Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-09-24
BLAINE, THE WONDER.
Fitness the Owner OF tho Republic
PartY for thu Presidency.

Fitness "a the Owner OF tho Republican
Party for the Presidency.
Col w. w. Dudley is out in an inter
view advocating Mr.. Blaine for the re-
publican nomination for the presidency.
In response to a question whether the
exposure of Blaine's meandering bust
ness transactions made in 1854 would
be repeated in 1892, the colonel is re-
ported to have made the following
startling statement:
Oh, no! All that was brought up against
Blaine then has been condoned. He has given
the country an idea as secretary Of state OF his
diplomacy. ability, patriotism and statesman
ship He is much the largest American, intel
lectually. to-day. He would make splendid
president. He would look we'll after the inter
ests Of the whole country. II it seemed to him
that protection stood between the country and
his best interests, be would not hesitate to At
tack it.
We have no doubt that the gentleman
from Maine would attack protection or
anything else that s'stood between the
country and his best interests" His
position on the tariff question or any
other question is like Maj. McKinley's
views on silver-subject to sympathetic
influences Col. Dudley can safely
challenge the wide, wide world to cite
an instance where Mr.. Blaine ever did
| anything that he did not believe was
for ''hiS best interests" But where did
the great boodler get the idea that Mir.
Blaine's irregularities had been con-
doned? Possibly he Inexperienced
! the meaning of the word and thinks an
offense is condoned if the offender is
not sent to Jail. Or maybe he and
Judge Woods have agreed that Blaine
is a much abused man. Or possibly he
has concluded that as neither he nor
Blaine can get justice in Indiana they
ought to make a sort of reciprocity
| treaty of condonement and forgive each
| other.
That Mr.. Blaine is . brilliant man
no one will deny, but that he is a
sound man, reliable man, or a trust
worthy man, may be questioned. Bill
| Nye characterized him as "a statesman
| like man with tendency toward
grand larceny It may be noted that
in the midst of his arduous public
duties Mr.. Blaine has succeeded in &C
cumuIating a large fortune, notwith-
standing his wel-known extravaganza
in living. This of itself might be over
| looked, but when taken in connection
with the fact that he has always been
hand-in glove with the capitalists who
have been enriched by the republican
legislation of the country it becomes
quite suspicious. It is especially note
worthy at the present time. Mr..
Blaine's scheme of reciprocity with
South America is, as we have repeated
ly shown, a project to give the manu-
facturers of the country all the advan-
tages of free trade. but leave the farm
| ers under all the disadvantages of pro-
lection. If our manufacturers are given
free raw material from South America,
a specially favored market there, and
| an artificially exclusive market at
home. they can ask no more. But our
| agricultural interests cannot las esti-
mated by ex-Minister Foster, who is an
ardent champion of reciprocity in
crease their South American exports
more than eighteen million dollars
annually, even if we secure reciprocity
| with all the Spanish-American coun
| tries. AS this amount is only about
three per cent. of our average annual
agricultural exports it cannot be OF
any great benefit to the farmer.
Doubtless eastern manufacturers car
trust Mr.. Blaine, but, when he ad
vances reciprocity as measure for the
special relief of our agricultural inter
ests, the farmers of the west may well
inquire into his trustworthiness as 6
| guardian of their interests. We inn
agine his record would receive some at
tention. Sentinel