The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-01-28

BLAINE.
during the administration Of Mr.. Hayes,
with whom he was not on even amicable
| terms The unhappy difference was due
! TO social causes with which neither man
could interfere, except to aggravate them,
| and which were Of the same character
! that cost him, in 1892. the final rupture of
| his relations with President Harrison.
In the Senate Mr.. Blaine was neither dis
tinguished nor happy. He was not a law
yer but he could not be restrained from
J rushing Oh questions with law I'm them.
| The lawyers of both parties In that body
| took pleasure in wigglng him. He was
| not a financier, and those In that body
| who TN ought they were repelled his coura-
J eeous assaults on financial subjects. He
| did know something about reconstruction.
but Il had been accomplished and nulli-
fed. He did know something about the
! tariff. but the subject was not up for
/ consideration. He had views which might
even be pronounced extraordinary about
foreign affairs and 1t was the delight
| of John Sherman and Simon Cameron TO
| bait him with them. His activity In the
Senate was incessant but not very pro-
| ductive Few. if pny, measures that
became laws bear his name. He aroused
the hostility Of colleagues and he fall
! ed 10 get the favorable attention OF the
| body. The result in part was due TO
his "house manner OF impetuosity and
I'm mart TO the failure OF his knowledge
of sayeral great subjects 10 justify the
confidence which he felt in his abiiity 10
discuss them. Overwhelming all was tne
cloud of accusations in tho House. which
cast its shadow on him wnen IN the
Senate. MI
becoming Secretary OF State under Presi-
dent GARFIELD. Mr. Blaine began his career
as a factor in the foreign AFFAIRS or the
United States He progressed no 1arther
I'm them than to involve the Government
in South American engagements wnich MS
successor. Secretary Frelinghuysen, cam
celled on the demand of President Ar
thur. Mr. Blaine gave way to trellns-
huysen eleven years ago yesterday. The
tragic close OF the Garfield administra-
tion was referable to the ferocious con-
sequences of a spoils quarrel, whlch
brought Mr.. Blaine the presidential nomi-
nation in 1884. and which cost his party
and himself defeat in that year
The period of Democratic restoration
from 1884 to 1883 was occupied by MIR.
Blaine in finishi his one book, In Eu-
ropean travel in the easy retention
of the chief Republican leadership. he
had lived into the time when the fashion
of attaining presidential nominations by
declining them in advance had set In
Whether he desired to be nominated IN
1888 or not will never probably be known
Most likely he did not, for his letters are
incompatible with any other idea. His
private expressions after Harrison was
nominated indicated that he wished he
had not so vigorously declined the nomi-
nation himself in 1883, for he repeatedly
sought answers to the inquiry whether he
could not have been elected that year
as surely as General Harrison was. His
friends in the 1888 convention did him the
disservice of treating his declination as
not sincere, but they did not carry that
act to the extent which they INDUCED in
The presidential canvass OF 1850 so re-
suited as to make the ambition OF Mr..
Blaine OF service TO the security OF a
wholesome American tradition, which had
its basis in the vigilance that is the pro-
verbal price OF liberty. He desired to be
nominated for President. confederacy
OF politicians sought third time TO nom
mate Grant. Mr.. Blaine swung his fol-
lowing to Garfield, who was nominated.
The third term was beaten by the Re-
publican party. The fact should not be
misunderstood. Neither Blaine nor Gar
field ever said word against a third
term to the convention. They would have
been bound TO have supported Grant had
he been nominated. But by himself being
a CdnQlQdte anu tHtH ny idSSiH5 i'o
strength on Garfield. Mr.. Blaine beat the
third term movement without antago-
nizing IL In words. His was the opposi-
tIon Of action, assisted rather than I'M
paired by the reserve OF expression. In
the convention Of 1892. In 1858 the conyen-
tion was saved the necessity OF enforcing
his own declination on him. In lss2 the
politicians exposed him 10 the mortnca-
tion of having the convention do that
very thing.
The last public function Of Mr.. Blaine |
was that OF Secretary OF State under
president Harrison. He held the office |
from March T. 1889, until early June, 1852,
when he suddenly resigned to become
candidate against the President IN the |
Minneapolis convention. His second ex-
perience In the Department OF state was
only less unhappy than the hrst. IL is
not too much to say that II conceded with |
his steady deterioration In public estl-
mate and with the steady rise or Presi- |
dent Harrison in It, The first impression |
OF the country was that the Secretary |
would overshadow the President and the |
President would more or less philosoph- !
ically submit TO the eclipse
That expectation of itself produced |
feeling in the country within the party |
and amid the cabinet that the perVerse |
ingenuity Of critics and the mistaken zeal
OF factionists. to say notning OF the en-
terprise" of the press. did little to lessen |
1t was a feeling hazardous to the discre-
ton and steadiness Of Mr.. Blaine and |
irving 10 the equanimity of the President |
and to the reticence Of his real friends IN |
the cabinet. The test was met with only |
Martial success. The secretary succumbcd |
TO It. as his sudden resignation and In |
dsfensible endeavor to win nomination |
which he had squarely renounced In ad-
vance showed. The rest OF the cabinet |
fell below no requirement. OF loyalty to |
their chief. To the skill OF one OF them. |
s. 3. Elkins, was due the getting OF the |
February letter OF renunciation out OF |
Mr.. Blain.. Thereafter he was incapaci.
tated for effective war on the President
from within his political household tor