The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-02-03
Eve, and anon while still in the house

original force the first sparks of that
policy between which and the high jingo-
ism of British politics so n.,ny points of
similarity may be Ii ovc-ud. 1t may
be defined rs the poly Of Gcn'e Aneeri-
camism! 1t develops itself into the
theory of the complete sy 35regation of che
American republics and of the utilization
of all under the aagis of the United
States. 1t is form of patriotic indig-
nation of which one of the fundamental
principles is attachment to the Irish
cause and aversion to British influences
on this side of the sea. 1t is probable
that the doctrine of protection, to which
Blaine gave such powerful and rational
advocacy, was by him held as secondary
to the deeper motive of American self
suffciency and of the confirmation of
the United States in the primacy of the
three Americas.
Blaine's whole career in congress was
spectacular and dramatic. The genius
of the man favored display and great
acting. Without doubt Blaine had the
power to grasp a situation, to extract
from it it's dramatic elements and to
work those elements into a scene. In
this particular American history has not
furnished his equal. His audacity al
ways stood him well in hand. Time and
again he was brought into collision with
dangerous men and still more dangerous
facts. 1t may be doubted whether in
such contingencies he ever suffered dis
paragement, to say nothing OF defeat.
Time and again he issued from the most
serious complications, portending ruin
to his fortunes, with victory on his crest
In such contests there is little doubt that
he was capable of supplying in his own
cause, by well placed fiction and unsup-
ported defamation, those elements of
facu which truth withheld. In the crises
of his career he was wont to shoot the
rapids like skillful and daring boat
man. There were days when his proud
ship and valuable cargo were crowded
hard between Scylla and Charybdis, but
he always went through with a shout
and was answered by the roar Of the sur
rounding seas.
We may here refer at once to Blaine's
personal antagonis1ns and ever recurring
encounters. No other American states
man of great rank has had SO many and
such serious battles Some were battles
with men and others with clrcum-
stances These cost the gladiator dearly.
It was his antagonism, be it said, that
finally stranded him on the shores this
side of the White House. He attacked,
and attacked bitterly, all of his rivals.
He seemed to be inspired with the belief
that he must vanquish them and put
them down. AS he rose toward the
speakership, and from the speakership
toward the presidency, he discerned win
clear eye the facts and the men with
whom he had to contend. There was
Roscoe Conkling for one. Blaine at
tackled Conkling, and in that hour Mem
esis looked down from the gallery! He
eyed Morton askance. He saw Garfield
with jealousy which became acute as
Garfield pressed up to his flank. His
impetuosity knew no bounds. At times
it seemed that he could not curb him.
self. He flung sarcasms and ironies and
invectives by The handful. They struck
where they might. His was to be a lead
ership by conquest and by the humila
ton of the foe.
In Blaine there was, however, strong
mingling of the calm, the judicial, thu
conservative method. Strange how JUS
he could be! The house of representa-
tives never had better or truer speaker
His personality in the desk was immense
AS presiding officer he not only won bu
merited universal respect. His rulings
were impartial. His eye had the glance
Of the eagle, and his pose and self posses
sion were magnificent. He was capable
of justice and truth. He would no
brook such infamy as the caucus occa
sionally propounded. At one time hi
was well nigh losing the allegiance of hi
party by defiant counter ruling in ia
vor of the Democracy. The strangt
thing about Blaine was that though h
in that crisis set himself against thu
first force bill with the determination O.
duty and truth we are still left doubt
full whether he was inspired with thu
belief that his ruling was good polite
for himself or whether he felt the powe,
of the speakers oath upon his conscience
IF Blaine attacked his great rivals will
all the resources of his genius, what shall
we say of the onset upon the politica
foe in both houses? The recrimination
of the war were hot within. There wa
one spectacular episode after another
Did Blaine purposely devise and plal
the situation and the day of his famou
deliverances? At any rate he provoked
Benjamin H. Hill and made him his foil
Jefferson Davis should not be pensione'
as Mexican veteran-not indeed becaus
he had been president of the Confed
eracy, but because he had been responsi
BILE for Andersonville and Libby! Tha
indeed was bombshell. 1t exploded
and the roar of it was heard to Califo1
mia. Vainly did the man of Georgia raj
ly and countercharge and assail. FL
was vanquished, and the plume of Blain
was the one conspicuous sign seen abov
the field.
The age following the civil war wa
corrupt. That word, in its radical sense
means broken up and COMPOUNDED. Th
times conformed exactly to this defn
ton. The sluices of redundant cu1
rency flowed bankful through ever
5 channel. Victory had come and brough
g power to the victors; patriotism ha
, great profit! Hitherto the scrutiny {