Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-09
Black on Blaine.

splendid talents exceeds ours. He is re-
markable man. Though not lawyer by
profession, be discusses with profound
ability great questions of constitutional
and international law. The greatest OF
European statesmen recognize him as
loeman worthy of their steel.
Again and again has Mr.. BLAINE been our
preference for the Republican nomination
for President OF the United States. We
knew, or thought we knew, that the mo-
ment be entered the White House he would
be ashamed TO degrade himself by keeping
mp war upon the South discreditabie to
any man claiming TO be statesman. we
sympathized with him in the grand battle
royal Of ten years ago between him and
Mr.. CosKLINt. and admired beyond measure
his war upon the GRANTEES. We saw with
infinite pleasure the 200" advocates of a
third term for General GRANT 60 down before
the band OF patriots whom he or his friends
led in the Chicago convention wherein
were buried the hopes of the GRANTEES, the
Conklingites. aud the whole gang of con-
spirators against the peace and dignity OF
the United States. There was but one
man in the United States who could have
defeated General GRANT Of the nomination
for O third term. That one man was
BLAINE. He did the work well. The
country owes him for this service debt OF
gratitude which il will never be able Cor
willing. we might add to pay. And this
reminds us that the southern people also
owe him deb. of gratitude for the assist
ance which as Speaker of the House of
Representatives he gave to MIR. RANDALL
when the latter made his grand fight
against the first force bill.
Mr.. CHAUNcEY +. BLACK, of Pennsylvania,
son Of that great lawyer. JEREMIAH BLACK,
of savory memory. has five-column arti-
Gle in the New York World of the 9Th upon
too Chat is. BLAcK), is an admirer of Mr..
BLAINE. We have said again and again
that Mr.. BLAINE could have the next Re-
publican nomination for President of the
United States if he would only promise to
accept il. We have also said that If Dir.
BLAINE refused TO allow his name to be
used as that Of candidate MIR. HARRISON
would be able to secure the nomination
for himself. Mr.. BLAINE being, in our opin-
ion, the only man who could overcome the
gang Of office-holders and place-hunters
whom the President Of the United States
always has at his command and
all of whom would rather take
their chances With the incumbent
than with any other candidate. But Mr..
BLACK in this latter matter does not agree
with us. He holds that Mr.. BLAINE is
master OF the situation whether he runs
or declines to run in the Republican
National Convention. In word, he says
that Mr.. BLAINE can either have the nomi-
nation for himself or for anybody whom
he may indicate TO his followers as the man
upon whom he would have them confer the
high honor OF being beaten next year by
the nominee of the Democratic National
Convention. For we take it for granted
that il MIR. BLAINE defeats HARRISON and
his gang they will not rally to the support
of his nominee or exert themselves much
in advocating his claims and forwarding
his cause even If he (Mr. BLAISE) should
be the nominee himself. The BLAINE men
will defeat HARRISON and the HARRISON men
will defeat BLAINE-that is. at the ballot
box.
Mr.. BLACK suggests that possibly Mr..
BLAINE's success is in some degree due TO
the fact that he is one-eyed man in the
land of the blind, or. as Mr.. BLACK phrases
il. to the dead-level of mediocrity with
which he has been surrounded in the
leadership Of the Republican party. We
do not concur in this suggestion. Judge
THURMAN always found q match in Judge
EpMUSDs or Mr.. CARPENTER. and Mr..
BLAINE himself one in Mr.. CoNKLINo.
There were great men before AGAMEM.
NOM" yet AGAMEMNoN was one. So there
were great men before BLAINE, yet he is
one. Indeed we do not believe that Con-
gress was ever an ADLER body than il has
sometimes been when the Republicans
had control Of il. Great let me call him
since he conquered mo-" 1t IL no credit
to the Democratic leaders of our day to
say that the Republican leaders of our day
are mediocre men.
Mr. BLACK says that Mr.. HARRISON dare
not accept Mr.. BLANE's resie nation as
Secretarv Of State. knowing as he does
that he HARRIsoN) can be elected as Presi-
dent, if at all, only as Mr.. BLAISE's candi-
date. He also says that the next Republi-
can Administration would be more depend
ent upon Mr.. BLAINE than the present
one. II any Republican is opposed to
BLAINE he wonld better keep that tact to
himself. The Republican party, says Mr..
BLACK, 10 already beaten upon the tariff
question and all other party questions
upon which the people have voted The
party, in word, has nothing Of strength
left except its name and Mr.. BLAINE. Its
name is worthless and will not do to "con-
jure WITH" unless Mr. BLAINE be put up as
the representative OF that name.