Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-06-06
BLAINE COMES OUT.
No Question Where the Prem
ier Stands Now.
TWO LETTERS RIGHT TO THE POINT
The Secretary Offers His Resignation
Without Spare Word and 1t
Is Accepted Likewise.

A Move that Startled the House Into Inn
mediate Adjournm ent and Set the Dele
gates at minneapolis WiId-Statement
that Quay Knew 1t All the Time"-
Warner Miller Also Makes His Choice
The President Said to Have Instructed
CuIlom to Withdraw Him if Not Nomi-
mated on First BalIot-TaIk and Scenes
at MinneapoIis-Esti
WASHINGTON, June 6-When in the
course of human events It becomes neces-
sary for one of the presidents advisers to
dissolve the official ties that bind him to
the executive; even although there may be
strained relations" and the lack of that
sweet concored so essential to the orderly
anu dignified conduct of governmental
business, and even though that lack of
harmony, sometimes amounting to posi-
tive hostilities, is the cause of the break;
still it is usual for the resigner to put in
his letter someting to break the shock,
some little reference to kindly feeling"
some hope for continued official success
and happiness. IL is also customary un-
der the aforesaid conditions for the "re-
signee" to reply regreting etc, the loss
of the resigner's distinguished and valu-
able services, etc, and SO forth and so on.
Cut the Tie With a Knife.
1t looks well, although the two dis
| tinguished gentlemen indulging in this
business of pulling the wool over each
| others eyes may be at dagger's point
really. But there were a couple of letters
kexchanged in this city Saturday that didn't
xhave anything of the kind in them-not a
thing. Judged by the comments above, it
| would seem that Benjamin Harrison and
| James Gillespie Blaine didn't love each
| other little bit and that their official
connection had been dissolved with a
| knife with an edge Of exceptional keen
| ness. There is not an UNNECESSARY word in
| either note; not a regret ~ either side,
| and the promptness with which the resig,
| nation was accepted was punctuated by
| Blaine, who wrote on the bottom of the
| copy Of the presidents note the words,
| "ReCeived five minutes of , o'clock
| The Two Letters in Full.
But here are the two letters verbatim
| Blaine's is dated at the state department
| June 4 1892, and says:
"To THE PRESIDENT: 1 respectfully beg
| leave to submit my resignation of the
office of secretary of state of the United
States, to which l was appointed by yOJ
! on the 9TH day of March, 1889. The condi
! ton of public business in the department
| of state justifies me in requesting my
resignation may be accepted Immediately
l have the honor to be, very respectfully
your obedient serva Mt.
JAMES G. BLAINE"
Sent in without Notice.
The president had no notice of any kind
it is said, that such thing might be ex
pected But he didn't seem surprised
He read the message put it in his pocket
and going to the East room gave hi
public reception. After that he wrote tn,
reply dated at the executive mansion, jun
4, 1892:
"TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE: You
letter of this date rendering your resigna
tion of the office of secretary of state O
the United States has been received. Th
terms in which you state your desires ar
such as to leave me no choice but TO &C
cede to your wishes at once. Your resig
nation is therefore accepted. Very respect
fully yours, BENJAMIN HARRISON"
"Hon. James G. Blaine"
They Caused "A Commotion.
And these two little notes caused as bi!
a commotion in political circles as ha
been noted in many years. The house go
so excited that it couldn't do business wit
satisfaction and adjourned. One repor
said that Blaine positively refused to talk
Others gave long interviews with him an
Mrs. Blaine, in which the reasons of resig
nation was given all the way from mer
desire for peace, up-or down-to a declars
tion that the premier was mistrusted b
his cabinet colleagues, who held themselve
aloof, and that he had been several time
insulted by the president and his friends
this latter being credited to Mrs. Blain,
One of the Alleged Interviews.
In one of the interviews Blaine is +,
ported to have declared that the approac
of the Republican convention, the que'
tion of his candidacy or acceptance of
nomination, had nothing to do with til
case 1t was the talk about the politics
circles of town that the president an
Blaine had not got along well for Ion
time They differed as to the manag
ment of the Behring sea question, I'll
Chilian question, and pretty much ever
| important matter that has come up, an
consequently Blaine's resignation shoul
not cause much surprise. As to the effeC
it depended upon who was talking an
any one can tell how the talk went if
| will discuss the matter with his neighbor
SIMPLY MAKES THE FIGHT HOTTEi