The morning news., 1892-02-09
BLAINE STILL A PUZZLE.
MANY THINK he IS STILL a PRES
IDENTIAL PROBABILITY.

Els Failure to Explicitly State That
He Would Not Accept II Nominated
Looked Upon With Suspicion-His
Chances, However, Undoubtedly
Greatly Hurt BY His Letter.
WASHINGTON, Feb. a-Secretary Blaine's
letter was the topic of the day, not only at
the capitol and in the departments, but at
Iuncheons, receptions, teas and dinners.
Most people saw 1t first in the morning
naners, II was read and reread with the
closest interest by all the public men who
had not seen the newspaper copies Of it last
night. Its very brevity made IL even more
Interesting to them apparently than was the
Florence letter, which was recalled TO every
mind by the first words. which seemed
almost quotation from it. In 1892. as in
1855. Secretary Blaine is a delphic oracle
and his.outgivings are sufficiently ambiguous
10 permit a. least two interpretations. The
letter was therefore disappointing in a sense
70 everybody. The Blaine men, especially
the anti Harrison Blaine men, aud the anti
Hsrrisoniaus generally. were undoubtedly
as disappointed as they were surprised by
the publication of any such letter at all.
RAISES DOUBT.
However, its vagueness and the absence
of a declaration that Secretary Blaine
would not accept the nomination, il offered
to him, encouraged many of them to believe
that Secretary Blaine might be nominated
vet. and if nominated he would accept The
absence of the clause, II will not accept the
nomination if offered to me-" was a disap-
poiutment to the Harrisonians, Only less
disappointment to them was the omission
Of any allusion to the republican President
and his administration, or the Republican
party and its principles. AS one Of them
said tonight, disgustedly, THAT letter
might have been written by a mugwamp,"
which he meant to be the severest con-
demnation. However, the Harrisonians
are glad, on the whole, that Secretary
Blaine has been induced by the adroit Elkins
to show his hand, even if it does not directly
encour agoPresident Harrison. and does in
directly encourage all the other candidates
and possible candidates.
DON'T HELP HARRISON.
One thing seems certain, and that is that
Secretary Blaine does not help President
Harrison by publishing that letter. although
be was induced by one Of President Harri-
sons new found friends to declare his inten.
tion against the strenuous opposition Of
Secretary Blaine's friends and President
Herrison's enemies. If Secretary Blaine
had thought OF helping President Harrison,
he would long since have told President
Harrison so and would also have confided
to him In advance that ne proposed TO pub
lish the letter given out Sunday
night, even if he thought that strict
propriety forbade any alusion &c
the candidacy of his chief in the
letter. But President Harrison learned
first OF the letter, just as any other public
man might have done, from the newspaper
men last night. Secretary Blaine did not
talk with him before, and he has not talked
with him about it since.
NOT PARTICULARLY FRIENDLY.
The President was in his office alone most
of to-day Monday being his private day.
but Secretary Blaine, who was at bis office
In the state department, did not stop at the
white house to talk with him, coming OIL
gong. The fact seems to be
that the relations between the
President and the premier are purely
formal now, and that the former
expects opposition ana not assistance from
the latter The hopeful thing for the Har-
rsonians so far as Secretary Blaine is con-
cerned is that he is more anxious to pre-
vent the nomination of Gov. Mckinley
than he is to prevent the nomination of
President Harrison, and that he may use
his influence in Ohio and Maine to help
PRESIDENT Harrison for that reason, getting
Harrison, for example, the Maine delega-
ucn. IL was in some way this dislike of
GOV. Mckinley and Speaker Reed which
moved Secretary Blaine strongly to publish
h'S letter at this time.
NOT APT TO BE NOMINATED.
However willing Secretary Blaine may be
now, as IN 1858. to acceut, in spite OF lis
letter, nomination to be secured for him
win substantial unanimty by his friends il
tne convention. 1t is regarded by the ables
men OF both parties as practically certain
tnat Secretary Blaine will have no oppor-
tuulty to accept such a nomination. They
tAihh that the conditions now are so differ
ent from the conditions in 1888 that Secre,
va'y Blame has much less chance of it now
van Then. Then he was in peculiar sense
the unrlvGled leader of his party, who was
o De Vlndlcnted by triumphant election
over the democrat who he'd been elected
Tyer MIN by trickery or accident in 1884.
he was, 10 fact, the only candidate seriously
considered by most of his party. Now ht
uAs rival in the President, his official
U'lei powerful in his position and
III MS record as head of the ad
u.Inl'tratlon, already the first choice
large section of his
\ party In preference to Secretary Blaine.
~: 40 uouot the latter. if he had resigned from
Tue cabinet and fought for it, could have
A "a q
uon, but whether he had written a letter OIL
uo1 m he could not, by silently remaining il
.uo .uo CABINET until June Z. have prevented
.ue election Of enough Harrison delegate:
~, prevent anything like q unanimous
olAine nomination.
The ONLY WAY He CAN BEAT HARRISON
ny reslgning now from the cabinet ant
81 openly lighting President Harrison's re-
uuouilhatlon, Secretary Blaine might pre-
l aelV II. But he can hardly afford to resigI
~ ~ geV down in the struggle now any more
wa suan ne could before he declared himself
o ouiesS PRESIDENT Harrison gave him gooC
H;p aTse' which President Harrison Of course
o. ~M not. IL Secretary Blaine remains
fsI'suy IN the cabinet, he will not be able
NJ prevent President Harrison's nomina'
ass' "o,' no matter how active he is in advance
n iu no matter how many friends he has
sne Ie convention. The quiet accept
81 oss5 sV5 oy most public men to-day as a fact
~ 'ue theory that Secretary Blaine's with
NV H"ai meant President Harrison's nomin
mV, on, whether Secretary Blaine wanted il
c.N, moI, was significant of the feeling in thC
otsuSIy soon TO be reflected in the election
~delegates.
LOOKS LIKE HARRISON SURE.
,toI nqIouotedly Boss Platt, ex-Gov. For
msa senator Quay and other anti-HarrisoI
adr; WIN or without Secretary Blaine'
g., CUe and assistance, may combine OF
Prssi5A ger or on somebody else to preven
irerit.leh,t Harrisons nomination as th'
PhaSIuple. Senator Quay's delegates il
4 =