The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-02-12
IS NOT A CANDIDATE.
BIaine,s Name WIFI Not Go BE.
fore the Republican, Ma
tiOnal Convention.
In a Letter to Chairman Clark
son He Makes the An
nounceElent.
Cabinet Officers and Others Think
That President Harrison Will
Be Renominated.

WASHINGTON, Feb. S.-The following
letter has been made public:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.
To Hon. j. S. Clarkson, Chairman of the
Republican National Committee.
DEAR SIR--I am not candidate for the
presidency and my name will not go be-
fore the Republican national convention.
make this announcement in due season.
To those who have rendered me their sup
port owe sincere thanks and am most
grateful for their confidence. They will,
am sure, make earnest effort in the ap-
preaching contest, which is rendered
specially important by reason of the in
dustrial and financial policies of the gov
eminent being at stake The popular de-
and will be of far reaching consequences.
Very sincerely yours, JAMES G. BLAINE.
The announcement that the secretary
had written the letter withdrawing his
name from the field of candidates was
known on the row and in the hotel lob
bies within very few minutes after its
receipt by the United Press, its report
ers being the first to convey the infor-
nation. 1t created much excitement
notwithstanding the probability of its
utterance had been discussed for the
past forty-eight hours with renewed
vigor and its appearance thereby dis
counted to some extent. Secretary
Foster was seen by the United Press re-
porter and asked for his opinion Of the
effect Of the letter. He said he had
been anticipating its appearance but
was surprised that it had come out
now.
at will result, 1 think" he said, Sin
President Harrison's denomination"
'Will it open the field for other candi-
dates or restrict it?'
''The field has always been all open one,
but several gentlemen to whom Secretary
Blaine was block will enter the race
Twill Ohio have candidate?"
mo"
"For whom will she be?"
"For Harrison. Ohio has Away felt
very friendly toward Blaine, but she has
never supported him for the presidency,
always having had in contests where he
enlivened, q candidate of her own. There
Will De no serious OppOSlUlOu 10 harrison S
nomination, take it,"
Other members of the cabinet and
several senators and representatives
talked in the same strain and all seemed
to think that President Harrison would
be renominated without much opposi-
ton.
To get a Democratic expression of
opinion the United Press reporter
sought Senator Brice, chairman of the
Democratic national committee. At
ter reading the letter he said:
That has all been discounted weeks and
months ago. For ten months have been
satisfied that Secretary Blaine would not
be the candidate and for two or three
months that opinion has been shared with
me by many public men. For eighteen
months President Harrison has been grow
ing stronger and stronger with the Re
publican party and his denomination by
reclamation has been certainty. That's
why they took the convention to a small
town, because it is to be nothing more
than a ratification meeting. The con-
vention will be in session only three DAYS.
They have to stay there that long, that
is the contract with Tom Lowry and he
will hold them to it, and it will be over
with Now when there is real conven-
ton to be held like the Democratic we
have to go to a big city to hold it." Con
tinuing in serio-comic strain, the sena-
tor-chairman said: "This letter shows the
declining value of the Republican nomi-
nation for president. To besdeclined five
months in advance shows that it's market
value has been seriously affected The
Republican convention will have its work
all cut out long before it meets, while we
are getting things in such shape that nc
man can tell who will be the nominee at
Chicago