The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-02-17
eLAINE'S RECORD.


The Passing Of the Colossus u the Re-
publican Party.
1t Is certain that the people will gem
orally recognize that in the death of
James q. blaine hey have lost the hest
gave them. Lincoln only excepted
1T is not always the very best men
who are the very best in their relations
20 the people," said the late s. $ Cox.
and though the truth OF the assertion 10
in one sense open to serious question.
IL il unquestionably true In another.
With all his weaknesses; with the love
OF money, the unbridisd desire Of ac-
QUESTION that SO degraded the charac-
ter OF Grant, Blaine had redeeming vir-
tues that made il possible for him to
render the country greater service than
any republican has rendered II since
the accession of Andrew johnson.
At time when the radicalism Of the
sans-cullottes of the French reign of
terror was the dominating influence at
Washington blaine showed real pa
triotism that is the best feature OF his
career. When Ben Butler, as the
Marat of the Jacobins. was leading
them on to complete the utter spoiia-
ton Of the south by making it perma-
nently a subject territory, it was
Blaine who saved his party from
this great crime and his country from
this browning misfortune. And again
when Harrison and Lodge attempted
to carry out what Butler had failed in
1t was Blaine who again threw his in
fiuence against it and defeated it In
q time when sectionalism made any
measure Of tyranny seem jnstifable to
. majority of the republican party
Blaine was one of the very few leaders
of the party who showed that he had
any feeling Of patriotism for the old
union as it existed in the days when all
Just government was supposed to de-
pend on the consent of the governed.
The faults in Blaine's character may
be briefly disposed of. He became
prominent in his party at a time when
its public men were engaged in desper-
ate attempts to get rich as fast as pos
siblc without being at all particular
about the means. There were notable
exceptions to this rule, but unfortu-
nately Blaine was not one of them
rounded him. and the very best that
can bc said OF him in this respect Is
that his desire for sudden wealth made
him the victim Of knaves who used him
| as long as they could, and when they
could do so no longer disgraced him.
| Had he been as much of q scoundrel as
| were many of the men associated with
him at Washington this could not have
happened. He could have avoided ex-
posture and used the rascals around
him instead of allowing them to use
him. Undoubtedly Blaine expected TO
do this. but he die not know himself or
ne would never have attempted it. lie
never lost his conscience or his sense
of shame, while the men who fastened
themselves upon him have repeatedly
shown In their treatment OF him and
in their general conduct that they had
neither shame nor conscience
As public man Blaine was distinct
ly and confessedly an imitator OF
Henry Clay. He hoped to revive
Claws policies. to identify himself with
them, and through them to succeed
where Clay had failed. But Clay's
failure was his failure also Had
Blaine been radical he might have
been president. but he could not havs
been q genuine radical. no matter how
hard he had tried Like every other
prominent man in the republican
party, he was often compelled to make
radical profes sions, hut he never
seemed able to successfully initiate sc.
robustness in them except in his own
personal disappointment His defeat
for the presidency did make him fierce
ly radical for a time. but he could moi
remain so. and in a little while he was
as willing to make compromises as ever.
In this he was more like Clay than he
ever was in his most carefully studied
imitations-as in his imitation ol
Gays tariff policy. for instance. il
was only in this that Blaine showed
himself sectionalist Clay with mis-
tariff hoped to build up industries
throughout the country. Any tariff OF
Blaine's making would have been a
tariff for New England at the expense
OF the rest Of the country.
Bnt for Blaine's patriotism his part,
might have deliberately forced re
newal of civil war. He was aware o.
the dangers inherent in the radicalisu
of his associates and he shaped his owr
course so rs 10 avoid them and to save
the country from them. For this thu
country owes him much. Had he beer
elected president he would have done
nothing to disturb the people Of an,
section. lie would have done his hes
to reunite the people of all sections
and he would have shown what was, II
its way. certainly . sincere patriotism
But he would almost certainly hav'
forced foreign war, bringing with
new misfortunes that no statcsma ushil
can forescc-that no craftsmanship
ought to risk where the risk Is TO b
avoided.
Intellectually Mr.. Blaine was NJ
doubt the superior OF any republican
now alive. In intellect, compared Z
. such small brigadiers as arc the pres
cnt leaders of the party. he was a
Pelion to q wart lie foresaw the evil
they were bringing on the party an
attempted to change the party course
but the brigadicrs were too much 10
him.
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