The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-06-12

Another prominent and great actor in the
last appearance upon the stage. He has had
his many exits and his entrances. and III his
time has played many parts but he has now
made his last bow, and will hardly DO seen
again in public.
There is somethingin the ending of Blaine's
career calculated to excite pity rather than
any other feeling. now that he has politically
passed away. He is by long odds the largest
Drained and most statesmanlike man that his
party has ever produced certainly in this
generation-and his success in the everyday
affairs of life has been phenomena. Starting
his official career poor and scarcely known,
he succeeded In comparatively few years in
accommodating large wealth, while be has been
foremost in his party's councils for nearly
q quarter Of "A century. Yet. with all this.
his life has been failure. for he
has never been able 10 attain TO the
summit Of his hopes the Presidency'of the
United States. He has been an active con-
testant for the nomination at every Repubh-
can convention since 1874 save one, and he has
had the prize almost in his grasp several times.
but it has always eluded him. Every time.
just as he felt certain that at last his ambition
had reached its goal. something happened 10
keep him back and now he has the humia-
ton Of finding himself badly defeated by
man for whom he felt. even while in his Cabi-
net, little more thanIcontempt 1t is needless
10 say that this blow will certainly prove fatal
to bis political aspirations and the mortifca-
ton attending it may also prove too great "a
strain upon his physical health for him to
stand. His long and busy, and to great ex-
tent brilliant, public life has gone out in
failure and bitter disappointment.
very useful. lesson may Do learned By
rising young aspirants for political honor by
a review Of the career of Blaine. The ono
main cause Of his downfall was his duplicity
and unscrupulousness. At the outset of his
political life he began weaving the tangled
web of deception and continued 30 doing
until at length it grew into a habit 70 fixed
upon him that ia after years he could not
shake it OF. and it became part OF his very
nature. This is why his party was afraid 10
nominate him in 1876. and put up Rutherford
Is. Hayes. man then almost unknown out
side of Ohio. So in 1880 both Blaine and
Sherman we're thrown over because
their party feared that their con-
nectlon with certain of the most
fragrant acts Of Republicanism- another name
for deception and crookedness-would lead 10
defeat and took up Garfield because while they
had made their thousands OF dollars bv Doubt
ful practices, he mad only made his hundreds
In 1884 his party did venture TO risk him.
trusting to his acknowledged brillianes Of in
teiiect and alleged personal magnetism TO
overcome the effect OF his questionable acts
but then again his reputation proyed too
much for his brain. massive though II vas
and he was defeated 30 badly that he was
afraid to so before the country in 1855. Still
he might readily have gotten tho nomination
during the current years bu. for his old
enemy, duplicity. Had he como out boldly "a
a candidate. resigned from the Canine, a
year ago and openly contested the nonjna-
ton, he could easily have secured II but
this he was incapable Of doing He
hated to give up the certainty of the Secre-
taryship OF State for tho uncertainty II a !
nomination. which would most probabIv |
prove only q barren honor. and va, Ia badly |
wanted that nomination So he pretsnded |
that ne would not oppose his chief. while all
the time secretly working against him. and be
kept up his double-deaing until the lsst nos
slble moment BY this course he disgu,ted
even his friends, and the result is that now hs
has fallen never again to rise.
II the lesson that honesty is the best policy
even in politics was ever taught it certainly
has been by this downfall OF Blaine He
always strove to attain bis ends more bv Gun.
ming scheming than by straightforward
means. and was. therefore. always looked