Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-02-05
Mr.. BLAINE'S CAREER.
HE SURVIVED MOST OF HIS EARLIER CON-
TEMP0RARIES.
An Interesting Description Of Blaine Written TWEEN
ty-fw Years Ago, When He Was Sur
rounded by Some of the Brightest
Statesmen of Modern Times.
Sp.etal correeporaence Of the Reol,.sr.

SDectat Correspondence Of the REGISTER.
WASHINGTON, February 2.-Mr.
Blaine outiived nearly all the men who
were prominent 10 public LIE when ne
first attracted national attention. mat
was Just quarter of century ago.
He was then serving his third term In
the House, had already made many
striking speeches, had become very
popular and was a candidate for the
Speakership, which he afterward
reached. Mr.. Blaine at this time was
only thirty-eight years old, and his
must then have been one of the most
attractive figures ever seen in our Con-
greSs. ,
In an old newspaper the other day
came upon a piquant description OF Mr..
Blaine as a statesman in his young man
hood, and as | read II l could not help
contrasting the Blaine OF % years ago
with the Blaine we have known In wash
ington during the last two months-the
Blaine whose arterial system was clog
ged by fatty degeneration till every or
gan, including the brain, was deprived
of blood nouriShment, inducing sleep
twenty hours out Of every twenty
four and continuous unconscious
ness, except at rare intervals-the
Blaine whose closing career in public lie
had been marked by failure OF those
wondrous intellectual powers which for
a quarter OF century had surprised
and delighted all beholders-the Blaine
whose i'll nourished brain at times lost
not only it's wonted brilliancy, but It's
coherency-th Blaine whose valuable
life was being gradually Choked out OF
him by suffocation of the circuatory
system. IL was OF this Blaine, so long
we'll nigh matchless in the public arena,
that a Washington correspondent wrote
twenty-five years ago:
"Mr. Blaine is an indefatigable work
er, an accurate statistician, a logical
reasoner and fluent speaker. He pos
sesses thorough knowledge OF plrlia-
mentary law. His tact in discharging
the duties of presiding officer has often
been tested by his temporary occupancy
Of the speakers chair. Whether in the
chair or on~the floor OF the House ne al
WAYS maintains his self possession, dig
nity and good humor. MIR. Blaine is
metallic: you cannot conceive how
shot should pierce him, for there seem
no Joints TO his harness. lie
is man who knows what the
weather was yesterday morning in
Dakota, what the Emperor's policy
will be touching Mexico, on what day OF
the week the 10th OF December prox.
will fall, who Is the chairman OF the
school committee in Kennebunk, what
is the best way Of managing the nation
al debt, together with all other interests
of to-day, which anybody else would
stagger under How he does it nobody
knows. He is always in his seat He
must absorb details by assimilation at
his finger ends. As said he is clear
metal. His features are Ia mold, his
attitudes are those Of a bronze figure,
his voice clinks, and, as you know, he
has ideas as fixed as brass"
Mr.. Blaine survived, as l have said.
nearly all the important men with
whom he measured swords in the arena
of debate during the first years OF his
congressional career. 1t is interesting
To glance over the list OF leaders OF that
day and see what havoc death has made
among them. Twenty-Five years ago,
when Blaine's sun was first seen shin
ing clear, and day by day higher in the
armament OF fame, both branches of
Congress contained an unusually large
number Of brilliant men.
One OF the Senators from New York
was the great Roscoe Conkling, whose
quarrel with Blaine in the House few
wears before changed the history OF
parties, drove one into retirement and
kept the other. possibly both, out OF the
Presidency. The other Senator was
E. d. Morgan. In the House were
Ferdinand Wood, c. II. Van WICK,
John Ketcham aud John Morrissey, who
had q gambling establishment here In
the rooms now occepied by the Wash
ington newspaper men as clubhouse.
or these only Ketcham remains In pub
lie life. Nearly all the others are dead.
Among the representatives. OF Penn
sylyania were Simon Cameron, Samuel
j. Randall and William d. Kelley. All
are dead. Only one man Of the Penn
sylvania delegation then In Congress-
"Old Charley" O'Neill-remains.
Ohio had among her representatives
Ben Wade, John Sherman, Robert
Schenck, James A. Garfield. Only Sher-
man remains. Senators Anthony and
Sprague, from Rhode Island, are both
gone-one TO his grave, the other into
retirement so lonely that it makes OF
the former dsshing Senator, million
aire and husband Of the most brilliant
woman OF the day-Kate Chase-vir-
tually a recluse.
Willard Salisbury, then Senator
from Delaware, hss been succeeded By
Eli, his brother. and both have disap-
peared. James A. BAyard. then the