Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-28

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kis lstterx We VIII have sesns u -
IL 6th a June. 1s7s Blame rsses
froni the speakers eok snd holds Aiofs
bundle a rapers. n h tbs incrizni-
nzt1as package He himself WI rssd
ths-a through one by one Certainly be
has humiliation and nstifscation to DO
il. t,ut b viii read thsn' Courage Is
necs<azry for such task. hut tns tsitsrs
inust Be read II Invite the confidence
II II. CD. go d nv coInsrFrnen while !
read these letters frvsn this desk-- Tho
reading WA completed. None coald
have cone IL better. The SPEAKER then
turaed upon the chairman or the COM
nlittee and scorrfully charged him with
Yufposely withholding and snprressans
= communication which would have ABB
solrItely exonerafed him from the eharges
which had been circulated against hss
honor. The crisis broke In another tn
umph, perhaps the most dramatic and
sensational ever witnessed IN the house
Of representatives.
Blaine has leea held 10 stern account
by the American people IN tho MISTER o.
the Muiligsn correspondence. 30 bc H.
lie ia neither wholly cleared nor wholly
condemned The transaction was amhig-
nous and tortuous. In the retrospect II
hath ugiiness. II should be said, however.
that Elaine in this matter was more 10
be blamed for acting and regeneration
than he was for the original business
This trait has be.n one or the prime
weaknesses Of the great character before
rs. While he possessed many kinds OF
audacity he was lacking in a certain eic-
meut Of moral courage. II was the bane
Of his life 10 have o weakness at certain
points where he should have been strong.
Satan never uttered moro sterling
truth than when he said, spirit. 70 be
weak Is to be miserable Blaine in
some particulars has been both weak
and miserable. II, for example. he had
simply said, II made honorable purchase
Of railway bonds; it is nobody's bust
hess. and what are You going to do about
ity' the matter would have ended.
James q. Elaine would be president Of
the United States. This was the dorni-
pant passion OF his soul and life. What
ever interposed between him and his
purpose was in the nature Of an eclipse
1t is strange thing that American
Statesmen have not yet learned that the
presidency Of the United States goes by
accident and indi-ec.ion. and not by
ambition. continuance and endeavor
Who has long sought tho presidency and
gained it? The great Office not only goes
without the ambition Of the winner. but
with little regard to his merit. Blaine
strove for twenty-five years 70 reach the
presidency. He paid down the honest
coin Of great talents and great endeavor
He had merit and accomplishment. His
capacity for the highest place has not
been questioned by any. America has
not produ sd man who in native gifts
and brilliant attainments was moro fitted
for the presidential Office than James q.
Blaine.
But he missed it! 1t was with him q
quest and struggle of Tantalus. Once and
again the ghttering prize was within his
grasp. at Cincinnati in 1876 only twen-
ty-eight votes wore lacking to his nomina-
ton. Certainly had he been nominated
he would have received rs many votes as
Hayes In that convention the faces Of
his rivals looked leeringly from the eau
Gus rooms, and Elaine was beaten. In
1850 he was again In the arena and well
nigh successful. in that year the nomi-
nation would certainly have brought
election, as IL brought the prize to Gar
field.
Four years more, and the man from
Maine captures the preliminary choice
, and is launched on the sea of the can
vass. lie manages his own campaign.
The antecedents Of success are com
passed. The two pivotal states are won.
and then, on the eve of the election. the
greatest Of the two is suddenly trans
ferred to the enemy by farcical per
sonal incident which brought defeat :.
the great leader and gave TO an unknown
preacher such fame as Empedocles got
for jumping into Etna!
The quest went on. Another four year
| period passed. and Blaine stood obviously
on the horizon. OF a certainty he might
have had the nomination Probably be
would have taken it but for the belief
which he doubtlessly entertained that at
least one Of the pivotal states would vote
against him. The man whom be had
employed four years before as his law
yer walked off with the prize and strobe
into the White Housel A second time
Elaine is secretary Of state 1t might
well appear that the phantom Of the
presidency had now vanished, but not
so. Probably it never vanished from the
mind OF any one who has once seen the
vision Could we penetrate the mind of
Blaine during the last quadrenninm Of
his life we shorld zee the cross currents
Of early ambitions and Of mature reason
flowing together and breaking in long
lines OF foam.
They who lind interest in such facts as
national conventions, and who suppose
that bodies Of that hind are really forces
In human history. may well discover
food Ia the Minneapolis convention Of
1892. Let Ii be said that If ever Blaine
was ontwittod bys competitor 1t wa
by Benjamin Harrison' With the ap-
rroach 81 the presidential year blaine
found hifuse.i irnpeded with obstacles,
---rs~ifni VIZ .-irrursefarros hrhisss~f
with unbeatable Official relations. and.
worst ~ all. weakened with the ap-
preach Of age. The Ere still burned
within lin. bus the volcano was less
active si4An of old. The result was that
t.is rr1aming of his ambition at Mime
sloii- was Only fitful glare. He flased
feebly aad went out Psrtisanslip had
kiudlei ~ frss On 81 The surrounding
heights. aud '1.s t,xhfof the great lumi-