The Helena independent., 1891-04-13
The President Shows His Bitter
jealousy OF the Secretary
OF State.
Compelling Blaine to Break His
Engagement With the Can
adian Delegation.
After Bitterly Opposing Reciprocity, Har
risOn Wants Credit for the Work
Already Accomplished.

WARRINGTON, April JZ.-Io friend who
once asked him why he had brought the
brilliant and dangerous Blaine into his
cabinet President Harrison ia reported to
have replied: because l can manage him
better in than out" Whether he used pre-
cisely these terms or not, the president has
constantly expressed the sentiment by his
actions. He has certainly tried his best to
manage" Blaine. Tt has proved a difficult
task, however, for the president to get the
same personal credit out of the good things
done by the state department that he has
gotten out of the good things done by the
other departments. on account Of Blaine s
personality and his peculiar methods, and
this difficulty has been enhanced by the
fact that in the greatest undertaking of the
stake depertment-the attempt to secure
freer trade by reciprocity agreements
the president made tho great
mistake of squarely opposing the secre-
tary of state. Blane's victory over Harri-
son on his direct appeal to the people last
summer, backed up though Harrison was
by Reed and Mckinley, has made it neces-
sary for the president to redouble his
efforts to impress the public with the be-
lief that he directs the operatione of the
state department. His organs have curl
ously illustrated this by claiming for him
even the credit of Blaine's reciprocity
political persistence and against Harrison's
stubborn resistance. II has been easier, of
course, to claim credit for Harrison in
other negotiations like that Oh the Bering
sea question, where, as is customary, Blaine
acted ostensibly in his name. And he has
been aided by the fact that the secretary of
state makes no individual report to con-
gress, being obliged to content himself with
furnishing the facts for the presidents
treatment in his annual message under the
head of foreign relations.
Candidate Harrison's Jealous care of Cam
didate Blaine, shown by frequently inter-
fering in former negotiations, appeared
boldly when Secretary Blaine was compelled
to tell the Canadian delegation that he
could not keep his promise to confer with
them at once, because the president had di-
rected him to postpone the conference un-
til Nc seturne1 from hG rowing art,and tLa
circle, SO that he could gaide the neQofia-
tions from day to day. In short, Blaine
had to admit that he had reckoned without
his host. Blaine's proud spirit was never
more reused than when the president gave
him this order; but he is not ready to re-
sign yet, and SO he hit his liz and said RS
little as possible in reply, although it il said
that reply was thinly yelled piece of bit
ter and scornful sarcasm. Blaine notified
the British minister to stop the Canadian
delegation by telegraph to avert the humil-
iation of having to announce to the public
that the president had broken his engage
ment for him, but the telegram missed
the Canadians and they came on and ac-
cepted Blaine's explanation with ill-con-
cealed surprise. They were even more sur
prised when they called at the white house
not to be received by the president, who
apparently included them in his condemna-
tion of the unauthorized arrangements
made by his secretary of state. They pri-
vately expressed the opinion that it was
extraordinary chat the president, in his
anxiety to make his secretary of state
representatives of another country 80 cava-
lierly. AS for Blaine, nothing, it is be-
lieved, prevents him from resigning but
the fact that he has not made sufficient
progress i'll his reciprocity work to justify
his predictions of its value and enable him
to appeal to the people again in more di-
rect way than ever.
The president has invited other men,
bers Of his cabinet to go with him to the
Pacific coast, but has not invited his
secretary of state. Harrison does not
want to see the contrast i'll the public |
greeting which he would have to endure |
if Blaine and he stood on the rear plat
form together throughout the south and
west. But there is good reason for saying
that Blaine would not accept if invited. He |
would not relish being led around the coun- |
try by Benjamin Harrison even if the crowd |
did cheer him.
1t becomes more apparent every day |
that Charles Foster has been appointed not |
only secretary of the treasury. but man
ager of the Harrison denomination boom. |
Harrison regards Foster as one of the clev-
crest politicians in the country, and looks
20 him to do everything which he cannot
himself do to promote his candidacy for |
Fosters genial way is
already making friends for Harri-
son that Harrison could not
make for himself. The president and his |
friends send the doubtful men who come to |
sown to Foster, and Foster attends to them.
He is already the presidents chief adviser
in all matters of patronage, and spends
more time at the Whit, house than any
,ther member of the cabinet. He has al
'eady made deal with Tom Platt under
which the latter is to be given absolute con-
rol of the New York offices. and in return
las promised to get Harrison the New York
delegation in 1892. The Harrison move-
nent has started, and it's engineers are go
ng to make things lively from this time on.
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