Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-02-11

His desire to be president is stronger
than ever. He wants 1t beyond any
thing on earth. 1t is the glittering
pinnacle up toward which he ha. toiled
and elm bed and striven for a quarter of
a century. He keenly realizes. too,
that as far as being named for this
eminence by his party he has but to
raise his finger. It is his if he but ask
for it And SO this enforced declina-
tion-enforced by his poor health-is
all the more bitter. He feels as one
who. like Moses, was permitted from
some distant height a glance into Ca
naan, but who was forbidden to enter
To Bright's disease, Mr.. Blaine adds
other maladieS- He had suffered twice
from strokes of temporary paralysis.
The first was when he was bowling
through England in Carnegie's tallyho.
This left his right arm useless for two
days to degree which preventing his
assisting himself at table or writing
his name. The effect of this seizure
was never fully shaken off The second
attack was at Bar Harbor. Then the
blow was at his throat and prevented
him from speaking. This still remains
to an extent at least which frequently
brings his conversation to an abrupt
and, to the nominated, avery surpris-
ing stop. 1t will interfere with his
talking as frequently as every other
dav.
Nor has Mr. Blaine's mind escaped
The Interior effect of these attacks as
we'll as Bright's disease has been to
leave him in a state vibrating between
dull dependency at one time and
violent rage and uncomfortable fury at
others. At no time is he the Blaine of
five or six years ago. He is unsafe
whimsical irritable, and will face a
dozen ways on a single proposition.
As to Mr.. Blaine's letter it was not
written to please Harrison, nor did
Mr. Blaine want to write it He had
indeed surrendered himself to Elkins,
who entered the cabinet to please both
Mr.. Blaine and Mr.. Harrison He
came for Blaine because the Maine
man needed his old friend to lean on in
his weakness He has kept Mr.. Blaine
from declining as long as he could and
would have continued his silence in the
interest Of Mr.. Harrison and to keep
other candidates out of the race had it
not been that other candidates began
to assert their rights with vigor and
dem anded Mr.. Blaine's intentions. Mr..
Allison wanted to know; Mr. Cullom
wanted to know; Mr.. Mckinley wanted
to know.
Mr.. Alger recently came to Washing
ton for no other purpose He SAW
Messrs Harrison, Blaine and Elkins
and all the principals and middlenen.
He demanded to know what Mr.. Blaine
intended to do. He freely said that he
would not contend with Mr.. Blaine,
but if he was out of the race he (Alger)
was in it 1t was this pressure from
Messrs- Mckinley, Cullorn, Alger and
Allison which brought this letter from
Mr. Blaine Messrs Elkins and Har-
rison, frightened by the threats of the
gentlemen named. at last procured him
to write it Mr.. Blaine was willing to
put it off till the last, not so much be-
cause his silence favored Mr. Harrison,
but he hoped against hope for change
in his own condition
It is right to say that the wife of the
secretary, a lady as ambitious as Mr..
Blaine himself, also insisted on his sur
rendering his last hope of a canvass
and bowling submission 10 the newt
able