Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-07
THE CHILI1N QUESTION.
How 1t Has Been Used by Blaine and
Harrison.
N. v Evening Post sneciaI

IfufTisoHs
N. J. Evening Post special
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-One of Mr..
Blaine's most brilliant accomplishments
is the art of making other people do his
work for him and then taking all the
glory for himself. The President is a
very different sort of man, and he is
in state of constant annoyance
over the tricks the Secretary of
State plays in this line. Before Mr..
Blaine went into hiding at Bar Harbor
last summer the President had taken
substantially out of his hands some Of
the most important of the affairs he was
then conducting, in which it was neces-
sary for the person actively engaged to
possess knowledge of law which the
secretary could not even pretend to.
Thanks to his professional education,
the President was able TO make rather
creditable showing for his share of this
work. OF course the secretary got the
credit of IL among the people at large,
although the merits Of the case We're
perfectly well understood among the
members of the Inner circle" here in
Washington.
But before the summer was over, the
President discovered that his silence as
to the real authorship Of the work attri-
Duted to Mr.. Blaine was costing him
rather dear, since Mr.. Blaine's friends
had Ibid hold Of these very things to
swell the boom they were preparing for
their idol in anticipation of the national
convention of 1892. Every fresh addi-
ton to the fictitious greatness of Mr..
Blaine meant, naturally, a correspond
ing diminution Of the glory OF Mr.. Har-
rison; and the President at last lost con-
troll Of his feelings, and ilatly declared,
in conversation with certain friendly
senators and others, that he was tired Of
being considered secondary member Of
the administration, and did not intend
to submit to it any more. He detailed to
these friends the things he had done for
which his secretary mad taken the honor
to himself, and vowed that he would in
sist upon the recognition he deserved.
Almost simultaneously with this de-
claration fresh discussion of the re-
spectiye claims of the two men to the
nomination for the Presidency sprang
up all over the country, and the occa-
sion was seized by Republican managers
on every side to renew their assertions
that Mr.. Blaine could have the nomi-
nation II he would accept it, and that
MIR. Harrison's chances depended wholly
upon Mr.. Blainc's unwilingness to run
again. A cold chill passed through the
Presidents frame. He realized that he
was, in spite of everything, secondary
person IN the eyes Of his party, who
would not hesitate to throw him over
Tor man who apparently did not care
Tor the honors that would be so gladly
welcomed by himself, The only hope,
therefore, of his procuring renomina-
ton lay i'll his careful avoidance OF any
thing which could be offensive to his
Chief secretary and liable TO inspire the
latter with vengeful sentiment No.
body realized the Presidents position
more fully or enjoyed it more lleenly
than MIR. Blaine, who now felt that he
had the future practically in his own
hands. So, for the sake of reminding
the President Of the situation, the secre-
tary took occasion, in an interview
which bore the plainest stamp Of
authenticity and was widely published,
to declare that it was he who had writ.
ten with his own hands some Of the
very state papers for which the Prcsi-
dent had been claiming credit in con-
versation with friends.
a man of more spirit than the Presi.
dent would nave taken that opportunity
to administer rebuke which would
have made the secretary's ears ring fora
fortnight, and probably compelled his
retirement from the cabinet. 50 firmly
had the second-term bee fastened itself
IN Mr.. Harrison's bonnet, however. that
he tamely submitted to the insult. He
resolved to bide his time and trust 10 fate
70 throw some means in his way for
showing the Republican party how
much more of man lie really was than
the schemer whom they had taken to
their bosom.
The Valparaiso incident seemed 10
nave been sent by Providence to fill
exactly this need. mir. Blaine was away
from washington when the trouble be-
gan, and therefore could not very well
claim credit for the management of the
preliminary negotiations. The fact is,
Inc president had become so eatod over
ms management of the Italian affair and
The Behring Sea controversy that he had
lost his head somewhat and had SET UP in
business as diplomat, instead of credit
ing his success to his education as q
lawyer simply. When the Gillian Incl
dent came to the front, he plunged in,
encouraged to such course by the one
member of his cabinet in whom he has
supreme confidence, Secretary Tracy.
This officer, having avowed his deter
mination, in the Barrundla case to make
the navy of the United States a full
court, jury, and sheriff in one, was con
WINGED that the republic of Chill was on
trial before Capt. Schley, and that the
department in Washington was sitting
as an appellate bench, with the Presi.
dent as chief justice, to pass upon the
weak demurrers Of the accused.
Probably few persons not Immediately
concerned will ever know how much
war talk consumed the time of the
cabinet at the outset of the contro-
yersy. Then came along Secretary
Blaine. There is no telling how he
would have acted or what he would
have advised If he had been present
when the war talk began. Coming on
the scene, however, after all the others
had had their say, and when ii was
possible to test the feeling in the country
with someB accuracy, he made up his
mind that the thinking natriot;c Ill;