The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-28

years had been allowed his friends to for.
get him.
Mr.. Blaine was solicited at the gather
ing of each convention to lend his follow
ers the strength of his presence. 1t is a
move in which other candidates have
found no impropriety, and which, in Mr.
Blaine's case, would have had an especial
influence. But he steadily refused, and
i'll the three contests i'll which his name
was used, aloof from the strife he borc
himself with singular modcsty. calmn ess
and dignity.
On June Sd the convention organized,
George +. Hoar, of Massachusetts, bcinu
chosen chairman Gen. Garfield, as
every one remembers, received the ap-
pointment to the craftsmanship on Rules,
and on the following day reported tho
code which guided the convention Little
business of interest was transacted on
Friday and Saturday. At the night ses-
sion, Saturday, the nominations were
made. When Maine was called james L.
Jay, chairman of the Michigan delegn-
ton, responded, making speech for Mr..
Blaine.
The wcarisome balloting that followed
is familiar to every reader, and it will bs
recalled that Mr. Blaines friends stood
steadfastly by their leader until the S5th
ballot was reached, when they went over
to Gen. Garfield, effccting his nomination
on the 30th ballot.
Those who were engaged in the effort
to nominate General Grant were scarcely
more faithful On the first ballot it will
be remembered that Mr.. Blaine was the
choice of the 2S4 delegates and from this
his support did not appreciably fail until
the 18th ballot, when the number was
219. His vote fell only once as low as
20; until the last two ballots, with this
execution laSs tbup OK
The dogged perseverance which charac-
terized the third term men and forbade
them to assist in the nomination OF
another candidate, however hopeless the
fortunes of their own, was not emulated
by those who through 81 ballots cast their
votes steadily for Mr.. Blaine. When it
became evident that the man of their
choice could not become the nominee of
the convention II spirit of moderation
prevailed, and the vote of the Blaine dele
cation was cast almost entire for General
Garfield. But for this act Garfield could
not have been nominated. II it was %
surrender, it was the kind of surrender
which carries with it something of the
lustre of victory.
His Nomination and Defeat In 1884,
The story of the convention of 1884.
which nominated Mr. Blaine on the first
ballot is fresh in all minds The nomi-
mating speech of Judge West of Ohio was
one of the most forceful ever delivered in
presenting the name of any man to n con-
vention.
MIR. Blaine arrived in Augusta from
Washington on Tuesday of the week of tho
nomination, and spent the stormy days OF
tho convention quietly in his library at
work upon the second volume of Twenty
Years i'll Congress. His bearing during
this time WAS not less modest and uneager
.han on the occasion OF the two former
conventions.
AS tho bulletins were handed him he
sat upon his lava in the midst OF his
family and read them in the methodical
manner usual with him. When the
news Of the nomination was received he
maintained the same composure.
In speaking of the result, he said that
no felt all the more gratified, because it
was an honor that had come to him un-
collected