New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1896-01-15
BLAINE AND TILDRN,
H. 2. Hall Recalls Interesting Incidents Of
their Campaign Careers.

s}G:i 3;G t-..........- 80
3. 2. Hall Recalls Interesting Incidents Of
their Campaign Careers.
"Uncrowned Patriot" i the Name, he Gives
to Each.
An Entertaining Chapter Of Political REM
4 iniscence.
Writing in the Minneapolis Journal for
Saturday the old newspaper veteran, H.
z. Hall adds new chapter to personal
political history. He says:
l do not recall having seen any we'll
authenticated report of MI. Blaine's feel
inss concerning. the Rev.. Burchard's
"rum, Romanism and rebellion" incident,
prior to Murat Halstead's fac simile re-
production, in Mcclure for January, of
his (Blaine's) letter onthe subject. Writ
ing IL days after the election in 1884,
he said: 81 feel quite serene over the re-
suit. " But his next sentence did not show
an air Of entire serenity. He added:
'.As the Lord sent upon US an ass in
the shape of preacher, and a rainstorm
to lessen our vote in New York, am
disposed to feel resigned to the dispen-
sation Of defeat, which flowed directly
from these agencies"
While Rev. Burchard helped in
Blaine's defeat and, from a political
standpoint, is entitled to the patronymic
bestowed, 1 desire, on behalf of fair play
for the Lord, to assign still another rea-
son for the result. always felt that
the New York law, which not only per-
mits. but requires, the burning of the
ballots after the count, made Grover
Cleveland president IN 1884. Blaine
lost New York by LOAF. and a change
of trifle more than 500 votes would
have elected him. I claim, IS a general
proposition, there is never hotly- con-
tested election in city of 100000 popu-
lation or upwards, when the party in
power in the city does not cast good
many more than 500 illegal votes, or in
other ways keep their opponents at We
ry considerably larger disadvantage than
that number. This axiom, as might al
most term it, does not apply to any par,
ticular political party, The sound of
mems voices and their faces vary, but
the ways of the politician are much the
same, whatever name he travels under.
My axiom will apply to Democratic New
York or Republican Chicago. But the
ballots were burned, and there could not
be a recount. Nevertheless, in my judg-
ment, Mr.. Blaine was elected in 1884 as
clearly as was Mr.. Tlien in 1876--two
presidents-elect who never took the pres
idential chair.
The dispassionate historian of a later
generation will place Samuel J. Tilden
and James G. Blaine in the very front
rank of American statesmen, owing to
their behavior when elected to the presi-
dency. 1t needed great resolution and
patriotism for Tilden in 1875 to counte-
nance and urge. in the interests of peace,
4 commission which was foreordained to
give the presidency to the defeated can
didate. The popular impulse was ripe
for q revolt, but Tilden put the crown
aside and the country was saved. In a
sense Blame was also victim of 1876
If Tilden had been given the presidency
in 1876, and Blaine on the first count
had only needed to find 524 fraudulent
votes against him in the great cit; and
state of New York, he would have beer
chosen in 1884. While the crisis of 1876
was perilous, that of 1884 was absolute.
ly volcanic. For few days the coun
try was on the verge of civil war which
would have been most awful in its re-
suits. The Democrats were wrought te
the highest pitch by the recollection o.
the 8 to Z commission of 1876, and if {
change had been attempted in the vott
of New York, giving the state to Blaine
there would hive been an instantaneous
riot In every town and city in the coun
try. Ittwould have been the worst q
all struggles, q hand to hand contest
friend against friend, neighbor agains
neighbor. We would have been South
Amer ricanized in tWinkling, The daill
newspapers IN most Of the cities ceased
the issue of bulletins and extras to pre-
vent the gathering Of the turbulent. Ii
st. Paul, the third night after the cleo
ton, the crowd in front of my Office wa.
feeling in an ugly mood over therumor,
that New York was being counted fo
Blaine, and ayisitsof q cheering Repub