The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-13

tics as the friend of the Republican party
and as the friend of Mr.. Blaine and OF
President Harrison. ! have nothing to do
with politics outside OF the national cam
paign, and as soon as these are over go
right back to business. l have, however, had
a chance to see something of the in
side workings of the political machinery
of the United States, and think that
party politics and party management
grow purer and purer as the country
grows older. Congress today IS run
on a higher plane than ever before,
and public opinion demands a
Higher political morality every year.
/ don't believe there is as much corrup-
ton in presidential campaigns as the peo-
pie suppose The buying of votes, which
IS some times charged, would, think, be
a very dangerous thing. The laws are
such that the people would not dare to do
it, and don't think they want to as much
as is charged When | was connected with
the management Of the Blaine campaign
in 1884, I said to Mr.. B. f..
Jones. who was the chairman of the COM
mittee, that did not want to go into the
campaign without we could run II on
pure, honest and heightened basis, and we
then and there agreed that we would al
low no money for corruption OF any sort
We demanded vouchers for everything
that was spent. and We could today show
our books to the world without a blush. !"
when did you first meet Mr.. Blalne?"
l asked.
at was when 1 first came to congress
from New Mexico, in 1874. Mr.. Blaine
was speaker of the House, and | was an
unknown Western territorial delegate. L
did not care to come to congress, but the
situation was such that they nominated
me, and | carried the election over ma
tive Mexican by more than 5000 majority.
/ came East with much anxiety as to how
l would get along in Washington City.
l had been here only once before, and that
during the administration of Andrew
johnson. / knew no one of any note
here, and | remember how lonesome |
felt when I went out to the capitol for the
first day and took my place among the
crowd of congressman. | got seat in one
of the back rows and acted as far as L
could like the other members. The first
thing, you know, was the calling of the
states, and when New Mexico was
reached I rose and answered
in a good strong voice. Every one
looked up, surprised to hear an American
name for New Mexican delegate, and
when my pronounced English accent came
out the House was still more surprised,
for the previous delegates had generally
spoken in broken English. As | answered
L COulU see tuat DlalUt eye Was upOl Iilc
and that he looked at me rather curiously.
Well, l was stopping at Welcker's, aid
had very good rooms there. l had de-
termined to live well at Washington City.
and l did not care TO save anything of my
salary. Welcker's was then one of the
best places in Washington City. 1t was
managed by old John Welcker, the man
whom Dickens said had one of the best
cooks in the world. We had a jolly crowd
of fhn hnrsa and ua end of din
ners."
But to my meeting with Blaine" Mr..
Elkins continued. "The day after con-
gress opened / was sitting at the table in
the front of Welcker's dining-room, and
Mr.. Blaine came and took a seat at ia
bic in the back of the room. ! can see
his figure today in my minds eye as he
looked then. Tall, straight and bold, his
whole personality was that of the agrees
sive, popular leader of men. He had a
wonderful magnetism, and as l looked,
his eyes caught mine, and [ rose and went
over to him and said:
"tMr. Speaker, l hope you will pardon
the presumption of young and unknown
man in addressing you without an intro
duction. l am the new delegate from the
territory of New Mexico, and this is my
first term in Washington City. However
well L may be known at home, l am not
at all known here, and | feel that [ need
the advice and counsel of wiser and more
experienced heads than mine in my course
in congress. l want someone to whom /
can go to ask counsel, and if it is not too
much would like to ask you now and
then as to what l should do
"Mr. Blaine grasped my hand as came
over to him. He made me sit down and
he told me he knew who l was and that
he had noticed me when | had answered
tn He aSLyaI toa W 70 I tad
to know, and when L told him that I
wanted general adviser as to my actions
from time to time, he said he would do all
he could to help me and that | could call
upon him ut any time. He then turned
the conversation to our big ranches in the
West and drew me out to tell him all
about my little successes out there /
could not see how he could be so interest
ed in such person as me, but told him
and felt greatly battered at his interest.
| saw him after that several times before
his family came from Augusta. He
lived then in the next block
above me, near Chamberlin's restaur.
ant, and when the family returned
l was often at his house. Our friendship
grew, and | was more and more attracted
to him. He treated me very kindly in
congress, and | became in my small way
one of his enthusiastic followers. The
first presidential convention in which |
took part was that of Cincinnati in 1876.
l was there to do what | could for Blaine,
and We would have nominated him had
the gas not been turned off and the con-
ventlou adjourned till the next day. | was
for Blaine at Chicago in 1850 and again in
1854 and in 1888"
How about Blaine's letter of declina-
ton during the present canvass, Mr.. Secre-
tary?" | asked. docs it take him out of
the race for the nomination, and is it sim
cere?"
81 think there is no doubt of its sim
cerity," was the reply. land DO not think
that Mr.. Blaine will be candidate
Can you give me an estimate of Blaine,
Mr.. Eklns?n said |. wherein consists
his strength?"
Mr.. Blaine" replied Secretary Elkins,
dis the most remarkable man / have ever
known. He is great, big, broad genius.
packed full of the most wonderful amount
of knowledge upon the widest range of
subjects and possessing 4 wonderful ca
pacIty for receiving and absorbing infor-
nation. He takes i'll facts and know led ge
like 4 sponge does water, and he draws to
him everything that is worth knowing
which comes near him. He has the power
OF receptivity in greater degree than any
one | nave ever known. You may talk 70
him and the idea you wish to convey NAV
not be developed in your own mind You
give aim an mixing Of It and he grasps it
III all It's possibilities, and with his master
mind brings from it products YOU did not
dream Of. He has a me It wonderful men,
DRY. He forgets nothing. and his eapac-
lily for work Is Hercuieau. Take
his Twenty Years liz Congress- lie
wrote some of that hook ut the rate of eight
pages day. It was too much for any man
TO do and | told him 1t would break him
down IL he kent IL M and 7 tbipb he
shows the strain of it today. knew Mr..
Blaine in his young DAYS. What a man
he was ami what q moral courage he had.
lie WIS Grid II tnnELn l,utEtnn Il La