Milford chronicle., 1893-02-03

now forms part Of Washington city, by the
side of his favorite son. Walker Blaine, aud
his daughter, Mrs Coppinger
News Of his death was received with pro
founded sorrow through the world. Nearly
every Legislature passed 6ittiug resolutions Of
coincidence, and from the digna,aries of Eur
ope kilograms Of pothy reach the family.
SKETCH OF BLAINE's LIFE.
James G. Blaine was born in Washington
county Pennsylvania, January Il. 1850. HIS
parents lived on Indian Hill Farm. and IN
the first stone house built on the western
side of the Monongahela river
His predilectons were for politics He
He became an ardent Wing and follower
Of Henry Clay In choosing a prOfessio n his
choice lay between school teaching and
journalism He thought those were the
most useful aYocations in which men could
engage. He began his career IS a teacher in
the schools Of Kentucky, and became pro-
fessOr in the Wertern Military Institute a
school of about 45o pupils
While teaching at Blue Lick Springs Mr..
Blaine met his future wife She was a Miss
Stanford of Maine, and was q pupil al
female school at MillersbuTg, Pa, where
they met. Several years after his marriage
Mr. Blaine determined to read law and did
so, but was never admitted to the bar. He
had returned to Pennsylvania but yielded
to tile wishes Of his wife to make their home
in the State Of Maine, and in 1858 he remov-
ed to Augusta, Me. where he became part
owner and editor Of the RenHebee Journal
This was his real entraHce into public life.
He became a leader in the Whig party and
when that party went to pieces Ia 1856 he
became one Of the leading organizers OF the
Republican party and made his irst appear
ance, and won good reputation as a stump
speaker in the Fremont campaign Of that
yesr
Two years later, 1883, James c. Blaine,
when he was 29 years of age, was elected
member of the Maine Legislature, and in
1860 was elected speaker Of its House Of Re
representatives..
He was elected to Congress in 1862 and
was reelected at every congressional election
up to 1874.
10 1860 Mr.. Blaine was elected speaker of
the House Of Representatives of the Forty
FIRST Congress and was re elected speaker Of
the House for the Forty-third Congresses.
having filed the most important place in the
House for six years, and during the most
exciting period Of Congressional history.
lanes G. Blaine's next appearance in Con-
gress was as a senator on July 3, 1876, when
he succeeded the Hon. Lot NJ. Merrill by ap-
pointment from the governor of Maine. He
was elected for the ensuing senatorial term
BY the Legislature of Maine. He had been
a candidate for the Republican nomination
for the Presidency at the Cincinnati conven-
ton, which met a month previous, and had
scceeded Senator Morrill,, who had resigned
to become Secretary of the Treasury. He
resigned from the Senate in 1880, after re-
markable career in that body, to become
Secretary of State in President GaTfeld's
Cabinet. He had been a strong candidate
for the Presidential uomiuatiOu at the Chica-
90 convention, having stood next to General
Grant in ballotiug until the last ballot when
General Garfield was nominated Mr.. Blaine
resigned from the Cabinet on the accession
of President Arthur, and remained in private
life until he was nominated for President Of
the United States by the Republican Nation
al Convention at Chicago, June, 1884.
Mr.. Blaine was again candidate for the
Presidential nomination in 1888, and after
wards accepted the portfolio of Secretary of
State in the Cabinet of President Harrison.
He resigned pTevions to the Minneapolis
Convention of June last and was again can
didate for the Republican Presidential nomi-
nation.
He was the best known and most admired
OF the national Republican leaders Ofhis day,
excepting, possibly, Lincoln aud Grant.
Like these, his greatest contemporaries, he
will be remembered by the breadth OF his
patriotism, and the magnanimity Of his re-
construction theories after the civil war. He
urged vigorous prosecution of the war for
the saying of the Union, and after the war
was over regarded GdGu hlalS - lu AeS nAh
place and the South entitled to all the rights
enjoyed by other States. In a speech de-
Hvered at Skowhegan, Michigan, in 1860, he
said:
1--WE are willing to forget all that they
have done We cast out of our memories
the lives that have been lost the property
that has been destroyed, the frightful distress
that has been created, in consequence of
their rebellion. tits better that it be sor-
gotten aud in the bosom of the deop ocean
buried We do not deal with them in
spirit of revenge; we infiiet nothing upon
them for the past beyond what is needful
for the safety of the future-for it is only to
the future that we now look F"
Mr. Blaine's book, Twenty Years in Con-
gress," netted him large sum Of money.
| It is estimated III the neighborhoud of $780,
600. His personal fortune is about $780,
600. A large part of Mr.. Blaina's money
was made in investments in coal lands in
western Pennsylvania and in certain proper
ties in West Virginia.
There is nothing in record of Mr.. Blaine
/ from first to last that will show that he ever
used his official position to make one dollar.