Evening journal., 1891-05-22
A RUMOR ABOUT BLAINE.
It Is Alleged That He Has
Broken Down.
Ill PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY.

The New York Herald Claims That the
Secretary OF state Has Become Woe
fully Impaired in vigor-Mr. Biaine's
Recent vigorous Talk to Baron Fava.
NEw YoRK. May % = The Herald's
Washington special says: The facts
about Mr. Blaine's physical condition
have not been told On the contrary, they
have been persistently concealed. The
plain truth is that Mr. Blaine is a con
frmed invalid, and his intimate friends
fear a collapse Of his faculties that will at
once shock and distress the public. | am
aware that this statement will be immedi
ately rejected by Mr.. Blaine's party or
gsns, but It is nevertheless true In every
respect, and only the suppression Of it At
this time would be just cause Of censure
The President Aware OF II.
The Herald adds that ''the president is
fully aware that in all human probability
Mr. Blaine will not be found much longer
at his place in the administration. II is
but simple justice TO say that the presi-
dent acts upon this knowledge as becomes
his position He Is full OF personal sym
pathy for the invalid statesman. and OF
soicitude that his remnant Of possible
public service should be marked by what
ever Is most gratifying to the invalid's
feelings and conducive TO his permanent
reputation.
would Deal with Them All
"Mr Blaine has been greatly over
worked in the diplomatic part Of his Off
cial duties. The pace would have told on
a younger and stronger man The admin
istration Of President Harrison will be
historically distinguished by the number
Of large and difficult foreign questions
with which il has had TO deal Mr.
Blaines feyerish ardor has not permitted
him to apportion the labors of his depart.
ment among his assistants in degree
common to the ministers Of foreign affairs
in Europe lie has attempted personally
to deal with them one and all.
His Alleged Deplorable State.
The Herald's correspondent says Secre-
tary Blaine has shown several times ol
late that he is unable to carry on a con
secutive train of reasoning in conference
with representatives of foreign power,
Mr. Blaine flashes and sparkles for fifteen
or twenty minutes, and then on sudden,
becomes silent, moody aud hypochondriac
He is i'll 40 ease and evidently seeks 70 be-
alone tie pleads indisposition, oyerwork,
a pressing engagement or an appointment
with the president
"His visitor rises TO leave, Mr.. Blaine
rises with him, accompanies him TO the
door and dismisses him with both grace
and courtesy, leaving however, convlc.
tion upon the mind of the parting guest
that the new and brief show of vitality
could not have been kept alive another
Two minutes When they next came To
gether the same experience * repeated,
with the added embarrassment that MI
Blaine's limit Of time and vitality is large
ly consumed in bringing his mind to bear
upon what had been previously discussed
DO His Friends Say So, Too9
The Herald says its story comes not
alone from gentlemen of the foreign lega-
tions, but from political and personal
friends The diagnosis is uniform and
universal that Mr. Blaine's intellect has
passed into the stage wherein it flashes
and then dies away till rekiudled after a
large interval Of repose, but it never more
burns with steadiness' Like a victim of
narcotics he exhibits nothing between
nervous impetuosity and complete mental
lassitude.
Alleged story Of an Old Friend.
The Herald quotes one OF Mr. Blaine's
old friends as saying Il called on Mr..
Blaine and his appearance shocked me
He looks like man who hasn't year TO
live and his mind seems all breaking up
He talks away Tor few minutes. seem
ingly interested, and chatting about old
times and friends and then he appeared OF
sudden 60 lose interest in all that he had
been gossipping so brightly about He
was SO manifestly desirous to be by him
self that ! bade him goodby, which scarcely
reused him, and made my way to another
part Of the house,
what Damrosch Says
At the house of Mr. Walter Damrosch
Secretary Blaine's son-in-law, il was said
yesterday that Mr. Blaine was steadily
improving and that he had been up and
about in his room pretty much all day
He had, said Mr. Damrosch, read the pa
pers, looked over his mail and eaten heart
ily AS soon as the swelling in his feet
subsidies he will return to Washington.
Blaine and Fava.
In the same issue The Herald gives ex
tracts from the Italian Green Book, which
prints ia full the conversation between
Fava and Blaine on the Italian lynehings.
In these conversations Mr.. Blaine shows
little signs of the alleged weakness. Mr.
Blaine spiritedly told Fava that he could
not change the constitution, and when
Fava showed the telegram recalling him
Mr. Blaine read it and then said eagerly
fAll right, and we will recall our repre-
sentative from Rome
Mr. Blaine promised 70 see the president
and give faya his answer the same day
but Mr. Blaine did not do So Fava calle,
the next day when Blaine complained tha
Faya was hurrying him in a manner en-
tirely contrary 20 diplomatic usage
Not Receiving Orders.
Il do not recognize the right of any gov
ernment," he continued. "to tell tn
United States what it should do. We hav
never received orders from any foreigl
power and we viii not begin now.
please inform Marquis di Rudini tina
the federal government cannot give ia
assurances which he requires and that
is a matter Of total indifference 70 m
what persons in Italy may think of our ii
stitutions. / cannot change them. still les
violate them.
He Could Do AS He Pleased.
"The fact is, Marquis di Rudini does nc
give us sufficient time. You assure m
that four Italian subjects have been ma
sacred, but I have my doubts on tha
point, as / am informed that they wei
mixed up ia some scandalous elector;
transactions Still I don't contest the
nationality, but while ask for time 70
want an official declaration on the spo
Well, will not do anything Of the kin
AND Won NAV do u vntr f,lao.a