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

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| him alone in the draVing-room of his
| apartments. He was seated ut long
table, which was literally covered with
| cables and dispatches.
| did not go through the form of asking
| Mr.. Blaine again if he would refuse to ac-
| cept the nomination, although the subject
| soon came up He had before him numer-
| Gus cables from various leaders in the con-
| vention, saying that if he would permit
| his name TO go before the convention he
| would be nominated on the first ballot on
| the following Monday. Mr. Blaine did not
appear to be moved IN the slightest de-
gree. | had never seen him more quiet or
treer from excitement. [ asked him then
what reply he had made to these numer-
Gus cables. He said that there was but
one reply TO make, and that was that he
could not permit his name to be used. He
even went further, and added that if he
should be nominated after having ex-
pressed so strongly and SO clearly his per-
sonal wishes upon the subject he should
refuse the nomination.
He seemed TO be endowed with the same
spirit of prophecy that he had manifested
in his house in Lafayette square when he
predicted, four years before, the defeat of
the Republican party. He said during the
conversation IN the hotel at Edinburgh:
The Republican party is going to win
this time"
He then went on to give his reasons,
which 1T is useless to repeat. ! asked him
who would be nominated on the following
day. He had just said that the contest
would be settled on Monday and probably
upon the first ballot. His reply to my
question came very promptly.
benjamin Harrison, was his emphatic
response, without moments hesitation.
He said that William Walter Phelps
might be selected for the second place, and
expressed the opinion that the nomination
would be well received. He soon returned,
however, to the more important subject of
first place. He gave an outline of Mr..
Harrison's character He showed then
most just appreciation OF the future presi-
dents ability and force OF character, his
good Judgment and capacity for public af
fairs.
There are people who have said that Mr..
Blaine has belittled Mr.. Harrison in pri-
vate conversation. These reports are I'M
true. Mr.. Blaine has always estimated
Mr.. Harrison very highly, and their rela-
tons throughout the present administra-
ton have always been cordial and salts
factory
Somehow the members of the Carnegie
coaching party could not bring themselves
to believe that Mr.. Blaine would not. by
some fortunate turn in affairs, be forced to
accept the nomination. The people COM
posing this party were Mr.. and Mrs
Bla ne, their two daughters, Margaret and
Harriet; Mr.. and Mrs. Andrew Carnegie
and Mr.. Damrosch, WHO was then engaged
to be married to Margaret Blaine. Mr..
Carnegie. | am sure, hoped to the last and
used every element of persuasion to change
Mr.. Blaine's determination. Mr.. Carnegie
was very communicative. 1t was to him
that all the representative of the news
papers went for information. He was
especially cordial with the Scotch local re-
porters. The Scotch papers were filed
II fotl x.,ifb NJ
atoms of who Mr.. Blaine was. Mr. Car
negie, through his many coaching trips in
Scotland and mis- gift of a public library to
his native town. was then we'll known in
Scotland and highly esteemed.
When Monday morning came it was de-
cided by Mr.. Carnegie to go north at once
to spend the night at the little village of
Linlithgow, some twenty miles away. If
Mr.. Blaine had not really foreseen the re-
suit of the Chicago convention in Edin-
burg, delay of day or so might have
been made there for the purpose of being
in touch with the telegraph and cable. l
went to Linlithgow by train in accordance
with one of those brilliant managerial
orders. an inspiration of high journalism,
to be present if possible when the news of
the nomination made by the convention
was actually received, and to photograph
for wondering world all of the various
phases OF emotion upon Mr.. Blaine's
COuHtcHdNCc. his cIuOllOnS were TO De
taken as freshly and quickly as possible
from their living mould. and then l was to
turn my attention with lghtning-like
rapidity to the photographing the express
sions and emotions of Mrs. Blaine.
| have an idea that the journalistic
chieftain who was then issuing orders by
various wires and cables to me in Scotland
labored under the impression that Mr..
Blaine or some other member of his fam
lily would be thrown into Mysteries or do
something that would create a dramatic
situation. Perhaps he expected from Mr..
Blaine something akin to Cardinal
Wolseley's farewell to ambition, but in
real life the actual rarely equals the imagi-
nary, and what happened was from the
standpoint of sensational journalism dis
gustingly tame.
l arrived at Linlithgow several hours
ahead of the coaching party. as | came by
train. / found every available bedroom
in the two little hotels OF the town taken
by the coaching party. 1t was with diff
Guilty that | pierced through this wall of
local reserve enough to find lodgings for
the night. Under the laws of Great
Britain the telegraph offices close at the
hours that the pOstotfice closes. This is
generally at O'Clock. If, however, you
want to have the office open later, this
concession can be obtained by paying half
a crown go cents) an hour to the post
master. / took occasion to make arrange
ments of this kind, and if | had not Mr..
Blaine would not have received the news
of the Chicago convention before the fol-
lowing Tuesday morning. But this would
not have made any difference to him, as
he knew the result in Edinburgh, or to
put it in plain words, ne gave the word
there which could produce but one result,
and that was to secure the nomination of
the candidate selected by him as the most
desirable.
The coaching party arrived about
o'clock in the afternoon, and soon after
sat down to hearty repast. About $50
Mr.. Blaine and several members of the
party started out on foot to look at the
ruins of an ancient castle on slight rise
at the back of Linlithgow. | waited ct the
telegraph Office. About O'Clock | received
a dispatch from New York announcing
Mr. Harrison's nomination. | put the
message in my pocket and walked out to
find Mr.. Blaine.
found him studying intently the beau
tIful architecture of a crumbling gateway.
Its handsome forms were accentuated by
patches Of golden shadows from the now
setting sun sinking behind the blue west
ern hills.
walked straight through the crowd and
touched Mr.. Blaine upon the arm. He
turned ana said, "Well?"
Il have Just received a dispatch an
nounclng Mr.. Harrison's nomination at
Chicago"
Mr.. Blaine said nothing for a moment
and did not ask 10 see the dispatch "A
most excellent nomination" he replied in
Il perfunctOry manner. and then, turning
resumed his study of the gateway.