The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-15

peals to his audiences Of a personal char
acter. His speeches of that campaign
were models OF concise arguments. His
leading topic was the protective tariff sys-
TEN and he carefully avoided all PERSONAL
tiles. Although he was himself made the
target OF the most violent personal attacks
never heard him complain except when
some member OF his family was included
IN them. lie never approved of any of
the personal vituperation employed against
MIR. Cleveland. / often heard these SUBJ
lects discussed in the car during the three
months tour.
Mr.. Blaine objected tc scandal cam
palgn because he regarded it as both inn
politlc and indecent, Such attacks, he
held, created only sympathy for the per-
son attacked. There is nothing vindic-
tive in Mr.. Blaine's character. Sometimes
his friends think that he has not enough
resentment. have known him to make
trends IN the readiest possible way with
men who have been most INSCRIPTIONS in
their attacks upon him. | once heard him
say that he considered life altogether too
short to be devoted TO any system of re-
venge. The man who adopts such a
policy" said he, would never be able to
live long enough to carry out all of his
projects of retaliation, and | can imagine
no misery more complete than that OF a
fully satisfied revenge"
lie staked almost his life in that cam
paIgn. He Travelled day in and day out
resting only the seventh dav of each week.
The strain upon his physical resources
was very great. To man of his nervous
and sensitive temperament the burden
was wearing to the last degree
Just before the close of the campaign of
that year Mr.. Blaine had a long confer
ence with Joseph MeGili in Chicago. Mr.
Medill was doubtful about the outcome of
the campaign. He thought that Mr..
Blaine had done more than enough.
There was a great desire for Mr.. Blaine's
return to New York. The famous Gould
banquet at Delmonico's was then pro-
jected. Mr.. Medill strongly advised Mr..
Blaine TO keep away from New York. He
said that his going there at that time
could do no good. If there was any trick
to be played by the enemy it would he
played there. He advised Mr.. Blaine TO
either stay in the West or 90 straight home
to Maine Mr. Blaine himself agreed
with Mr.. Medill. He was fearful of re-
turning to New York. He yet permitted
himself to be persuaded against his own
Judgment, that being one of his faiings as
an impressionable man. Those who are
nearest to him can nearly always iniu-
ence him by exercising their persuasive
powers in concert.
| travelled with Mr. Blaine in the special
train from New York TO Augusta on cleo
ton day. On the way home Mr.. Blaine
was very quiet. Everybody on the train
was confident of his election. He was not.
He foresaw the effect of the Burchard
speech. The only incident which seemed
TO arouse him from his abstraction was
when poor, crazy man mounted the train
at Lynn to apply for a cabinet position I'M
der the new administration.
That night at the Blaine house, in Au-
Custa, Mr.. Sherman, now consul general at
Liverpool and for many years private sec
H.. IL Il
graph operator in the library to receive the
dispatches. The first reports We're very
conflicting. There was absolutely nothing
to indicate which way the election had
gone Mr.. Blaine walked up and down in
an adjoining room. He seemed to be
gifted with clairvoyant powers. Before
anything positive had come over the wires
he declared his conviction that the cleo
ton had gone against him and he went up
stairs to bed. His collapse was physical
one. The horrible strain of the campaign
had left him very weak. He did not rally
for number of days.
| remember at one time during the even
ing when it looked as if the Republicans
had carried the country that Mrs. Blaine
said, with very deep emotion Cher eyes fill
ing with tears): "There Is no White
House. there is no presidency that can
ever compensate me for the horrible sut-
fering of this terrible campaign OF pe1secu-
ton and imam Gus SANDER.
Mrs Blaine has been often represented
as 4 cold ambitious woman. The reverse
of this is nearer the truth. A more kind
hearted, truer woman never lived. Her
ambition is that of any woman who wishes
to see her husband succeed in what he
undertakes. 1t is not of a personal char
acter. Certainly under the torturing blows
that she has been called upon to endure
during the last fifteen years. any personal
ambition, if it had existed, would have
been completely swept away
Mr.. Blaine's personal pride was deeply
hurt by the result of the campaign OF 1854.
He was deeply wounded by the attitude of
some of the Republican leaders. He be-
lieved that if there had been perfect har-
mony IN the state OF New York he could
have been elected. He felt that if the
votes had been honestly counted he would
have been elected. The result of that cleo
ton made him resolve that he would never
go through another campaign eXcept
under conditions. which, from the nature
of things, would be impossible.
What he dreaded more than anything
else was that he should be regarded as pos
ing before the American pubic rs per-
petual candidate. He knew that II he had
remained in this country during the year
preceding the campaign of 1883 his posi-
ton would be mlsrepresented, ana so he
went to Europe in the early summer of
1857 for the sole purpose of avoiding every
possible political complication.
Only on one condition would Mr.. Blame
have consented 10 again become candl-
date. This was diyuiced in q conversation
| had with him in Paris just after he had
written the letter Of November, lSS7, TO T..
F. Jones. announcing that he would not
be 9 candidate under any circums tances.
Mr. Blaine said then, in the course OF n
private conversation. that he had been
elected to the proud position OF the chief
of the Republican party by his nomina-
ton at Chicago in 1881. That was posi-
ton which. after having led his party to
defeat. he could feel justified in retaining
only by the unanimous consent OF every
other possible candidate. lie said that