
would have voted against it. The tariff
bill has nothing to do with the subject in
hand, but in casual way brosched il
after the usual greetings had been ex-
changed. l asked Mr. Blaine how he
liked it.
This bill is an infamy and an gu:
SlIH Mr. Rlainp Ire
shameful measure ever proposed to civ.
ilized people. Go on with it and il will
carry our party TO perdition.
81 said: i wish you were in the SEN
ate. Mr.. Blaine. to announce yourself 10
such terms
81 wish 1 were, he answered If so
l would stamp it under my feet and
spit upon it, and then. advancing toward
Senators Allison and Hale, he snapped
his fingers in the face of each alternately,
and with rising infection said:
"'Go on with your driveling idiocy
and see to what destruction it will lead
the republican party. Pass this bill and
in 1892 there will not be man in all the
party so beCgarGd as to accept your
nomination for the presidency
Then he began to dissect the bill, psr-
ticularly the sugar schedule. told him
that the senate had improved upon the
labors Of the house as regarded sugar |
said the senate had agreed to give the
sugar growers OF New England a bounty
of cents. This Was the first he had
heard OF II, and he seemed hardly able to
credit what told him"
1t isn't true. he said"
"Allison aud Hale confirmed me-"
81 suppose this was done AZ the sole
itation of Morrill, and Eimunds? he in
quired."
mir. Allison said it was true"
1T is sample OF the breadth of their
statesn anship.' said the secretary. and
then the climax came. Dir. Blaine's new
beaver was lying on the table IN easy
reach. With stab cTn blow he Orougn.
his clinched hand down on il with such
force as 20 smash it flatter than q pancake
and then seIzing the battered chspeau he
hurled IT against the wall. | never saw
such an ebullition Of passion. 1t only
emphasized the earnestness with which
the secretary argued against policy
which now seems prophetic.
There is no evidence that Mr.. Blaine
has shifted his position during the last
IA months. On the contrary the
elections of last November furnished the
strongest evidence of his political segsc-
ity. With this in view il is not reasone-
BILE to believe that either Mr.. Blaine OF
his friends will exert themselves to secure
the election of Mckinley.