The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-28

to send man to congress. but in South
Carolina. Mississippi and Louisiana it took
but 5000 whites. Mr.. Blaine, from the
very first, vigorously advocated the restric-
ton Of Chinese immigration. Mr.. Blaine's
diplomatic discussion of the Clayton and
Bu.wer treaty; of the Berlng sea difficulty,
have won for him the admiration OF the
ablest diplomats of both parties, and his
policy OF commercial reciprocity with
countries to the south of US is an admir-
able illustration of the acute, far-sighted
quality of Mr.. Blaine's political vision.
Measured by the imprint of his hand
upon the legislation and diplomacy Of the
nearly thirty years, Mr.. Blame was GER
tainly a successful constructive states
man: he has been man of ideas with a
policy, and he has succeeded in getting it
adopted. He has never hesitated to take
his side and keep it; he has made mis-
takes. but he has been oftener right than
any man of his time; he has been charged
with selling the influence of his official
position; SO for that matter was Alexander
Hamilton, and Webster was charged with
embeZzling the secret service fund of the
department Of state. Biaine's vindication
was certainly as plausible as that Of
fered by Hamilton. and it was ac-
cepted by the American people. The
Democratic committee of investigation
dropped their pursuit of Blaine after his
personal defiance and explanation on the
floor of the house. As long as Mr.. Blaine
retained his health and his working pow
ers his career was an unbroken success,
for he had the affection and confidence of
the vast majority of his party
in defeat in 1876; in 1880; In
1884, and in 1888 he was morally GER
tain OF nomination and election had
not disease and the shadows Of impending
death begun to gather about him. Moth
ing but the failure of his health which
prompted him to refuse to be a candidate
in 1888 prevented his being president, but
his election would have added nothing to
his fame, for it needed nothing that the
presidency could have added to it.
Measured by his influence On the legisla-
ton and policy OF his party for thirty
years, Baine's career has been as success
full and states manlike as that of any man
in American history since Henry Clay,
save Lincoln. 1t was the habit of Ed
munds, Conkiing. Thurman, Matt Carpen-
ter and other famous lawyers of the United
States senate to sneer at Blaine as mo
lawyer" 1t is true he was not lawyer;
hyrsh xx g.. l. -.
manship. nevertheless, and he will be a
splendid figure and proud memory in
American history when the liable law
yers" who sneered at him will be OF very
small historical consequence by COM
parison.
Every school boy knows today who
Blaine was; and every school boy will
know fifty years from today who Blaine
was, just as he knows today who Henry
Clay was; who Webster and Lincoln and
Grant and Sheridan were. Very few
school boys know today whether Thur
man is alive or dead; whether Edmunds
has resigned from the senate or not, and
fifty years from today the average school
boy won't know that there ever was such
a man as Thurman or Edmunds unless
he Is dull enough to read the history of
the electoral commission of 1877.
From 1869 to 1888 Mr.. Blaine in sunshine
and in storm, in victory or defeat was the
leader Of the Republican party. Not until
fatal disease in 1888 forced Mr.. Blame to
refuse to be candidate for the presidency
did he cease to be the leader of his party.
The work wrought by Mr.. Blaine since
1888 has some of it been of the first order
of excellence. adding to his permanent
fame, but Mr.. Blaine can no more be
fairly judged by what he has done or
omitted to do during the last three years
than Walter SCOTS genius can be fairly
gagged by the literary work he put
forth in the last melancholy years of
his life when his great brain was slowly
yielding to insidious paresis. Mr.. Blaine
has been slowly-dying man since 1888,
and he has been but mere wreck of his
noble prime for at least three years. The
Blaine of history that faced Thad Stevens
and worsted him; that did not fear to
cross swords with Conkling; that wiped"
Tue llppT Vi thb house with Den butIer.
that left the speakers chair and defeated
the force bill of 1874, with the Republican
administration of Grant and the strongest
Republican leaders behind it: the Blaine
that read the Mulligan letters in the house.
dared his enemies 10 do their worst until
the Democratic committee of investigation
fairly withered up and disappeared before
L.
Blaine has not been with US since the fatal
Florence letter was written. 1t Is true
that Mr. Blaine has since seemed disposed
TO accept the duties and the dangers of his
old leadership, but this capricious behav-
Tor was hut melancholy proof OF the fearful
inroads of his fatal disease, which slowly
but surely wasted his magnificent powers
Of mind and body.