Evening journal., 1892-06-06
eLAINe,s latest sTRokE.
Reaching for the Golden Crown lie
Twice Affected 60 Put Away.

which James q Blaine's resignation Of
the Office Of Secretary of State was
offered and accepted yesterday is more
significant than any language of expla-
nation could possibly have been In
fact the circumstances admitted of
nothing but the baldest fOrmality There
have been times in the last two years
when Mr.. Blaine could have retired from
public service gracefully and more or less
honorably, with the certainty of assur-
ances Of esteem from the President and
plaudits from his country But circum-
stances have changed, and the meaning
of his retirement is not what it would
have been at any other time
Ofcourse the meaning will be caught
at once from one end of the country to
the other, and it will strike the seething
throng at Minneapolis with electrical
emphasis. as it was intended 60 do. This
coup Of Mr. Blaine means that he has
convinced himself, or has been convinced
by others, that his health has been suiii-
ciently restored to justify him in reach
ing once more for the golden crown
that he has twice affected 70 put away.
II is his way of announcing that if his
supporters at the National Convention are
disposed 20 put him IN nomination for
the Presidency and are able to accomp-
lish il, he viii not say them nay. and he
will accept the candidacy.
What win be the effect of such an an
nouncement made ia this way2 win the
resignation from the Cabinet relieve Mr.
Blaine from the imputation of bad faith
toward the President, or will the time
and manner of his act aggravate the
sense of treachery with which it viii be
received by the Presidents 5 friendsg Last
February Mr. Blaine, in formal letter
To the chairman of the Republican
National Committee, solemnly declared
that he was not candidate for the
nomination and that his name would not
50 before the convention. President
Harrison relied upon that assurance in
making his canvass, or permitting il TO
be made, for a denomination II was
after the preliminary canvass was com
pleted and all the delegates had been
chosen TO the National Convention. on
the assurance that Mr. Blaines name
would not be presented TO that body as a
candidate for the Presidential nomination
that the scheme of platt. Clarkson. QUAY
and others was started for defeating the
President by pushing forward the Secre-
tary of State
Mr. Blaine might then, with some rem
nant of honor, have avOwed q change of
purpose ON sccOunt of improved health
and retired from the Cabinet to enter
upon an open contest before the people of
the country, though q lofty sense of
honor would have impelled him to put n
stop TO the intrigue at once by declaring
firm adherence to the assurance which
had led the President TO 20 so far in seek
ing a denomination. But Mr.. Blaine re
manned in the Cabinet. continuing his
confidential and apparently cordial rela
tions with the President and let
the plot go on for ssng his name
to defeat the Presidents honorable de-
sire for the approval implied in a re-
nominatian by his party. In his own
subtle way he encouraged the plot bv
coming to New York while It was incuba.
ting to exhibit his improved health. to
be called upon by politicians. to be
talked about by the public, and by pre-
serving a sphinX-like reticence as to his
purposes Not until the delegates are
gathering in fun force at Minneapolis
away from their constituents, away from
the restraining voice Of the people, away
from the opportunity of cool and calm
! consideration. does he launch his resiq-
nation and reveal himself as q champion
ready to enter the lists against the
President.
Ingenuity could not have devised a
more effective method of emphasizing an
act of political bad faith. If it does not
seem like baseness TO Blaine and his sun
porters, it is because they lack moral per
ception and prefer bold villainy TO plain
integrity. OF course. this stroke is in
tended for effect upon the convention at
I Ifr Il. Al.
tious excitement that is begotten of a
/ political crowd on the eve of great con
! vention there is no telling what the ef
feet may be 1t is intended to strike
CONSERVATION and discontinue into the
! supporters of Harrison and stampede the
delegates to Blaine, but will it have
that effect? Not If the delegates retain
their sober senses and stop TO reason
upon the results of such tactics in cam
paign of popular discussion. Il is not
safe TO outrage the moral sense of the
American people and impose candidates
upon party by trick or fraud The con
sequence of doing so was illustrated in a
state campaign in New York In the year
1882, when the nomination of n member
of the Cabinet for the Office of governor
was believed to have been secured by dis
dishonst devices 10 is our belief that the
nomination Of Blaine ut Minneapolis I'M
der present circumstances would be fatal
TO the Republican party in the coming
canvass, more surely than any other nom
ination that could be made. II would
rend the party as no otheract of the con
yention could do into absolutely irrecon-
cilable factions. It would so offend the
moral sense of the country as to give
assurance of defeat of the
ticket more overwhelming than any
party has experienced in the nation for
twenty years OF in any state for ten
years It would find parallel only IN
the Greeley campaign of 1872 and the
tolger campaign of New York in 1882
Will the gods so make mad the CON
vention at Minneapolis as to impel it Ia
the fatal act of nominating Blaine
New York Times.