The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-08
BLAINE DECLINES TORUN
He WRITES THAT HE IS NOT A
CANDIDATE.
He Strengthens the Assertion By Say.

Before the ConVentiOn-Harri5on
Friends Think the Eetter Makes His
denomination Certainty.
WASHINGTON, Feb. THE following
letter explains itself:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 1904
Hon. j. S. Garrison, Chairman Of the Repub-
Iicdn Ndtionol Committee;
Ny DEAR SRI am not q candidate for the
presidency and my name will not go before the
republican national convention for the nomina-
ton. l make this announcement in
due season. To those who have rendered
me their support owe sincere thanks and am
most grateful for their confidence. They WILL
am sure, make an earnest effort in the ap-
preaching contest, which is rendered specially
important by reason Of the Industrial and finan-
cial policies of the government being at stake
The popular decision on these issues is of great
moment and viii be of far-reaching conse-
quence. Very sincerely yours.
JAMES G. BLAINE.
WHAT IT MEANS.
Secretary Blaine will not be nominated
by the Minneapolis convention. President
Harrison will be. This obvious sequence of
the letter from Secretary Blaine to Chair
man Clarkson, given out tonight, is the one
pAC0ASbCO W SiAC ODocl NbIb u0Tbs
1t may be, Of course, that Secretary Blaine
does not mean to be taken at his word. 1t
may be that he expects to be nominated in
spite of his letter. just as he expected to be
nominated in 1888 in spite Of his letter and
his interview. But the wisest public mon
think that he will be disappointed
now, as then; that he has put
the presidency away from him forever. 1t
may be, too that Secretary Blaine does not
want or expect to see President Harrison
renominated; that, in fact. he proposes to
nominate Gen. Alger or some other second
rate man. But the conservative public
men think that President Harrison has al
ready made such headway toward the
nomination that with Secretary Blaine
personally out of the way, President Harri-
son will get the nomination even if Secre-
tary Blaine should not want him to have it.
EXPLANATIONS OF THE HARRIsoNIANs.
Secretary Blaine's letter was prompted,
say the Harrisonians, by his fears. He
feared for his health during the summer.
He feared defeat in November. The warn-
ings he has had in his successive attacks
have led him, they say, TO the belief that he
had better devote his time largely to caring
for his health, especially during the hot
season. Then, too, they say, his mind, de-
pressed by his physical feelings, was filed
with doubts of his success at the polls, if
nominated at Minneapolis They intimate
that he had cause TO believe that his long
delay in announcing his intentions have
aroused feeling against him which has
and q M cparad bio if ha boA
nominated.
THINK HARRISON HAS 1T SURE.
They think, of course, that the President
is now as good as nominated. They do not
see how Secretary Blaine would be able to
prevent his nomination, if he tried unless he
should, after all take the nomination him
self. Whether he remains in the cabinet or
retires, and there is now great uncertainty
as to whether he will not speedily resign,
Secretary Blaine, they say, cannot afford to
openly oppose President Harrison. and his
private opposition, they say, they
do not fear. The thing they really
feared was that Secretary Blaine would find
some pretext for resigning in a rage and
appealing to the party for viudlcation
against the President.
DON'T FEAR BLAINE NOW.
Now that the Presidents forbearance.
which they cannot sufficiently praise, has
has prevented this until Secretary Blaine
felt that he must declare himself in another
way, they say that President Harrison has
nothing to fear from Secretary Blaine.
The opposition to President Harrison,
which has gathered it's forces around
SaNrafnT-U RlQInn K1,il hv-aa h int
dozen different factions with as many
Candidates and President Harrison will not
find any of them formidable.
BLAINE's BAD HEALTH
Those friends OF Harrison in and out OF
the cabinet who have been talking of
Secretary Blaine as an invalid who was
either unable or unwilling to exert his mind
as in former years, who was only nomiually
Secretary OF State, almost all state depart
ment business being transacted either by
the President or by John w. Foster, who
was really the head of the state department;
find in Secretary Blaine's letter proof of
their statements. They stick out that it is
not like Blaine letter, it is brief, too bold,
too vague. He does not give
an excuse for writing it as
his custom has been. He
does not give reasons for his action as he
usually does at length hnd he leaves his
friends, to whom he addresses some delphic
advice, entirely in the dark as to which
party or whatlprinciples, to say nothing of
what candidate, they should support.
ut is of course in keeping" said Har-
risonan tonight, with Secretary Blaine's
queer doings during the Chilean episode,
which compelled the President to take the
whole matter out of his hands and at the
same time induce him to ignore the aston
ishing things Secretary Blaine said about
him and his policy, not only at the Hale
dinner but elsewhere"
ELKINS INDUCED HIM TO WRITE IT.
1t was Secretary Elkins who induced Sec
retary Blaine to write his letter. Secretary
Blaine did not intend TO do it at present, at
least, but yielded to the persuasion OF Sec
retary Elkins, who spent last evening with
him, as well as an hour or two this evening.
There is good reason to believe that the
letter, although dated last night, was not
written until Tonight Secretary Elkins
is said to have availed himself of Secretary
Blaine's fears for his health and fear of de-
feat, and also OF Secretary Blaine's fear
that Gov. Mckinley, whom he does not want
to see nominated in any event. was likely
to be nominated as dark horse If the con-
vention was divided between Secretary
Blaine and President Harrison. Secretary
Elkins is also said to have utilized prom
ise from President Harrison that il Secre-
tary Blame desired it ne would be contin-
uad in the Secretaryship Of State in case
President Harrison was reelected. Chair
man ClarksOn did noe give out the latter