Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-02-02


cinatcd with business pursuits, and it was
a serious question for some months whether
he should not abandon politics and devote
himself to business.
Those who knew Blaine in later years do
clared that had he entered the field of bust
ness activity he had the peculiar mental
qualities which would have enabled him to
stand with the great organizing and con
structive comm a. Il geniuses of his gener-
alton. lie never cared for money for itself.
He did not have the acquisitive sense But
h. liked power, and he realized ut that early
day what tho power of money is.
why He Went to Congress.
An emergency arose in tho congress dis-
trct in which he lived. \ candidate was
to be put in nomination. The temptation
was offered 20 him he thought of the mat
ter over night and on the next morning
had come to Il decision which determined
his career. lie was nominated on the first
ballot and elected with but feeble upposi-
ton.
Soon after Mr.. Blaine was sworn in
friend called on him at his boarding house
1T Washington quite late in the evening.
Ho rund Blaine at his desk, his ruddy
tinted hair so near the gas burner that it
seemed rs though it must be snged, a copy
of the house rules before him, volume of
"Cushing's Manual and report Of prec
edents which had been established by he
rulings of various speakers.
"Ratberdry reading, isn'tit, Mr.. Blaine?"
said bis friend.
YES. if you read it olThand, but the man
who masters tins, throwing his hand down
upon the pages OF the book or rules, mas
tiers the house OF representatives"
l.. Il =. "a -. a..
1t is one OF the traditions OF Blane that
he mabtered tpshlng parliamentary rules
III one night III ms college days, and won a
youthful victory in school politics the next
day thereby Ana IN TINS chance remark
to friend he revealed the purpose of polit-
zeal mastery which had selled him. Tie was
quiet in the house until he had mastered as
perfectly as the rule OF three those meth
DDS OF procedure winch govern 1t. And
when tins was his possession he began to
assert himself. That was exactly what one
young Democratic member was doing, Mr.
Randall, and herein lay in no small degree
the secret OF the power which these two
men gained on their respective SIDES OF the
aisle
hi"'ne' ''"'o" eroeP''o"'
ito sno"ou 'O"i"@'e' oiO0 W
w. N yiHo ~ l ~ .cii nc esSi uIISu ~
parry III INC iU"'g WIN a'ic anu toS
maui assel Ane tuU n iiu sriHHL! o...
S ,! "l1"Neu W linu ms au'hort1y
u't"'eu ~ Sou''sSloI' 'i.eu :" u. '''i
I''".iio vi t's GA ~ ND Va ,.i
"elv Va Gu '"i o"o ~ io'm'' LIS
liS9Oet i's..' Ia % III
,IUins IoI nlii''"'' e0'eiIIii'Ii'9 III 'ii0
y,Iit 80, g.. ,..... -. 49,. IN,
%! Va? -. ~ ie'olnS VI us
| W." - P''TH mn ~
=. = - . ~ '..s'-
-; " = go
~ Wv ~ ."' ~. ~
1, 49, ~ : ~ ~ " 80
ii' iiie ~ ms vas Wv
y. 9. i,s'a Nv '.,. h .,il LAO H.
.niv VI I, ii.I'i'' " niCii l's'u i.sS'ou
P.opos.N "n "..loi-u4iieuO pS "nio' - 1piee
Vi hiiilI.iS Ho,erni. .ne peopiI ~ In e
- ~ loi
wy =" ~ 1850 I ~ 80 ". 80,
"e''''- 80 u -
.4ie ~ upon ms ~" .no -ie','
~ ~ 49, -. .fI . s'.s,s ~. 1,,,r.a,,
go ~ nc ootiu '.oo .A''''
'N'o Wv ''s' '''e "iiN ''''
biaihes 'mpetuosity.
In the next congress, TO which Blame was
elected by practically unanimous vote he
ictH ir44l equiPPc" Ava oiiNSo 'Ni "tooiS
| which had the speakersh1p aud, beyonc
question, the presidency IN view. he hac
the Same lmpetuoslty IN the house, the
dashing, dramatic manner which charac'
terzed sheridan IN the ned, QUANTITIES
which, combined with courage and mag
nanimity, are sure to command greatpopu
larity.
These very qualities made Blaine reck
! less Ill speech al times. lie never praCtlCcC
oratory as those who desire to win rhetor
lcal repute ao' he wrote lie" ana reneaise'
no speeches.. Ie was master OF gool
Ehgish, reauy thlnAer upon lis lee'
aiIhouSh ne never spoke excepting upon
SUBJECT with winch no was lamiilar, liz
possessed capuclty Tor lnVectlFe ana sar
casih, ana he lhaulSed IN IL, ana ina
there came Vbout the verbal encouhte
wlth foscoc CohRllhs' when seems aeS
tlhed TO he associated by ifadltloh WIN III
ZANE OF Do'h OF theh.
Conkllng had returned TO congress an'
there Is little DOUBT that both ANA blalh
as soon as they met measured each ,the
WIN lhe eyes Oh T!Nals' NohkHhS mao Woi
maSnihcent reptte as an orator and D,