Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-02-04

BENJAMIN Butler, ex-President
Hayes, Senator Kenna, Bishop
Brooks, Justice Lamar and James
G. BIaine-six in all-passed away.
Each had won distinction. Butler
as the author Of the expression
"contraband," fearless lesser light
general, an eccentric politician and
the foremost criminal lawyer of his
generation; Hayes, as a good SOL
der, a mild President and the occa-
sion of the historic joint electoral
commission; Kepna, as keen, tai
ented senator, though the youngest
member of the upper house; Brooks,
as the thorough Bostonian and one
of the leading divines of the Epis-
copal church; Lamar, as legislator,
secretary Of the interior and Judge
on the bench of the supreme court;
and Blaine-what shall we say Of
him? Born January 81, 1880, he
lacked but four days of being 60
wears old. Yet, measured by the
amount of work done and the dis
tinction gained at home and abroad,
he lived far longer than the months
and years properly indicate. His
political career was a strong one.
As delegate from Maine to the
first republican convention, he as
sisted in nominating John e. Free
mont, the first standard-bearer Of
the republican party. With pen or
voice he worked for the subse-
quent third of a century for the
party whose birth he witnessed, and
saw it triumph seven times and
twice go down to defeat. He was
five times before national repub-
lican conventions as a candidate for
president, once the nominee and
that time defeated by mere chance
or accident in the pivotal state, New
York. He served with distinction
in the lower house and for six years
was speaker where he gained an en-
yiable record as parliamentarian;
for the reconstruction era over
which he presided, in part, was
a stormy and troublesome one.
When the republicans lost control
of the house of representatives
Blaine became the leader of the
minority. From the house he
was called to the senate where he
came in contact with Roscoe Conk-
ling, a most bitter and at the same
time influential foe, though belong
ing to the same party. Blaine soon
soon gained the ascendency, how
ever, and indirectly was the cause of
Conkllng's resignation and retire
ment to private life. When Gar
field became president Blaine ac-
cepted the portfolio of secretary of
state and inaugurated measures for
extending the commercial relations
of the United States more extern
sively toward the South American
states, but the death of Garfield
and the subsequent resignation of
the secretary robbed the Pan-Amer-
Jean congress of some Of its official
dignity and recognition and doubt
less the results were not as great as
were anticipated. After his sting
ing defeat for president at the polls
in 1884, Blaine retired to private
life and completed his Twenty
Years In Congress, work conced-
ed to be one Of the most valuable
contributions Of it's kind ever writ
ten. Again called to assume the
duties of secretary of state under
Harrison's administration he took
hold of the Boring sea and fisheries
dispute, the CHILEAN affair and other
international questions, and by his
genius prepared to maintain the dig
nifty and at the same time advance
the material interests of his govern
ment. His reciprocity ideas were
incorporated in the Mckinley bill
and have opened up larger CONNER
cial fields with the nations south of
us. Blaine was not without his
faults. As congressman he was
an uncompromising partisan, who,
at times, seemed narrow in his