Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1903-10-22
MAINE Will HONOR
ITS GREATEST SON
Monument to James G. Blaine
Is Planned, to Be Reared
in Washington.
THE FEUD THAT BLI6HTED
.tory OF the Sharp Retort Of conkline
That Made the Two Lifelong
Enemies and Injured Ca
reers of Both.

Washington. ID. c., special: An organ
ized movement has been started at Au-
susta, Ale, that has for its purpose the
building of a suitable in
Washington to the memory of the late
James @. Blaine. once before such a
movement WAS begun. but it fell
through. and it is to be hoped that this
effort Will be successful.
Rlaine's great achievements in the
halls of congress and his brilliant lead
esShip in the republican party will not
be permitted to pass from memory by
the historians who will ever allot him a
place anlong the great men of the ma
ZION, but a statue of bronze or marble
would be Il fitting testimonial of the
nigh esteem in which he was held by
the people of his own state and the
people of the nation.
Feud BIishted BIaine's Career.
1T is interesting in this connection t,
recall he incident in Blaine's public
life that was really responsible for the
present absence OF Il statue or other
memorial to him. For it was due to
This incident, in the opinion of all Who
are familiar with the facts OF the cam
paign of 1884, hat he failed of election
TO the presidency, and, had he not fail
ed, II is more than probable that his
likeness Wou!d now grace Il pedestal in
some prominent spot in Washington.
The incident referred to was Blaine's
quarrel with Conkling.
1t happened in the Thirty-ninth con-
Sress, Blaine and Conkling were both
members Of the house. April "a, 1866,
While II bill to reorganize the army of
the United States was under considera-
ZION, Mr. Conkling moved to strike out
he section providing for a continuance
of the bureau of the provost marshal
general. He spoke in severe terms of
me management of the bureau during
The war by General Fry, who was at
It's head. and said:
MY objection to this section is that
1t creates an unnecessary office for an
undeserNing public servant"
In reply to this Mr.. Blaine warmly
euloSized General Fry.
April 30 the trouble was renewed,
when Mr.. Blaine obtained cave to read
IN the house a letter from General Fry
defending himself from what he called
"a caiumnious attack upon me-"
Singing Words Of Retort.
In reply to this statement Conkline
made q long and imprisoned speech
In which he said some sarcastic things
about the gentleman from Maine" 1t
was BlainaS retort that made the irrep-
arable breach between the two men.
1t was as follows: LAS to the gentle
mans cruel sarcasm, l hope he will
not be too severe. The contempt Of
that large minded gentleman Is SO wilt
ing; his naughty disdain. grandiloquent
swell. his majestic, superenlinent, over
powering turkey gobbler strut has been
SO crushing to myself and all the mem
Ders of his house that l know 1t was
an act of temerity for me to venture
upon Il controversy with him. But. sir.
| know who is responsible for all this.
| know tina within the last five weeks
IS members of this house will recollect.
an extra strut has characterized the
sentleman's bearings.
1t is not his fault; it is the fault of
another. That gilded and satirical
writer. Theodore Iilton of the New
York Independent, spent some weeks
recently in this city. His letters. pub
lishcd in that paper, embraced with
many serious statements Il little jocose
satire, q part of which was tho asser-
lion that them mantle of the late Winter
Davis had fallen upon the gentleman
from New York. The gentleman took it
seriously and it has given his strut ad-
aitional pomposity. The resemblance
IS great. 1t is striking. Hyperion to a
satyr, Thersites to Hercules, mud to
marble. a dunghill to a diamond. a
Singed cat TO a Bengal tiger. a whining
puppy to Il roaring lion. Shade of the
mighty Davis. forgive the almost pro-
fanation OF that jocose satire"
These We're the words that a such
4 powerful influence upon the after
lives of both these men. A feud was
engendered which cast a blight over
both which only ended when the
rave closed over them.