The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-05
MIR, BLAINE RESIGNS.
He Formally Retires from
Mr.. Harrison's Cabinet.
The RESIGNATION ACCEPTED.
Great Excitement in the Republican
Camp and Throughout the Country.

Mr.. R,asne's Letter Handed to the Fr<si.
dent Just before 1 O'elock Yesterday.
and the rresidents Reply. Accepting His
ResiGaatios. Placed In M. Biains's
Hands - Tive Minutes Before 3-The
Correspondenee Very Cold and Formal
Blsins's Action Regarded a. - Public
Declaration that He 10 = Candidate fnr
the Presideatiai Nomiuntion-The Presi.
dent ana Ever, body Else Taken by Sur
Prise-The News Causes = Wave OF Ex.
eItsnent n the Rousc-In Minneapolis Il
E.esurasss the blaine Me. 10 Believe
that Their Man will be Nominated On the
FIRST Daliot-The Harrison Men Hold
Ce~serense. and Say that tho President 10
!. the Fight for the Noninatiea to Stay.
wAsHrNGToN. Juno 4.-Mr. Blaine Is secro-
tary OF State no longer. He is plain James g.
blaine. an American citizen in private lifc and
In very active training for the Presidential
nomination. Always fond Of dramatic effects
and brilliant political strokes. Mr. Blaine sur
passed his own record in this line when he.
Just before o'clock this afternoon. sent to the
White House his resignation as Secretary OF
State. It is said that the President had
had slight intimatiou Of what was COM
ing early in the forenoon. II SO. no
was. doubtless, tho only man In the
city besides Mr.. Blaine who knew anything
about It To the whole community. Cabinet
Ministers, Government employees. Congress-
men. and all. the resignation was stun
ming surprise. A few minutes before I
o'clock Mr.. Louis A. Dent Mr.. Blaine's
private secretary. went over from the State
Department to the White House and
handed the envelope containing the resig-
nation to the President. who was just on
the point Of going down to the East Room to
hold the usual reception there The Presi-
dent read the letter without changing color
or moving . muscle. and then went
down stairs and shook hands with about 200
persons who had assembled in tho East Room
Is calmly al though nothing unusual had hap
pened. Tho reception over. he returned to his
once. wrote his acceptance Of tho resignation.
and handed Il to Ne Dent, who took it to his
chief at the State Department Ex-Secretary
Blaine glanced over the document put on his
hat. left tho ONCE and won't home. The Presi-
dent meanwhile designated Mr.. william F.
Wharton. tho First Assistant Secretary. to act
~ Secretary OF State until a new appoint
ment can be made. Mr.. Wharton has been in
the department for three years and has &C.
quifsd . thorough familiarity with the pracu-
cal details Of the ONCE The following IL tho
0orrosponoenee:
w..n,s 1as.5 5ass I q sss ss.n n.4s ,. II
n ~ PrsstIsm,
respectfully beg leave 70 submi my resignation Of
the once Of Of State Of the Omitted sAtes 10
which was appointed by You on the 9th OF March.
1sSa fhs condition Of public business in the Depart
Of State justinss requesting that my resg.
nation may b accepted immsdiatsiy.
have the honor to b. respectfully your obsdi
ent servant JAxxs @. BLAINE
Exlcgsrvs AAxsiox
wAsaIxeros. June L 1902 !
Your this date rendering your resignation
the ocs OF Secretary Of State OF the Cnited Sates
has been received The terms In which yoa state
desires such to leave choice but to accede
your wishes At Your resignation IL therefore
scceoted. Very respectfully yours.
Hon JAMES q. BLAIsr.
CODY OF the Pesidents letter given out by
Mr.. Blaine to the press was endorsed as hay
ing been received by him at 1--WE minutes OF
. o'clock"
The news OF Mr.. Dlaine's resignation quickly
few over the city. creating the most intense ex-
element. II naturally reached first tho State.
War. Navy. and Treasury Departments. and in
those buildings work was generally sus-
pended. and the news was eagerly discussed
by groups Of subordnates gathered In the sew
eral rooms and corridors. while In the inner
eanctuaries Of the chiefs of departments there
were many hurried and anxious consultations.
Tn" Cabinet colleagues OF Mr.. Blaine were as
completely and genuinely surprised as any
body else. Secretary Foster frankly con-
fcssed that the news staggered him. but he
was unwilling to discuss It. Assistant
Secretary OF the Treasury Crounse. however.
subsequently gave out an official expression
OF tho sentime nt entertained by the Treasury
chiefs. from which 1t WAS learned that they
were shocked by Mr.. Blaine's resignation. and
that they blamed him severely for tho course
le had seen TT to pursue. AZ he had attended
the Cabinet meeting the day before. and
had by that action implied that he in
tended to adhere to tho Administration.
even " not Withdrawing formally from the
competition Tor the Presidency. the Cabinet
officers. one and all. had felt much relieved.
aud had considered that the situation was
much improved. and that all the rumors OF Mr..
Blaine's retiring from the Cabinet had thus
been set at rest. Secretary Elkins also Az
pressed great surprise. and was evidently
much chagrined at this sudden collarse OF all
his recent promising efforts in the rtle Of
mediator between the two grent rival. He
talked freely about the resignation, takt,y tho
ground that it did not alter the political sItua-
ton at all. but left Mr. Elaine still morally
bound by his February letter OF renunciatlon.
becTetury Tracy Wab not 10 Do found, 4 ho W q
still at Annapolis. and Attorney Gen eral Mile,
was too much disturbed In mind to give verbal
utterance to his feelinRa
The President hims self. as well AS Mr. Blaine
was attacked by q multitude o, inauirInt
friends. but neither OF thom wished to enlarp,
upon the subject. both remarking that the let
tsrs spoke for themselves and covered all tina
they had to say. Each stood the ordeal OF in
QUESTION capitally and seemed perfectly calu
and ansble. The x-Secretary RETAINED fror
repeating his customary phrase. 81 wi
write no more letters" for had he net jus
written a letter. and one which la
shaken the country from tho Atlantic to tn
Pscific' But this was certainly not the kin
ofletter which was meant In his disclaimer
and his decision to write no letters concernin
his candidacy. 1t Is understood. still! remain
unchanged However this may be. there
but one opinion here concerning tn
meaning OF the resignation. and this
is that by Withdrawing from the Cat
met Mr.. Blaine proclaims that he
candidate and that ha m aa ns n fight N IN