Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-08
BLAINE'S BUGLE BLAST.
Only One Opinion at the Capital as to Its
strength-A Mastery Presentation OF
the Principal Issues Of the Present Cam
nafgu.

Only One Opinion at the Capital as 70 lss
Streneth-A Mastery Presentation OF
the Principal Issues Of the Present Cam
paign.
FRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON, Sept. lit is no exaggera-
tfon to say that the interest excited by the
letter of e1-Seoretary Blaine to Chairman
Manley, of the State Republican Committee
of Maine, Is beyond that which followed the
publication OF the letter of acceptance OF
President Harrison yesterday. 1t was the
common topic throughout the departments
and on the street, and not even the contest
between human brutes at New Orleans
could wholly outshine the importance of the
Blaine letter.
Nearly all of the higher officials are out of
the city. but among the less exalted Gov
ernment servants and especially among the
clerks who are not dependent on the Presi-
dent for their tenure of Office, there seemed
to be but one opinion. and that was that
while the President had written a good let
ter, Blaine's utterance Is far more forcible,
for the reason that 1t Is written in a vastly
more spirited ana aggressive tone drives
straight at the weak points of the enemy,
and brings out the strong points of the Re-
publican side of the case In less than 1000
words, whore 5000 were required by the
President
One of the brightest officials IN the Treas
ury Department is a Pennsylvanian who is
a veritable "hustler" for the party IN his
county and Congressional district. There is
no man In the departments who has
keener sense for the practical side of affairs
and the value of words in campaign. He
had volumes of high praise yesterday for
the letter of President Harrison. When I
dropped in on him to-day he was bemoan-
ing to circle of Republicans the TACT that
Blaine and not Harrison could not be the
standard-bearer in this campaign.
Terse and Pointed Utterances.
"Look at that letter." he exclaimed, en-
Enthusiastically. "What q model presentation
it is of the issues upon which the Repub-
licans should fight the battle of this yearl
Can anybody think for a moment after read
ing 1t that the author of it Is the least bit
impaired in any of his faculties? 1t is the
tersest and most pointed political utterance
since the days of Lincoln and Grant The
tariff, reciprocity, and an honest and safe
currency with no wildcat banks are his
trinity for the campaign, and he puts into
newspaper form arguments in support of
each of his propositions. He does not fool
with the force bill question. even to the ex-
tent of q single word. He does not even
waste ammunition with praise OF the ad-
minjstration of which he was for more than
three years q member and he does not think
Harrison worth mentioning. 1t is the party
he lauds, its acts in Congress and the en-
bodiment of its principles in the official ut
terances of its accredited delegates in con-
vention.
"Funny he forgot to refer to Harrison in
the faintest way. isn't it7 But those Repub-
licanS In Maine have a fashion of doing such
things. Tom Reed hasn't mentioned Harri-
son In any of the grand speeches for the Re-
publican party. Funny, TOO. that the letter
of Blaine should come before the public ex-
actly one day after the letter of President
Harrison was published. Isn't it queer that
SO many OF the bright lights of both of the
old parties should be willing to speak for
the party without saying word about the
nominees?
A Bid That Was Neglected.
"I Idon't think ever took part in cam
paign in which the party loomed up so high
above the candidates. And Harrison made
a nice bid, too. for compliment from
Blaine. After doing his best to steal
Blaine's thunder in regard to the origin of
the plan for reciprocity in the speeches he
made on his long Southern and Western
tour. he gives tardy recognition of Blaine's
services in behalf of reciprocity in his let
ter of yesterday. Blaine knew there WAS q
hook concealed in the bait, however, and he
did not nibble worth q cent.
"Confound 1t, I'm so mad yet on account
of the defeat of Blame at the National Con-
vention that I could almost make up my
mind to vote for him anyway. If we could
vote direct for president I'd do it. 1 see now
chat Harrison's letter-with all its skill in
composition, is shifty and cringing. 1t is
not go great as an utterance of principles
and battle cries as it is pitiful plea TOR
votes. Blaine's letter has an honest and
Straightforward ring to it that is lacking in
the long effusion of Harrison.
"What a villainous shame it is that the
old house on Lafayette square is untenanted,
the rooms dark and silent, the windows and
doors nailed fast, the yard grown high with
weeds, and ali because this cold and repel-
liant man Harrison made 1t so disaSreeable
for the owner when the people insisted on
his nomination for the Presidency that the
great Secretary was forced to resign for very
self respect. His letter shows him to be q
greater man in retirement than Harrison is
as the National candidate of the party, and
it will awake responsive thrill in the
hearts of Republicans that will be of a thou
sand times more benefit to the party than
anything that Harrison could say"