Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-06-16


untimely action was only recently
made public by 7. c. Crawford in Les
hes Weekly. 1t is quite likely that if
Mrs. Blaine had not become angry at
the President because he could not
make an appointment which she wished
made, Mr.. Blaine would have remained
at his post in the department of state
and his name would not have been
used to trail at the end of defeat
at Minneapolis. Mrs. Blaine wished
her son-in-law, Col Coppinger, 70 be
promoted to the rank of brigadier gen
eral. In this she was actuated BY the
motives which would inspire a mother
TO seek TO advance the fortunes OF a
son. The President could not make
the appointment without violating the
presidents quite as strong as laws and
trampling on the rights Of thirty-five
officers who stood between the colonel
and his desired advancement The diff
ficulty of making this appointment was
conceded by Mr.. Blaine. and he at
tached no blame to the President when
he refused. But Mrs. Blaine was not
so considerate. The day following the
Presidents final decision Mrs. Blaine
called at the White House.
This interview between Mrs. Blaine
and the President was the beginning
of the Blaine campaign. The interview
was remarkable in many ways. No
President was ever so openly dehed to
his face, All courtesy due to the Prcsi-
dents high office was omitted First.
Mrs. Blaine entered one of the lower
reception-rooms of the White House
and asked that the President should
come down from his office to see her.
This request, remarkable from the
standpoint of etiquette, was acceded to
by the President When he descended
and entered the room Mrs. Blaine at
once opened the conversation by de-
handing imperously that the P:esi-
dent should recede from his decision in
the Coppinger case.
The President betrayed no impa-
thence or temper at this request, not
withstanding the manner in which the
demand was made. He had repeatedly
gone over the case with Mr.. Blaine.
1t was not necessary to repeat his Iea-
sons to Mrs. Blaine. Her fiery mood
was not one appreciatiye of the cold
logic OF the situation. The President s
frmness and calmness did not have a
quieting effect upon Mrs. Blaine. She
now turned upon him and charged him
directly with unkindness to her fam
lily. cruelty in his former lack of con-
sideration for the ambition of her dead
son, Walker. and with general ingrati-
tude to Mr. Blaine, whose influence mad
placed him where he was.
The President did not vince under
this fierce attack. At the close of the
fiery address of Mrs. Blaine she an
nounced to the President that she
would defeat him for his denomination
and that she would force Mr.. Blaine TO
run This dramatic announcement
was followed by Mrs. Blaine herself
closing the interview, again in defiance
of White House etiquette, and then
leaving the room.
From that moment Mr.. Blaine was in
the field although he himself did not
apparently understand that he was to
be forced to run He called upon the
President soon after Mrs. Blaine had
gone, and gave the President to un-
derstand that he did not sympathize
with his wife in her vigorous expression
of displeasure.
Later on the Blaines went to New
York. While the secretary was there
Chauncey NJ. Depew called upon MIN
for the purpose of learning if he was