Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-12-23
B. F. JONES ON BLAINE.

A Tribute From an Associate-His Career
and His, AmbitiOns-The Dying States
man a Maker OF Warm Friends and
Bitter Enemies.
While a summons unto eternity waits by
the bedside of great mind at Washington,
the many friends of James G. Blaine in this
city are at once sppfehensive and sorrow-
ful. Born but few miles up the Mononga-
hela river, the intimates of his youth be-
came the admirers of his manhood, as his
brilliant career entered into history and
shaped the course of nation proud of her
son.
Among Mr.. Blaine's friends here. none
have watched his career with keener inter-
est, or been closer to him in private and
public life, than B. F. Jones, ex-National
Chairman of the Republican Committee.
Nj. Jones was seen Yesterday, and in speak
ing of the statesman said:
II have known of Mr. Blaine since his
college days and became quite we'll ac-
qualnted with him in the early war times,
and when he was a member of Congress.
Since that time have been quite intimate
with him. 1 regard Mr.. Blaine as
a most brilliant and remark able
man. As a stateman I think he
will rank with Clay and Webster,
different from both, but similar to each
in some respect. His popularity with the
people of this country is simply phenom-
enal, and was caused in my judgment not
only by his extraordinary ability. but also
by his intense Americanism. He has been
regarded BY some as extremely ambitious
do not think he was half so ambitions as
many others who were not nearly SO
worthy as he.
"Was he not very ambitious for the
Presidency?"
'Mr. Blaine has told me frequently that
IN the contest for the Presidential nomina-
ton OF 1876 he was extremely anxious to be
President of the United States, but that
after that time he never cared for or sought
the position. and was entirely contented
with the honors that had fallen to his lot.
After the notable defeat of the RepubIi-
can party in 1882 a great many ardent
Republicans (myself among the number)
realized that the party would be at a disad-
vantage In the campaign of 1884. 1t was
believed that Mr.. Blaine, with his great
popularity and thorough American
ism, would be the most available
and best candidate. Therefore he
was importuned bv multitudes
OF our best people to permit his name to go
before the convention as a candidate. In
fact he only consented when he was made
to believe that his nomination would bene-
mt his country and his party. After an
unusually exciting campaign, he was barely
defeated.
Il know" continued Mr.. Jones, "that
Mr. Blaine would not have accepted the
nomination OF 1888 if it had been tendsred
to him. am confident that he would not
have accepted the nomination of 1892, even
II aJority of delegates at the Minneapo-
lis convention had cast their votes in his
favor. In both cases he distinctly declined
to have his name 90 before the convention"
"Mr. Blafne's political career has been
one unbroken flow of brilliant successes.
In the Legislature of Maine, as member
OF Congress, as Speaker of the House, as
Senator, and finally as Secretary
of State, he has met every issue, disproven
adverse criticism, combated what he
thought wrong and fought for what he
thought right, until to-day he is recognized
as without peer for profundity, breadth
and brllllancy. In Congress, during the
war, his speeches at a crisis were at once
eloquent, powerful and convincing.
yet he had many enemies, and these
enemies were of the most virulent. 1t was
characteristic of the man that his friends
were the warmest and dearest, and his
enemies the most bitter and unreIenting.
u was IN congress that Mr.. Blalne's nrSt
difference arose with Conkling. Both were
eloquent, yet Blaine was the more
profound in debate He was CHEEKY,
warm-hearted and easily approached,
while Conkling was just the reverse. re-
member one notable occasion when Blaine
made speech in Congress that will live
forever. 1t was in reply to an attack upon
his character, and every word uttered was
OF extraordinary force, and grandIy elo-
quent, coming from great soul stung into
answering unjust reproaches.