The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-05-23
The Secretary's Letter is Not Al
lowed to be Final.
THE REPUBLICANS WANT HIM
And the Party Has . Right to Insist I'm
less He Declines In Convention-Th The
Cincinnati "Enquirer's Correspond
ent Says Blaine Will Run-An I'm
sprecedcnted Move.
ESPECIAL TO THE SEws.I


NEs YORK, May 23.-By far the most
important piece of news in the political
world is the semi-official announcement
that Mr.. Blaine is to be nominated at
Minneapolis next month whether he con-
sents to it or not.
The plan of the anti Harrison leaders Is
to 90 ahead and nominate Blaine, and
then let him take the responsibility Of de-
clining and placing his party in strait II
chooses to do so.
'All that can prevent Blaine's nomina-
tion now," said a close friend of Mr..
Platt, "is his death or total disability
Nothing that he can say in advance Of or
during the convention will stop it. The
vention will nominate him anyhow He
must decline the actual tender OF the
nomination, and nothing short Of it, IL he
does not wish to run.
"No man has ever declined formal NOM
ination for President, and do not think
Mr.. Blaine will establish a precedent in
that line. IL he does, he will be open to
the charge OF cowardice, and he must also
bear the blame for the defeat Of his party
II they lose the campaign with any other
man.
1.-THE decision to make him the candi-
date in spite of himself. so to speak, was
made after carefully considering every
side of the situation. There is a univer-
sal demand for Blaine all over the coun-
try, and we believe that his nomination
Is equivalent to an. election. We recog-
nize that 1t would be almost impossible
to get Mr.. Blaine to give us any definite
encouragement, and so we have decided
to act on our own responsibility.
There is no precedent in history that
actually fits this case. The nearest APP
proach to it Is found in the nomination
of Horatio Seymour by the Democrats in
1868 The Democratic National Conven-
tion that year met in Tammany Hall,
this city. Mr.. Seymour was elected
president Of the convention. lie was COM
mitted to the candidacy of Sanford K.
Church. New York gave its thirty three
votes to Church for eight ballots. On the
fourth ballot North Carolina cast nine
votes for Seymour. whereupon Mr.. Sey-
mour made this speech TO the conven-
tion:
Il trust i may be permitted now to
make single remark. Very much to
my surprise my name has been mentioned.
l must not be nominated by this conven.
ton, as i could not accept. My own in
clination prompted me to decline at the
outset; my honor compels me TO do so
now."
On the eighth ballot New York changed
to thomas A. Hendricks aud voted for
him steadily till the end. The break to
Seymour came on the twenty-second
ballot. He tried to stem the tide. He got
up and protested eloquently.
Gentlemen" said he, in closing. Il
thank you and may God bless you, but
your candidate / cannot be-"
He then left the hall and his nomina-
tion followed. When the ballot had ter
minated Mr.. Tilden sought Mr.. Seymour
and found him in one of the ante rooms
of the convention hall, entirely alone and
my God, Tilden, what shall do! This
is terrible" exclaimed Mr.. Seymour.
Sir" said Mr.. Tilden, "the Presidency
had sought you, and not you the Presi-
dency. You must take it,"
Blaine, 1t is believed. will have to do
the same.