The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-31
BLAINE STILL A SPHINX.
ELKINs FAILS TO GET ANYTHING
OUT OF HIM.

Blaine Bound TO Prevent Her
Husband From Doing Anything to
Help Harrison.
WASHINGTON, May 30.-Secretary Blaine
continues to play sphinx. Ex-senator Tom
Plett, who seems to have thought that it
was necessary for him to come down to
counteract whatever Secretary Elkins
might do with Secretary Blaine, and who
also seems to have thought that seeing Sec
retary Blaine all alone in the quiet of the
red house he might be able to get some
more definite expressions from him than he
and his associates were able to get out of
him at the Fifth Avenue in New York,
came away from his interview with Secre-
tary Blaine this afternoon as Ignorant of
what Secretary Blaine's real purposes are as
when he went in. 1t is all
very we'll for glib gossips to talk
AMI write about the assurance
which Secretary Blaine has given the
Blaine boomers that he will not prevent
their getting him the nomination and that
he will accept it If they get it for him, but
as a matter of fact they have not secured
single assurance to that effect from Secre-
tary Blaine up to the present moment, and
are simply proceeding on the assumption of
their own minds based on what all we'll
informed politicians know of the cold re-
lations between Secretary Blaine and
President Harrison, or rather the Blaines
and the Harrisons. To them, as to Secre-
tary Elkins and Secretary Rusk and every-
body else who goes to him, Secretary
Blaine speaks of his Clarkson letter as ex-
pressing his sentiments and he will say
nothing more.
OF course this mysterious reticence is more
perplexing and more embarrassing to the
Harrsonans than it is to the Blaine boomers
although the former insist as streuously as
the latter that it means just what they
want it to mean.
ELKINs' CALL ON BLAINE.
Secretary Elkins went to see Secretary
Blaine yesterday determined to get some
additional expression from him, prepared to
impress him with the necessity from his
point OF view Of saving his honor as we'll as
bis party by at least reiterating his Clark
son letter in more definite terms. Secre-
tary Elkins was prepared to show Secretary
Blame that a nomination obtained for him
by the men who are booming
him under the circumstances
would injure his reputation as we'll
as his election; TO point out that having
written the Clarkson letter he had precti-
cally given the nomination to President
Harrison aud could not houorably or safely
let himself be used to take it away from
President Harrison. But he had to tone
down, and even admit much of what he
had intended to say, for Immediately after
Secretary Blaine bad walked into the re-
ceptiOn room and welcomed him, Mrs.
Blaine walked in, and after welcoming him
sat down and remained until he left, taking
part from time to time in the conversation,
and always in such a way as to foil the
effort Secretary Elkins was trying to make.
The interview is said to have been one of
the most interesting Of the many interest
ipg infa yyhi af
red house during the past six weeks.
MRS. BLAINE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.
All three were diplomatic in what they
said but Mrs. Blaine showed quite plainly
at times the strong feeling she entertains
against the Harrisons, aud made it evident
that If her husband did anything to help
President Harrison to a denomination it
would be against her consent. 1t is to be
regretted, but 1t is quite impossible to de-
scribe the peculiar situation here with re-
spect to the republican nomination for the
presidency and not mention Mrs. Blaine,
for it is evident that she is one of the most
Important factors in the problem. 1t is
largely upon what she has said
and done that the Blaine boomers
say, who first received the Blaine boomers
after the Clarkson letter had been written.
IL is she, they say, who has kept her hus-
band from writing or saying anything more
that would help President Harrison. 1t ID
she, they say, whoIbrought about, through
Mrs Reed, the reconciliation between Mr..
Reed and Secretary Blaine, which made
each say he was willing TO support the
other. In short. she stands, they say, be-
tween the President and denomination.
CAUSE OF MRS. BLAINE's ENMITY.
The reasons they give are not so much the
Old story about President Harrison's un-
Willingness to make Walker Blaine Assist
tsnt Secretary of State, or the new story
ABOUT bis unwillingness to make Col. Cop
pnger brigadier general, as the feelings
she had against the President for appro-
prlating the credit for reciprocity and
countenancing the talk by his son Russell
ana MS newspaper organs about Secretary
blalnes mental and physical condition.
Ihe hatiled Elkins will renew his efforts, or
nave some one else renew it for him If, as
seems likely, he himself goes to Minneapolis
ID disregard OF the Presidents expressed
wish that cabinet officers should stay away.
secretary Elkins would have found staying
away double deprivation, for he dearly
toVes national convention and he did not
2ge now he was to manage the
Harrison forces by wire. 1t may
oe mat Secretary Elkins will try
70 get the President himself to tackle Sec
tsetary Blaine, but the Presidents closest
Irelds say he will not do it. He is standing
Su MS dignity most consistently. However,
secretary Elkins does not despair of get
tlng from Secretary Bl7ine in some way
solne expression which if not published be-
fpoIe' may be used by him to paralyze the
DSlhe boomers at the convention.
secretary Blaine expects to remain here
pu.H week after next. when he expects to
teaVe for Bar Harbor for the summer,
,%te1her he resigns or not. A special wire
~ ~ eo oe run into the red house during the
minneapolis convention corresponding to
vrI aLaV running into the white house, over
mulch the news of the convention will come
"uu possible suggestions may go.
DARK HORSES CHEERFUL.
ne me dark horses are all in a very cheerful
iioou. Like many others, they do not be-
de1s dVe mat 20 either Secretary Blaine or Presi-
Iot IuV Harrison will be the candidate, but
~ ossSYe t9 That If either is nominated in spite
s,os yIe hard fight now going on it will be
cij- Cn nomination as either will have TO de-
~ .; conservative Representative Grant
~ esinont, for example, said tonight:
Moi Sh beginning to think that if either Mr..
ui1I 11ue 20 or Mr.. Harrison is nominated it
woI. oe t oy such a majority, or IN such
es !uae either would decline by telegraph
oSelhg unable to accepts a nomination por-
tSeu Ing defeat at the polls, and we will
"e ooliged to select another candidate"
REED FULL OF HOPE.
Rsose sIether it be true or not that Mr..
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