The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-31
MINNEAPOLIS THE SEAT OF WAR.


Ahe Battle Between Blaine and Harri.
son Growing Very Interesting.
WASHINGTON Crry, May 3O.-[Special. +
The big guns of the Republican party are
rapidly leaving Washington City, New
York and other political centers for Min
neapolis. By Thursday the great majority
of them will be in the Flour City, and so
the seat of war in the great contest sure to
ensue for the Republican presidential
nomination will be transferred to that
place. So far as the Blaine boom is con.
cerned it can be said that there has been
little or no change during the last forty
eight hours. Blaine's Lafayette square
mansion has been besieged by politicians
ever since his return to New York, but
little that was discussed inside his resi-
dence has reached the public.
The most persistent rumor in circulation
today is that the secretary will resign
from the cabinet. wtether he accepts the
nomination or not. It is insisted that the
relations between him and the president
are anything but pleasant. Harrison's
reference to Blaine IS disappointed poll
tician in his interview last week and con-
demning the public for giving Blaine
credit for reciprocity has brought things
to climax. 1t is believed that the Har-
rison interview is one prime reason why
Blaine will accept the nomination if Of
fered. All the factions in the strife are in
good fightinG trim. and it is apparent that
bitter contest will be waged until the
convention finally makes its nomination.
The HarrisonItes are busy circulating
rumors to the effect that the anti i-Harrison
men are using Blaine as a club to knock
out the president, and in the end will try
to give the nomination to some else than
Blaine. The latest story in this regard is
that the anti-Harrison men have decided,
after proving that they can beat Harrison
in the convention, to give the nomination
to Senator Allison, with the free and full
consent of Secretary Blaine. That this
story is a fabrication is we'll known, be-
cause Blaine, if ne starts in the
fight to beat Harrison, will &C
cept the nomination himself. On
the other hand. the anti -Harrisonites
insist that they can beat the president
with Blaine as easily as falling off log,
and that if finally Blaine should refuse
the nomination they can easily allow his
mantle to fall on some other candidate.
In an event Of this kind there will still be
pretty hard contest for the honors. The
nomination will then be between Allison.
Sherman, Mckinley and Reed, and it is
probable that the ex-speaker will stand
fully as good show as any of the others
named The fact that he is out for Blaine's
nomination and that the two Maineites
are on friendly terms indicates that Blaine
does not want it and might be very willing
to name Reed as the next candidate.
Tbara iS M iopUar
that the Minneapolis convention will be a
dull affair. 1t is proclaimed everywhere
now that it will probably be the liveliest
convention in the history of the party
Secretary Foster. in expressing himself
today upon the situation and the attitude
of the president on the silver question.
said the movement favoring Blaine had
its inception mainly with people whom
the president had disappointed.
He did not underrate BIaine's
popularity, but thought the president s
opponents took advantage OF that and
were trying to force Blaine to ignore
the solemn asseveration that his name
would not go before the convention. He
did not believe Blaine had given en-.
couragement to the movement, and felt
that to nominate Blaine would run the
risk of his declination, which, if il came.
would utterly ruin all hope of party sue.
cess. Foster further thought BIaine's
acceptance, after the struggle neces-
sary to obtain the nomination. would
surely make him weak candidate. The
president" said Foster, lis not so desir.
Gus for nomination as most people i'm.
agine. He permitted the use of his name
when Blaiue's declination seemed to make
him largely the choice OF the party-tha,
being the only condition that induced
him 10 consent" Foster believed Har
rison had a majority of the convention
and hoped TO see him nominated bv ac
clamatIon. The only argument used
against the president is that he cannot be
elected. yet all admit that the administra
ton has been complete success. Foster
continued:
For some reason cannot understand, Harri
son is cls sed by the people OF the silver state.
az q ..goid bug" President Harrison is as fa,
from favoring single gold standard as senate,
Teller. I quote the following ut.eranee frou
his correspondence relating TO arrangements 10,
the international silver conference: .The opin
ion o. the president, and, as he believes of shs
people OF tie United states, with s.nguls. unsn