The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-04
SMOKING OUT BLAINE.
The Friends Of Harrison Want the
Maine Man to Decline
Ahead.
Steve Elkins and Whitelaw Reid
Now Against the Plumed
Knight
They Are Influenced by Financial COnsid-
erations in Regard to tho Boring
Sea Negotiations.

Inc merry war between the Harrisonites
and the Blaineites still continues and be.
comes more interesting daily. The ques-
tions are now run down to the point where
an understanding will be demanded at an
early day Of the relations of the president
and the secretary of state to each other re-
garding the presidential ambition of 1892,
The Harrison people are trying to force
Blaine to write another Florence letter, de-
carng that he is not in the race for the
presidency that all his presidential ambi-
tions have vanished and that he ls warmly
OF the present president.
1t is now known that three weeks ago
four gentlemen, formerly very close and
earnest friends of Blaine but now friends
of Harrison, called OH the secretary of
state and urged him to decline being can
didate in 1892, giving as their reasons that
they believe that the mugwump element
in the republican party was so
bitter against Blaine that he
could not be elected and, secondly, that
his position as prime minister of the Harri-
son administration would in honor compel
him to support his chiefs denomination if
his chief desired. Bline gave no satisfac-
tlon to these patriots. He was very inter
esting during the conversation. He told
them several clever anecdotes, recited
numerous good stories of his foreign travels
and of his old campaigns but he gave them
no satisfaction on the main issue of their
visit.
Since then the Harrison people have
been resorting to every kind of scheme to
smoke out' Blaine, as they call it. Steve
Elkins, who from 1876 to 1888 was the on
fidential spokesman for Blaine, stated in
an interview a few days ago that Blaine
would not be candidate under any circum-
stances. Blaine's friends here as forcibly
asserted that Elkins had no right to speak
for Blaine; that he was no longer in sit
uation to know Blaine's mind or pre-
dict his feelings or ambition
Finally Blaine's friends (Blaine himself
will not TALK declare that the Harrisons
are working day and night by questionable
means toextort from the secretary of state
promise not to be q candidate for presi-
dent next year.
Leaving all controversy relative to Harri-
son and blaine out of the question it surely
must be humiliating to Harrison and his
friends and admirers that it seems to be
necessary for them to adopt such means to
choke OFT Blaine. 1t looks like virtual
confession on their part that if Blaine
wanted the republican nomination for pres
ident he could have it, no matter how hard
Harrison might struggle to obtain it. The
friends of Blaine are paving their compli-
ments in great shape to Stephen Elkins and
Whitelaw Reid. 1t seems that Reids pa
per. the New York Tribune, which is recop-
nlzed AS the organ in chief of the admins
tratlon, has been quietly yielding to the
Harrison influence to smoke Blaine out of
the race.
nj
erRetic and ready for any emergency, are
prepared to explain tho attitude of Elkins
and Reid at a moments notice. They claim
that the seal fisheries in Behring'S sea are re-
sponsible for it all. 1t will be remembered
that Blaine in the course of his correspond
ence regarding the Behring'S sea with Lord
Sailsbury, received proposition from the
British premier to suspend entirely the kill
ing OF seal in Behring'S sea for year. This
would give the governments of Great Brit
ain and the United States chance to 90
over the whole question and perhaps reach
a satisfactory agreement. Blaine was in
cllned to agree to this but suddenly he
found that the president was against him
and would not consent. An explanation of
the presldent's conduct is now made. IL is
very simple and suggestive. Stephen b.
Elkins and d. q. Mills are members of the
to which the Harrison admins
tration. when Window was secretary of the
.ASopuAo - SiaAeoNl VIC VI 6eAl-klll-
ing. u. O. Mills is the father-in-
law of Whitelaw Reid, and it is
understood owns the Tribune stock which
Reid controls. These patriots do not want
to surrender the profits of this or any
other season, even if the Canadians are
also driven from the grounds. They want
money. They are patriots for revenue and
when Blaine for once in his life differed
with them, and Harrison was influenced
by them they Immediately transferred
their support from the prime minister to
the president.
This is the manner in which Blaine's
friends explain the changed attitude of
Stephen B. Elkins and ID. o. Mills SON in
law organ. They declare that it is simply
n combined effort to smoke Blaine out.
They also declare that Blaine will not be
smoked out