Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-01-31
LANES G- RLAINR.


James Gillespie Blaine died at
his Washington residence last Fri
day morning after a long illness.
He was a remarkable man and was
one of the most eminent statesman
of this century. The one great
ambition of his life was to become
President of the United States.
Although he received votes for the
nomination for the Presidency in
every republican national conven-
ton since 1879 and once ran on the
republican ticket, his greatest am
bition was not gratiied.
Mr.. Blaine was born near West
Brownsville, Pa. , on a farm, Jan
uary 81, 1880. He graduated from
Washington college in 1S47 and
went to Kentucky as a teacher.
In 1852 he returned to Pennsyl-
yaia and for a time taught in a
Philadelphia institution for the
blind, but 1855 found him in Maine
in the newspaper business. He
was a delegate to the first national
convention the republican party
held and was an active figure in
Maine politics from that time on.
He was in the Maine legislature
four years, from 1859 to 1862 in
elusive. In the latter year he was
elected to congress and was re-
turned to each succeeding congress
until he was elected to the Uuited
States senate from which body he
resigned in 1881 to accept the
position of secretary of state in
Garfeld's cabinet. After the death
of Garfield, which occurred Sep
TENDER 10, of that year, he resigned
his position and retired to private
life.
He was nominated for the Pres
idency by the republicans at
Chicago in June 1884, but was de-
feated by Grover Cleveland at the
election after a campaign of un-
usual interest. New York was the
decisive state in the battle and had
it not been for the old feud which
existed between Blaine and Conk-
ling there is hardly a doubt but
that Blaine would have been elect
ed. Conkling and his friends nei-
Their forgot nor forgave and the
state was carried for Clevel and.
Dur ing Cleveland's administra-
ton he went to Europe but re-
turned in time to take part in the
campaign of 1888 and he was
made secretary of state 10y Harri-
son. He pursued the aggressive
policy sc characteristic of the man
until he narrowly escaped foreign
complications. The relations be-
tween the President and his secre-
tary OF state became so strainedthat
Blaine finally resigned the week
before the meeting of the Minneap-
oils convention. He hoped to de-
feat Harrison for the nomination
but the administration plans had
been so well laid that they could
not be frustrated. Blaine did moth
ing during the campaign but to
write a letter and make a dinner
speech of few words at the coun-
try residence Of Whitolaw Reid.
One of the grandest tributes ever
paid to a man in public life in this
country was paid to Blaine by
Robert G.. Ingersoll at the Gin
cinnati convention in 1876, in
placing Blaine's name before the
convention. This speech, that of
Conkling nominating Grant, and
the speech of of Bourke Cochran at
Chicago last June, were the great
est nominating speeches ever made
in the United States. Although
Blaine was a great statesman he
did not have the confidence of the
people TO that extent which might
have been expected. He was a man
Of great foresight and was one Of
the few republicans who saw that
the Mckinley bill would result in
the defeat Of the republican Dartv